Tag Archives: plastic straws

Plastic – A Personal Perspective

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I have spent the best part of 3 days this week at a conference, hence the lack of posts.

Here is a photo of some of the things I took with me in an effort to reduce the inevitable waste that an event like this tends to generate.

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A stainless steel water bottle which I was able to refill during the course of the conference.  Cloth serviettes to use instead of disposable ones.  A bamboo straw in case I felt I needed it but it remained unused.  2 small Ball jars of snacks – 1 of sultanas and 1 of walnuts.  This was as much about making sure that I had gluten free snacks which were to my liking as it was about no plastic.  A tub of homemade hummus in a reused plastic container and a packet of rice crackers as well as some home-grown mandarins (not shown) completed my food supplies.  Although the rice crackers are in plastic packaging, the food selection I took was much lower waste than buying snacks at the venue.

I also took a plastic tumbler from our picnic set and was very grateful that I did because the morning/afternoon teas included tea and coffee with ‘real’ cups and saucers but there were disposable plastic cups with the dispensers of chilled water.  That was very disappointing.

On the upside, the straws provided in drinks were paper ones, however, I simply asked for my drinks with my standard, “no ice, no straw” request.

3 of the meals were in disposable ‘packs’ as we had to eat en route to the next item on the program.  I chose to partake as starving was not really an option.  I did not eat any of the single-wrapped mints which were on the tables in the conference room and stuck to my nuts and dried fruit as required.

Other unavoidable plastics included plastic-wrapped notebooks and plastic tag-holders on lanyards for every participant.

All in all, the waste was probably not excessive, however, it was still too much for my liking so I will be providing some feedback to both the organisers and the venue in the hope that they will take sustainable practices into consideration when planning future events.

Beyond the Bags

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The ban on single-use shopping bags seems to have garnered all of the media attention recently and not all of the publicity has been positive.  I have already had my say about some of the ridiculous commentary here.

Tonight I want to talk about moving beyond simply banning one particular type of single-use plastic bag and look at other things we can do.

Plastic-Free July is just around the corner so now is a great time to focus on the many single-use plastics that are still part of many people’s everyday lives.

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Here is a list of some of the single-use plastics which have combined to create enormous islands of floating waste in our oceans.

  • Bottled water
  • Soft drink bottles
  • Single use cups – styrofoam and plastic
  • Plastic plates
  • Plastic cutlery
  • Plastic straws
  • Balloons
  • Clingwrap
  • Ziplock bags
  • Plastic produce bags

All of these items have relatively cheap and easy alternatives/replacements.

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  • Limit your consumption of soft drinks
  • Carry your own reusable cup – Keep cups are suitable for hot drinks.  Seek out cafes who will accept your own mug.  Check out Responsible Cafes or just ask.

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  • At home – choose to use regular crockery.  When eating out – take your own reusable plate.
  • At home – choose to use regular cutlery.  When eating out – take your own reusable cutlery.
  • Skip the straw – ask for ‘no straw’ when ordering your drink.  If you really need to use a straw, consider buying a stainless steel or bamboo one.

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  • ‘Message’ balloons – consider a card or practical gift.  Decorative balloons can be replaced with paper decorations.  Balloon releases are just mass littering.  They do not go to heaven, they end up harming wildlife on land and in the oceans.  Plant trees or scatter wildflower seeds in memory of a loved one.
  • At home – replace clingwrap with a lidded container, plate on top of a bowl or beeswax wraps.  Refuse to purchase produce wrapped in clingwrap.  Buy it unwrapped.

 

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  • Ziplock bags – use lidded containers.  If you have ziplock bags, use them multiple times – they can easily be rewashed.
  • Plastic produce bags – buy or make your own produce bags for buying fruit and vegetables.  Tulle or mesh curtains work really well.

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As with any change, it is probably best to start with a couple of items and work from there.

What will you commit to changing for Plastic Free July?  Make it a new habit that you can carry forward into the future.  Then build on your achievement with other changes.

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Plastic-Free July – All Wrapped Up

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Well, July is over and that means Plastic-Free July has come to an end for another year.

However, Plastic-Free July is much more than simply a month of denial.  It is an opportunity for us all to challenge ourselves to reduce our use of single-use plastics and to continue new habits well beyond 31st July.

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I chose to renew my efforts to refuse plastic straws. I do not often have a drink when I am out but I made a conscious decision to ask for my drink without a straw whenever I was ordering.

The highlight was tonight when GMan and I went to the local tavern in a small village near us for dinner.  We went to the bar to order our drinks and I ordered a lime and soda.  I was asked if I would like ice – yes, please, lime cordial as well as fresh lime – no, thanks and finally, as the glass was filled – would I like a straw?  Of course, my response was no, thanks but I also pointed out that I was delighted to actually be asked.  I felt that this gives validity to those of us who choose the ‘no straw’ option.  The waitress then asked if I didn’t like drinking from a straw and I replied that I chose not to use one as it is single-use plastic and most often ends up in the ocean.  I then pointed out that it was a perfectly reasonable thing to do because no-one expects that my husband will drink his beer with a straw!  I was excited by her reply of, “You know, I’ve never really thought of it like that, but you are right”.  Another seed is sown…………

Did you participate in Plastic-Free July?  Are you trying to reduce your use of single-use plastics?

Please share your story.

Plastic Free July – Update & A Refresher

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Today I am reviving an older post  that should help in our quest for Plastic Free July and also in the future.

Do you buy pure butter in a compostable, paper wrapper?  Or are you like the majority of the population and buy margarine or some type of spread in a plastic container?  Want to stop getting those plastic containers?  Here is your answer.

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I have been reasonably successful in sticking to plastic-free options so far this month.  My list of items containing single-use has been updated with a couple more items.  You can find it here.

Last night we ate out, at our local pizza restaurant.  There was no plastic involved as they use proper crockery and cutlery, however, the soft drink always is served with a straw (plastic).  I thought of this before I went so when we ordered our drinks I specifically asked for no straw.  I should really have taken it a step further and explained why I chose not to have a straw.

I was discussing this with The Duke and said that for Plastic Free July to have any real value, I needed to push the boundaries and not just do plastic free things that are part of my normal routine.

Have you done anything different this month?