Will you take up the Plastic Challenge?

The month of June (and yes, I know I'm late doing this) is the month when the Marine Conservation Society has its Plastic Challenge.

The idea is that we all try to reduce our plastic footprint as much as we can.

Plastic ends up in all sorts of places, but that includes our marine life and wildlife, who either think it's some sort of food or who can't help but swallow the tiny, tiny pieces of plastic which have broken town very considerably.   The result?  We can end up eating plastic ourselves. So it doesn't do us any favours and it's in all our interests to reduce the amount of plastic we use as much as we can.

The Marine Conservation Society admits that it will be virtually impossible to get rid of all the plastic we use - the stuff is everywhere and in everything, it seems.  But that's not to say we can't each take a look at the plastic we use once only and see if we can replace it with something that's kinder to animals on this planet and ourselves as well.

I'm conscious that I could certainly do better, so I'm resolving to take these steps and try to change my habits.

Plastic water bottles
A few months ago, I got a travel water bottle and stopped using plastic water bottles.  Unfortunately, I dropped it on the floor and it cracked, so I shall get another one of those and stop using plastic bottles.  I've read somewhere that water out of plastic bottles has been known to be very bad for our health anyway if it's been in a warm temperature.

I was in the habit of re-filling a plastic water bottle again and again over the course of a week before chucking it out and starting a new one;  but if I get another travel bottle, that's 52 less plastic water bottles that will be out of the ecosystem.

Plastic bags
I shall get more jute bags of different sizes and put them everywhere I might need them;  in the car rather than in the boot, for those small "I just need to pop in to get a few bits" moments;  one by the front door so I can grab it when I go out.   I'll buy biodegradable dog poo bags from Amazon for the dog.  And I'll make sure any other time I need a plastic bag I try to think of an alternative.   Rubbish bags, for instance - biodegradable black bin bags from Amazon. They need to go on my shopping list. Why haven't I thought of them before?

Fruit in plastic containers
Shopping in the supermarket often means coming home with fruit in plastic containers or bags.  So I've decided that rather than buy blueberries from Sainsbury's, I'm going to grow my own.   Blueberries, raspberries and blackberries should see me through quite a bit of the year, especially if I freeze them.  You can get dwarf varieties these days, so even if you have a tiny patio, there should be room for a couple of fruit plants.

Think about daily skin care
Green People produce organic beauty products.  They've been working with the Marine Conservation Society to create products which avoid the use of chemicals which can harm the marine environment.  Three in four exfoliating scrubs and peels found on the high street have tiny plastic particles called microbeads or microplastics - which end up in the seas and oceans of the world. So check out Green People's Fruit Scrub Exfoliator and their sun lotion products.  I use their products regularly now - I like the fact they're working with the Marine Conservation Society, and they've supported the Woodland Trust, Butterfly Conservation and Plantlife as well :-)

Daily Living
Finally, I'm going to monitor all the plastic I use in one day and write it down.  I'm then going to have a look at why I need it and how I can replace it.  I know I can't take out all the plastic in my life - but I'm going to have a really good go.

Marine life need all our help so do please find out more about Plastic Challenge here.  You don't have to do it for the entire month, and let's be honest, if you're reading this blog for the first time and find out about it in December, you could start your own Plastic Challenge then.