A Beginner's Guide to Plastic-Free Living

1) Loose Produce

For some reason, supermarkets love to package up fruit and vegetables in plastic wrap, which seems to be getting more and more excessive as time goes on.

Instead of opting for the pre-packaged items, try bringing your own reusable vegetable storage bags and grab some loose produce!

If you want to go a step further you can sign up for a food box service, such as Food Box, Good Food, and Hello Fresh, to get plastic-free produce sent straight to your door. 

2) Bye-Bye Bottled Water 

Bottled water is incredibly easy to cut out of your weekly shop. There is absolutely no reason for anyone to be buying this in a country where you can drink straight out of the tap. Get yourself a Brita or a reusable bottle and fill it up. Forget the "no filter" hashtag on Instagram, it’s time for #YesFilter.

3) Bring Your Own Bag

One of the biggest contributors to plastic waste in our oceans is plastic bags, and supermarkets are the world's biggest culprits. So grab yourself a few canvas totes or net bags and say no to plastic bags. Not only do they last longer, but they look much nicer than branded supermarket plastic bags. 

4) Save Money and Remove Plastic From Your Bathroom

Believe it or not, toiletries are an absolute nightmare for the ocean. Most self-care products are plastic-based or, even worse, have plastic in them! Ditch the disposable razor and toothbrush in favour of their eco-friendly cousins, the Bamboo Toothbrush and all-metal straight razor.

5) Raise the Bar

Bottled shampoos and conditioners are so 2018. Get yourself a solid shampoo or conditioner bar. Not only do they eliminate the need for plastic packaging but they tend to be made of natural products and last a lot longer, which means healthier hair and an even healthier bank balance!

6) Grab Yourself a (Reusable) Cup of Joe

If you get yourself a coffee every day, you may want to think about how your caffeine fix impacts the environment. Using disposable coffee cups everyday for one year produces 10Kg of plastic waste - that’s huge! Most cafes and coffee chains now offer a discount on your coffee when you use your own cup. A win-win situation in our books. 

7) The Last Straw

We have become accustomed to expect a straw with every cold beverage we purchase for ‘convenience’. That same convenience is quite literally destroying not only the ocean but the sea life that lives in it too. Have the confidence to say no to the plastic straw and get yourself a Stainless Steel Reusable Straw!

Final Words

Beginning your eco-friendly journey can seem daunting when so many of us have grown up without zero waste on our minds. So these seven simple steps are a great place to start and they make a significant difference, more than we can ever really know. 

How is the start of your plastic-free lifestyle going? Do you have any other tips for beginners in the sustainable community? Let us know in the comments below!