Welcome to my series on sustainable living. How can you change your habits? Well, first, you have to believe that you really want to make the change. In the video below, I will show you how to start by conducting a plastic trash audit. Yes, you understood correctly- we will go through your trash.
We’ll start by collecting all empty single-use plastic packaging for a month. Don’t forget to wash/clean bottles and food packaging so that it doesn’t smell.
After one month, lay all the trash down on the floor, or on your table, and have a good look at it.
I like to sort all single-use plastics in 6 weeks into different groups:
- food and drinks-related single-use plastic,
- toiletries and bathroom,
- toys,
- flowers,
- plastic foam or insulation that protected a product that we bought or received as a present,
- plastic bags.
The point is not to make you feel guilty or uncomfortable but to get an insight from where your single-use plastics come.
For example, when it comes to a medication that you have to take on a daily basis, there is nothing you can do about it. On the other hand, if you see plastic bottles from the milk, you can replace them with milk bottled in glass.
What else can you replace:
- Single-use plastic water bottles with a reusable water flask.
- Single-use plastic plates, cutlery, straws – use reusable ones (porcelain plates, bamboo, metal, glass or silicone straws, metal or bamboo cutlery).
- If you like sparkling water, check SodaStream.
- Single-use contact lenses with hard ones that last longer.
- Food that comes packaged in plastic – look for a store that sells unpacked fruits and veggies, visit a local bulk store to see what you can buy package-free (most likely you will find flour, oats, pasta, pulses, rice, polenta, couscous, nuts, raisins, biscuits, and fruit jellies.
There are more sustainable and zero waste swaps one can make but I will talk about them in my next videos.
So, are you ready to do your plastic trash audit now? Let me know in the comments below.
