Hacks for a single-use plastic free Christmas
In peak times of Christmas shopping and holiday preparation for the big day, we are simply awash in single-use plastic packaging! What a waste! It is really hitting home this year and the desire to buy more sustainable and eco-friendly presents is gladly on the up and a great trend!
Other gifts include beautiful tote, jute and string shopping bags. Whether it’s for the pre-Christmas food shopping or getting ready for the January sales a bag for life makes a thoughtful present
By adopting some good single-use plastic-free habits your new year’s resolutions are almost done!
Refill and reuse
With one weekend to go, here are some great ideas for those last-minute stocking fillers that make great gifts and also help reduce single-use plastic. There are many reusable keep-cups for hot drinks, drinking water bottles available to refill your favourite drinks on the go and at work. The most popular way to cut buying single-use plastic bottles, which end up in landfill and the ocean. While many bottles are recyclable they are littered before ending up in the recycle centres.
Other gifts include beautiful tote, jute and string shopping bags. Whether it’s for the pre-Christmas food shopping or getting ready for the January sales a bag for life makes a thoughtful present
By adopting some good single-use plastic-free habits your new year’s resolutions are almost done!
It's a wrap
So next up, give a thought to your gift wrap. Avoid the glittery (plastic-based) paper which probably can’t be recycled although it looks great. Do the scrunch test. This thin un-adorned paper can be recycled and is cheaper. Better still give your presents a traditional feel and use recycled brown parcel paper tied in twine or non-plastic ribbon. Jazz it up some seasonal greenery rather than pesky plastic bows and re-use last year’s Christmas cards for tags! Shredded paper is a great alternative to plastic bubble wrap and polystyrene to protect delicate items.
No plastic parties
With entertainment high on everyone’s social agenda, replace throwaway plates and plastic cups with china, proper plates, real or wooden cutlery and glasses that make drinks taste so much better, in order to easily reduce plastic waste.Sustainable shopping
Use all your reusable tote bags when doing the supermarket shopping. Take your empty Tupperware-style containers and drawstring produce bags to buy loose items and ingredients. Food packaging is obscene and contributes to the plastic waste mountain. Changing your shopping habits and you will notice a massive reduction in your wheelie bin contents now and in 2020. Visit your local farmer's markets and traditional greengrocers for your locally-sourced winter vegetables, also cheesemongers. Think about where food comes from and the air miles and carbon footprint associated with food that has come thousands of miles. Buy tasty, fresh loaves plastic-free from the bakers, and take your own airtight containers for meat, fish, and cheese to supermarkets that have refill sections, such as Unpacked at Waitrose. With food everywhere and leftovers, reduce your use of cling film. Leftovers can go into a lidded container or jar, rather than a bowl with a single-use cling film lid. Alternative food coverings include soy wax or beeswax wrap and these can be found in most supermarkets now. Although slightly expensive the more we use the more the prices will be driven down.Steam to clean
Washing up features heavily over the next couple of weeks with all the family and friend entertainment. Try reusable, washable dishcloths for the bulk of it and invest in a reusable plastic-free scrubbing brush for more stubborn items. An instant steaming hot tap is really a convenient way to soak those dinner pans and trays and make light work of the festive dinner clean up. Steam to clean so to speak.