Sustainability is an incredibly fundamental aspect to who I see myself as, where the idea of zero-waste has an important part in the role I play in trying to contribute to a brighter environmental future. I'm often seen looking for and asking about recyclable and low-impact packaging and if you've ever seen a supermarket isle, you could understand that this is a very difficult and gruelling task. This is mainly due to the excessive packaging that can already be found in almost every aspect in our lives, which is frustrating as it is easy to image how a simple switch in materials could have a significant impact on the amount of waste generated worldwide. Obviously being completely plastic free is never fool-proof as in penetrates nearly every aspect of our lives, but the effort that I put towards trying to make a difference and the knowledge that I am trying makes it that little bit better.
Zero-waste however isn't only about having pretty debris free beaches free of the plastics bags from your weekly shop, as I've come to learn over recent months. Sometime last year, I watched a screening of Blue The Film with my father, a cinematic masterpiece which emphasises how the impact of human "industrialisation that has occurred in the oceans over the last century mirrors the events that triggered mass extinctions on land," and how "industrial scale fishing, habitat destruction, species loss and pollution have placed the ocean in peril." Madison Stewart provides an excellent voice for the protection of oceans, and by watching this film you come to understand how much more there is to pollution than just recycling a glass bottle every now and again. If you haven't already, I would highly recommend watching the film when you can.
When you start opening your eyes to the reality that our planet is facing, you will undoubtedly want to take action as the mounting guilt is often too much to bare. Or you could turn a blind eye, as many do. However for me, the thought that every single tooth brush I've used since I was born still exists somewhere on Earth terrifies me, and so each and every day I try and reduce my impact. Therefore, in this post I'll be sharing with you some of my favourite eco-friendly products and 'hacks' to try and live that little bit more sustainably.
To get the simple stuff out the way, tips to reduce your plastics consumption and the release of it into the environment are as follows:
1) When buying take-away food, consider eating in to avoid take-away containers, or ask for paper bags instead of plastic containers. I do this often with sushi, where instead of placing several rolls in one plastic container, I ask for the rolls to be placed in a paper bags instead - also note, ask for them not to include the small fish shaped soy sauce packets. Often, they will have a large soy container from which you can pour the soy straight onto the rolls.
2) Always ask for no straw. Straws are unnecessary and one of the most common forms of plastic pollution. This also goes for plastic bottles etc, where they should be avoided. However, plastic bottles can often be recycled. Remember though the order of the Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle. Recycling is a last resort and often very energy intensive.
3) Back to basics: use reusable shopping bags for groceries. Not too hard to remember, and besides, Woolworths and Coles are ditching plastic bags in 2018 therefore it won't be optional for much longer. What about produce bags for things such as apples etc? See how this is tackled later in the post.
4) Wash your clothes less. Avoid washing clothes after one wear as it releases unnecessary micro-plastics into the waterways which are often ingested by organisms and can be harmful to the ecosystems present.
5) Distinguish between recycling and non-recycling in your household by reading the labels and checking with the recycling regulation of your council, and always try and buy recyclable packaging where possible, or avoid packaging completely.
Highly Suggested Products to Decrease Your Impact on the Environment
Biome is a brilliant Australian distributor of eco-friendly products all over the continent. Although they have stores scattered through Queensland, their online store stocks amples of products that decrease waste in every day life. Some of my favourites are as follows (note: I don't own all of these products, some I like the idea of but haven't come around to purchasing yet.)
If you think about it, we go through a lot of toothbrushes in our lifetime, which are discarded on a whim. As mentioned earlier, this haunts me and so I've actually invested in a degradable bamboo toothbrush with recycled bristles to minimise my impact but not compromise my oral health. I also used natural toothpaste with no fluoride, parabens etc. Some people are uncertain about excluding fluoride, but as I drink water already treated with fluoride I'm not overly concerned.
Some things you'll just feel you need a straw for, and no better idea than to bring your own. I would highly recommend buying to straw cleaner with these as well (small bristles on a stick thing) as they can be difficult to clean. I have mixed feelings between these aluminium straws and bamboo as aluminium can be rough on the teeth as it can't be bitten down on like with normal plastic straws.
Obviously a classic, a reusable mug is now a hot staple in Melbourne coffee culture. KeepCup seems to be the most frequented brand to keep your favourite hot beverage warm and waste free. The added benefit of buying this particular cup is that KeepCup donates 15% of all Sea Shepherd Keep Cup sales to Sea Shepherd Australia.
I mentioned earlier that ditching plastic shopping bags is a step in the right direction for sustainable grocery shopping. However, there still lies the question of the 'sub-plastic bags' - the bags you use for your fruits and vegetables. Worry not, Onya's mesh produce bags are the answer. The light mesh doesn't contribute any extra weight to the total of the produce (therefore not costing you any more) and allow for you to buy produce in bulk without having everything rolling all over the place. As well as this, the bags are made from 100% rPET (recycled plastic drink bottles). This means 60% less energy and 90% less water goes into making these bags as compared to similar non-recycled products.
These are some of my favourite and most practical buys, but there are many more to be explored on Biome's website. Remember, abandoning old and sometimes unsustainable habits is hard so baby steps is all it takes to make for a better future.
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