It’s not you, it’s the plastic problem: Rethinking our relationship with plastic

Funnily enough, the qualities of plastic appear to be everything that we look for in a partner. It’s reliable, strong, helpful and always there when you need it. But sometimes, the things we think are right for us, aren’t always the best option. I’m sorry, Plastic, we’re just not that into you!

The UK’s worst kept secret is its plastic problem. This country alone throws away 295 billion pieces of plastic waste each year. And only 10% of plastic that is disposed of correctly is actually recycled. You don’t have to be great at maths to work out that, that is not a statistic we want to be bragging about.

Photo by OCG Saving The Ocean on Unsplash

One of plastic’s big issues is that it just doesn’t go away. It takes hundreds of years for plastic to degrade, and once it has, it doesn’t just ‘return’ to the earth either. No, it breaks down into millions of tiny micro-plastics that contaminate the ocean, the soil, our food and our wildlife. By 2050 it’s estimated that our oceans will be home to more plastic than marine life, unless we reassess our relationship with plastic now. 

Plastic production is a massive contributor to climate change. Greenhouse gasses are emitted at every stage of the plastic life-cycle, as almost all plastics are made from fossil fuels - which means it requires a very energy-intensive procedure to just extract the materials needed to produce plastic. 

But, wait… it gets worse. Since the beginning of the century, the demand for plastic has gotten out of control. If this demand doesn’t drop at some point soon, it's expected that by 2030, greenhouse gas emissions released into the atmosphere could reach up to 1.34 billion tons each year. 

Photo by Brian Yurasits on Unsplash

What can we do about this plastic problem? 

We all thought we were doing our part by recycling the plastic we did use… well Greenpeace’s short film, ‘Wasteminster: A Downing Street Disaster’ really proved us all wrong. Recycling is great, obviously, but it’s not going to solve our plastic problem. We need to stop consuming and producing plastic. But that’s not realistic. This use, throw, repurchase culture is less sustainable than looking like a 10/10 for every one of our 9AM zoom meetings.

Until we get systematic change, we must use our purchasing power to influence supply and demand, and just use less of it. The second best thing that we can do is to up our recycling game.

Here are our 5 tips for consuming less plastic:

Tip 1: Be prepared. 

Carry reusable water bottles and reusable shopping bags. Plastic bottles and bags are the top two types of plastic waste found in the sea. By using refillable water bottles instead of bottled water from the shop, you could save about £25,000 in a lifetime.

The Eco Pantry in Kent

Tip 2: Use refill stations. 

Shop from your local grocery stores, or farmers markets where fruit and veg aren’t packaged in plastic wrappers. Visit refill stations in your area to get dry foods like beans, pasta and rice. A Goodfind hot tip: repurpose condiment jars and use them to store dry foods or sauces. 

Tip 3: Avoid, avoid and avoid.

Since society says that we have to wear clothes, try to avoid synthetic materials. Opt for more natural products like hemp or linen - try shopping secondhand to drastically reduce the prices. Obviously, this isn’t always straightforward, and in cases where you can’t avoid it, wash your products on a lower heat to avoid fewer plastic fibres from being released. We recommend washing your clothes at 30°C or less.

Tip 4: Purchase in bulk.

We know that shopping from refill stations isn't achievable for everyone, so another way that you can reduce your amount of household plastic waste, is by purchasing in bulk. This also means a lot less trips to the supermarket… Thank god!

Tip 5: Learn to say no when you are on-the-go. 

Don’t accept plastic cutlery or straws, or unnecessary packaging. Carrying alternatives with you makes saying no so much easier. Eco-cutlery and bags are literally everywhere now so take the jump and invest in some. We even have a few, like Bambuka. 

Check out our plastic-free category to find plastic alternatives such as tooth-brushes, lunch boxes, plastic-free skincare and so much more.

Words by Leonie Carver