31 ways to stop plastic in its tracks

12 Jun

The plastic problem affects us all. Plastics are getting into our waterways and food chain, even the air we breathe! In fact, experts estimate that we ingest 1 credit card worth of plastic per week! We need to reduce our plastic usage, and we need to do it now. Bright Green’s 31-day plastic-free challenge is a great place to start. Are you up for the challenge?!

We need to reduce plastic use, and we need to do it now.

You have no doubt heard of the plastic problem - Plastic is one of the biggest environmental concerns we are currently facing.

Invented around 100 years ago, plastic was initially designed to reduce our reliance on natural items such as ivory. It was developed as a long-lasting material due to its durability. But it’s the way we’re now using plastic that’s the problem, using a durable material as disposable and even single-use.

The problem with plastic is that it doesn’t break biodegrade like other materials such as paper; it only breaks into smaller pieces, called Microplastics. These microplastics make their way into the environment and are often mistaken for food by marine and bird life.

And once it’s in the food chain, we consume it too! It’s now in the water we drink (and beer!), even the air we breathe!

Fast facts:

All the plastic ever manufactured is still in existence today! Plastic was only invented around 100 years ago so we don’t really know how long it will take to break down. Estimates are between 100-450 years, even forever!
More than 5 trillion pieces of plastic are already floating in our oceans. Worldwide, 73 percent of beach litter is plastic: filters from cigarette butts, bottles and bottle caps, food wrappers, grocery bags, and polystyrene containers. Think before you litter. Chances are it will end up in the ocean.
Some experts estimate that by 2050:
- Virtually every seabird species on the planet will be eating plastic
- There will be more plastic in the ocean than fish.
- Now is the time to stop plastic in its tracks and prevent this from happening.
Only around 9 percent of plastic is recycled. As of 2015, more than 6.3 billion tonnes of plastic waste had been generated. Around 9% of that was recycled, 12% was incinerated, and 79% accumulated in landfills or the environment. Packaging now accounts for nearly half of all plastic waste generated globally – most of it never gets recycled or incinerated.
In 2019, it was estimated that we would generate 500 million tonnes of plastic in 2020, 900% more than in 1980. With the added complexity of pandemic plastic, the likelihood is that we far outreached that estimation.
While it will take time for us to know the true impact of pandemic plastic, experts estimate that each month 129 billion face masks and 65 billion gloves are used and disposed of globally. Of course, it’s important for us to protect our health, but knowing where are how we can reduce plastic use is essential for our ongoing management of plastic in our lives.

So, what can we do to stop this trend in its tracks?

As consumers, we can and must take action, and use our voices as a powerful force for good. Let’s make a commitment to reduce plastic use as much as possible. Vote with our dollars so that manufacturers will stop making it.

For Plastic-Free July, we’ve pulled together 31 plastic-free challenges for you reduce plastic use in your home and life. No matter where you are in your zero-waste journey, we are sure you will find some fresh ideas to help you reduce plastic use in your home and life.

Bright Green’s 31-day plastic-free challenge!

Week 1

1. Start noticing any single-use plastic items that you use in your home and life.

2. Swap to reusables wherever you can - whether that’s a water bottle, coffee cup, lunchbox, straw or carry bag – and of course, masks.

3. Challenge yourself to kick your disposable coffee cup habit, drink-in – or go without! Can you kick it? Yes, you can!

4. Take stock of all the plastic items you use in your kitchen, particularly single-use. Next time you go to the supermarket, opt for products with minimal or no packaging. Opt for cartons or glass bottles, rather than plastic.

5. Conduct a waste audit – determine which items you could reduce or reuse instead of disposing of them.

6. Ditch the cling film (saran wrap, cling wrap, any other name for plastic wrap) and instead try reusable containers or beeswax wraps.

7. Invest in a metal straw (or go without a straw altogether, if you can).

Week 2

8. Ditch those “compostable” and “biodegradable” plastics too. Those labels are not all they’re cracked up to be.

9. Say “no carrier please” wherever you buy your groceries. Instead, bring a reusable bag from home (or even reuse plastic bags you already have).

