Plastic has become such a big part of our everyday lives & while it does have its uses single use plastic is probably one of the least sustainable ideas of the 20th century. How can you justify calling something disposable when will be around for hundreds of years? Plain crazy if you ask me. So here are some ideas on how you can reduce your plastic footprint.

Ditching single use plastic is actually not that hard, it just requires a wee shift in habits.

Plastic Bags

Did you know that in NZ alone, our small population of 4 million uses a massive 1 billion plastic bags every year and only 5% of these are recycled in spite of recycling collections around the country? Luckily this is changing so find a way to have your reusable on hand.

One of the big problems with this is that people are buying more plastic rubbish bags to use as rubbish bin liners in place of checkout bags. Instead try these fully biodegradable and compostable bin liners.

Reusable shopping bags are easy to get your hands on but what about all those bags for your fruit & veg? I am loving reusable produce bags, I reckon by using these when we shop we have saved over 1500 single use bags from landfill and counting... now I'm pretty happy about that.

Reusable Lunch Wraps or Litter-less Lunchboxes

Did you know that a family of four, each taking a cling-film wrapped sandwich to work or school, would go through an entire kilometre of cling-film every three years? That’s not even counting the stuff you use to cover leftovers and food for the freezer - and it doesn't break down – ever. There are heaps of options out there so stock up on a few and you’ll never need clingfilm or single-user plastic baggies again.

Buy in bulk and distribute into small reusable containers rather than buying individual ones. Hint to save time I fill up a load at the beginning of the week, including yoghurt.

Reusable Drink Bottles

This is a no brainer, my preference is for stainless steel or glass – no leeching of nasty plastic chemicals or taste. The amount of money spent and damage done on something that is readily available from a tap is astounding.

Reusable Straws

Did you know that Kiwis throw away 541 million straws each year? Now that’s pretty horrifying. A reusable straw is the way to go, they last a lifetime with good care, and will help you reduce a significant amount of single use plastic waste from ending up in landfill or our environment. They actually feel great to drink from too. Keep one in your bag, at your desk, or in the car so you're never caught without.

Reusable Coffee Cups

Now you might think these are biodegradable or recyclable, they are made from cardboard…right?...wrong! They have a plastic lining inside which prevents that. So grab yourself a reusable one – there are heaps available. I like these silicone ones from Onya, they are not plastic so won’t leech into my precious coffee and are unbreakable – handy since it stays in my handbag or in the car.

Fight the War On Waste everyday with these reusable alternatives to single use plastic. Find more ideas in-store here