Carry a reusable drink bottle with you always (not plastic!) – don’t buy bottled water
The world is consuming a million plastic bottles a minute. Wait…WHAT?! That’s right – and it’s set to rise to half a trillion by 2021, with major drinks brands largely responsible. This goes beyond what recycling can manage. We are clogging up our oceans with these things and experts claim this plastic is making its way into our food chain. Absolutely mind-boggling stuff, so it’s the least we can do to stop buying drinks that come in plastic bottles, and of course tote around our own reusable drink bottle everywhere we go.
Carry reusable cup with you
Or go one step further and BYO container and utensils, tin, napkin, spork, etc! Most places should be fine with popping the food you order into your own container. The reusable coffee cup is like the reusable shopping bags in that you just need to remember to shove it in your bag/car everyday, so that you’re always prepared.
Buy secondhand clothes where possible
Fast fashion is rife – we’re talking sweatshop clothes sold at ridiculously cheap prices at chain stores. If you aren’t into buying a small amount of quality items that will last, from ethical sources (like Nature Baby, Zee Zee Merino, Thunderpants), then you need to be sourcing all your threads secondhand. Local opshops are a wonderful source of secondhand clothes and various other items, but you can also use scour your local community Facebook noticeboards, websites like Charlie and Flo’s, and do your bit to reuse what is already here and still has life in it for you and your kids.
These are just a handful of ways you can act now and start to reduce your waste. What other tips would you suggest? Leave us a comment below.
