9 Great Ways To Cut Your Plastic Packaging

The plastic free revolution has arrived and we couldn’t be happier!

Single use plastic in the food and drink industry is the main issue. Plastic is made from crude oil and is therefore a finite resource.  So much of this is ending up in our oceans, trapping and killing vast swathes of marine life as well as land animals and birds who often become tangled up in plastic and are unable to free themselves.  Something needs to be done and I cannot thank Sir David Attenborough enough for all he has done in raising this issue and bringing it to the attention of billions of us.

So what can we do?  As consumers we really do have the power to effect change.  We do not have to wait for the manufacturers to make changes (though thankfully so many already are in droves).

Here are a few suggestions of things we can all do to help save the planet of the plight of plastic:

Buy a veg box

There are local veg box schemes all over the country.  Just search the internet and I’m sure you’ll find one in your area.  Many are organic too and often come in box without plastic. Furthermore you’ll be supporting a local business! You could also check with them beforehand about plastic packaging and request that there is none in your box.

Refuse

Simply do not buy plastic shrouded foods. Easier said than done, I know!  But there are alternatives.  More and more shops are popping up now where you can take your own container and buy items such as rice and pasta loose.

Refill

Refill your own bottle instead of buying a plastic one. Free water filling stations are popping up all over the place now where you can refill your own bottle! Or, simply, plan ahead and make sure you have enough fluids to last you the day.

Give your plastic back

Where I live we are lucky enough to have an amazing green grocer/deli that sells organic and local fruit and veg. They offer paper bags to put your produce in but they did sell grapes in plastic box.  I asked if I could put them in a paper bag instead and gave them the box back.  I did this twice.  The third time I shopped there, the grapes were in a box loose with no plastic boxes!   Message received and understood!

Reuse

Plastic is everywhere but always consider whether or not you can reuse the plastic before putting it out for recycling.  What about using pots to pot seedlings in to grow your own vegetables? Or upcycle them for kids’ craft projects? In fact, never mind kids’ craft projects, what about your own!

Make your own

Instead of buying certain foods, why not make your own and save on the packaging altogether.  Of course this is more time consuming than picking something up in your weekly shop.  I make my own vegan butter.  It honestly only takes minutes, it’s plastic free, palm oil free and tastes far better than shop bought too!

Choose glass

There is ALWAYS another way.  For example, if you’re a peanut butter lover like me, there are several companies who sell it in glass jars instead of plastic.  Certain glass jars are also great for storing leftovers in too.

Pass it on

Had an order through the post and it’s covered in bubble wrap?  Businesses like us will happily take it off your hands and reuse it for our online orders too.

Use your voice

Contact your favourite food manufacturers and ask them to stop using plastic.  There are great alternatives out there such as PLA. PLA is a plastic alternative and stands for polylactic acid.  It is made from renewable resources such as corn starch, tapioca roots, or sugarcane and is compostable.  What’s not to love?

At Heavenly Organics, we swapped from plastic to glass a couple of years ago and so many of our customers really appreciate it.  We also offer refill products wherever possible.

This list of suggestions is by no means exhaustive and you may consider some of these suggestions too difficult but we can all do our bit.  We can all make a change; let’s make that change a positive one!