No Take-Backsies
In two weeks time I'm starting a new chapter in my life based in Perthshire, Scotland. Following graduating with a Zoology degree last year, I am so happy to be starting a new job with the Scottish Wildlife Trust, based at Loch of the Lowes as a visitor centre assistant. I'm excited to be working with both wildlife and people; it's the perfect way to be able to connect people with the natural world and make them care about the beauty of our planet. Unfortunately this beauty is diminishing, with modern day life throwing all sorts of ways of making things more convenient.
The current plastic situation is crap to say the least. I find it highly problematic when I'm going through the supermarket trying to shop for my family, having difficulty finding things to buy that don't use plastic. I've been saying to myself for a long time "When I live alone, I will be able to choose exactly how I live and what I buy", and now the time has come to stop making excuses. So, when I move to Scotland, I will be starting 7 months without disposable plastic, lasting the duration of my job. This gives me 2 weeks to prepare for living disposable plastic free (this may sound overdramatic, but there are lots of things to consider if I want to do it properly, e.g. sourcing alternatives and researching exactly what products use plastic).
I love lipstick and mascara, I love pizza and southern fried Quorn bites, and I really, really love being able to reduce my period pain by taking painkillers. I already try to live using less plastic, but the plastics I have previously seen as unavoidable are the ones I plan to question (and yes, I have considered eating pizza unavoidable). Living without disposable plastics will affect a number of areas of my life, with my main concerns being food and cosmetics. I intend for this to be a challenge, which means that it is likely to go wrong within the first month and potentially the second, but I hope as time goes on that I find new ways of doing things and unintended plastic use will be much less common. I hope to do a weekly blog post detailing where I have stumbled, new ways I have found to avoid those stumblings, plus other fun ethically-based updates and articles I have found.
I am doing this blog for the following reasons:
1) No take-backsies: once this is out there I can't go back on my word, I've committed to the 7 months and I can't just put it off. This is essentially a way of trapping myself.
2) I want TIPS: I have many genius friends and I want to exploit their knowledge of plastics and how to live plastic free!
3) Sharing is caring (for the planet): I want to be able to share these tips and convince my friends that reducing their plastic use is achievable.
Thanks for reading,
Liv
Hello!I too have been trying to go plastic-free and in America, it is an incredible challenge. Currently I have things (my toothbrush, my bottle of mascara) that I have already purchased that I am going to go ahead and finish out, since they should at least be used to their maximum before they go into the landfill, but I have purchased bamboo toothbrushes to replace my current one and I am buying a cake mascara and eyeliner from Besame (their packaging is metal and glass and cardboard!) to go with my lipsticks from them. I carry a metal fork and spoon in my purse and I bought a metal straw but I don't like a straw anyway. Difficult: getting places NOT to give you the plastic. I say "no straw" and they bring me one already in the drink already. I say "no fork, I am going home" and they throw a plastic one in anyway. I can't wait to read how you find solutions!
ReplyDeleteHello! Sounds like you are moving in the right direction! Always difficult dodging surprise plastics e.g. people putting straws in drinks you would never expect to have them in (I've now just started saying when I order that I don't want a straw, regardless of what drink it is). It seems that people are gradually getting more aware so fingers crossed people will start listening and behaving differently. I think giving back plastic that is given to you unnecessarily can be a good way of increasing awareness.
DeleteIf you find any more suggestions let me know!