Green is the new black: 5 easy ways to reduce plastic
Posted by Shop Pompom on
On a Sunday night there is nobody on earth we want to hear from, except David Attenborough. His soothing voice is my equivalent of a Xanex. It is one of the many things PomPom would like to thank him for along with his vision, his research and the far reaching “Blue Planet effect.”
From the comfort of our armchairs, we were warned how eight million tonnes of plastic end up in our oceans. We watched appalled as albatrosses, birds with wingspans the size of our sitting rooms, accidently fed their chicks plastic, often killing them. Attenborough introduced the term “single-use plastic” and we listened. The “Blue Planet” effect rippled through the world and we all wanted to do better.
This seems the perfect moment for shout out to Anne-Marie Bonneau, Zero Waste Chef, on Twitter “We don't need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.’ We hear you lady, PomPom feels the same about plastic use.
As Cecily says, "I was never going to do it perfectly. When I struggle to get my requisite 10 hours a night (I promise I am more polite with more sleep), do my best to run a full time job and be nice to my child and after that my husband, it was seemingly impossible to add anything more to my life."
So how to make this imperfect reduction? Delegate. Discuss it as a family and bring children into the discussion. It is hard to remember the stash of reusable bags under the sink and the ones at the check-out are not cheap! Katherine makes it the three year old’s responsibility and she is militant! Economy, empowerment and environment? Tick!
- Ditch clingfilm. Foil can be recycled. Better still use beeswax wraps. They are so pretty. Washed under the tap, used for a year and then composted. They are often handmade by small businesses.
- Choose Shampoo bars over plastic bottles and eco friendly soap, gentle on the skin and leave hair soft. PomPom promises they work and because ... your kids are worth it!
- Party pooper alert – replace plastic party bags and balloons on birthdays. Let your kids help to choose plastic free alternatives and there are lovely ones.
- Ice cream cones. Yes! Choose those waffle treats over the cup and plastic spoon. And with that, we will leave you on a sugar high!
- Choose Wooden Toys over plastic!