10. Conduct a recycling audit and see what you can reuse rather than recycle. (Remember only between 7-9% of all plastic produced ends up being recycled so recycling, while an important part of the circular economy, should be considered as a last resort).

11. Switch out your plastic dishwashing bottle for a dishwashing block such as our No Tox Life dishwashing block.

12. Instead of dabao, cook at home instead.

13. If you order in, go without cutlery when ordering from food delivery services such as Grab, Food Panda, and Deliveroo.

14. Invest in a good quality lunchbox (or better still, use one you already have!) and remember to bring it with you. If you’re concerned about the reactions or questions you might receive from vendors, try it and see. We think you’ll find that most vendors will take it in their stride!

Week 3

15. Shop at wet markets or farmers markets rather than supermarkets to reduce packaging. Ask vendors to pack into your reusable bags instead of accepting plastic. (You can also bring reusable containers for meat, fish, and eggs!).

16. Repurpose old tea towels or sheets into drawstring bags for your fruit and veggies.

17. In the kitchen, ditch the infamous green and yellow sponges! They are microplastic pollution waiting to happen. Instead, try a washable and reusable cloth or a silicon scrubber.

18. Rather than purchasing Mason jars, use glass jars you receive your products in. (If you’re worried about spillage when transporting, place a small piece of cloth between the jar and the lid).

19. Swap out plastic dishwashing brushes in the kitchen for a bamboo and agave brush instead.

20. Invest in a filter for your washing machine to reduce the risk of microplastic pollution from your clothing. Microplastics are also found in common household items such as body scrubs and toothpaste, and they can harm marine and bird life. More about microplastic pollution here.

21. Washing powder – opt for washing powder in a cardboard box rather than plastic bottle (and opt for natural powders such as soapberry, we love Soapnut Republic, a local Singapore co.).

Week 4

22. Buy in bulk and refill! Scoop Wholefoods or The Source Bulk Foods have multiple locations around Singapore so there’s bound to be one near you.

23. Bring your own containers from home rather than purchasing new. Reuse your glass jars from home.

24. When buying clothing, choose natural fabrics such as cotton and linen rather than polyester, as this contributes to microplastic pollution and can impact our bird and animal life.

25. Purchase a Guppyfriend washing bag to to help reduce microplastic pollution when washing your clothes. Ubu Swimwear stocks them here in Singapore.

26. Bring your reusable water bottle with you, and refill rather than purchase single-use plastic. If you need to buy a new one, invest in a good quality metal water bottle that keeps your water cold/warm, depending on your preference.

27. Try plastic-free swaps in your toothbrushing routine as bamboo toothbrushes, toothpaste and dental floss (our silk floss and corn floss are both biodegradable).

28. While working from home, reduce your reliance on food delivery, as tempting as it may be. If you want to treat yourself to a delivery, make sure you select Muuse for reusable containers with your food deliveries.

Almost there! 3 days to go…

29. Make clever plastic-free swaps in your bathroom, such as ditching your plastic earbuds/cotton buds in favour of bamboo buds.

30. If you can, support organisations like Plastic-Free July, Plastic-Lite SG, and Seven Clean Seas, that are committed to reducing plastic waste in the environment to protect our bird and marine life.

31. Consider how you can bring these plastic-free initiatives into your workplace. Hopefully we’ll soon be heading back into our offices in Singapore, so it’s the perfect time for a sustainability refresher! Check out our free download “14 ways to kick-start your green team” here.

Congrats!!

If you’ve made it all the way through July and completed all of our plastic-free challenges, Congratulations!! If you’re tackled a few problem areas, that’s amazing too! You’ve made some fantastic inroads to becoming aware of plastic use in your home and life and are well on the road to removing it.

Now, how can you get your family, friends and community involved?! Let us know how you go!

What’s your favourite plastic-free swap? Let us know in the comments!