3 minute read
5 Incredibly Easy Ways to Reduce Waste
by Hannah Parry
This time last year, I was spellbound by Sir David Attenborough’s Blue Planet II series on the BBC. My heart broke during the last episode when national treasure Sir David explained and demonstrated the devastating impact that plastic waste is having on the world’s oceans. The scale of the problem often feels overwhelming what good is one less straw when all the turtles are eating plastic bags which are already in the sea?
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Whilst I believe big corporations need to do their bit by changing their packaging (I strongly recommending joining in activism with organisations such as Greenpeace), there are small and easy changes we can all make. If we all make small changes every day, they soon add up and can have a big impact.
1 . Reuse single-use plastics
My utopian dream is to fill my reusable glass jars with dried chickpeas and pick fresh green lettuces from my garden. Back to reality supermarkets still use a lot of single-use plastic, and most of us have to buy food from supermarkets. How about finding more uses for each item? I wash up houmous tubs and use them for storing leftovers in the fridge (they’re the perfect size for half a can of beans or sweetcorn), and plastic mushroom trays make excellent containers for pot plants or for keeping vegetable peelings in before they go in the compost. Those big, sealable plastic bags that deliveries come in I use those as bin liners. Get creative. What else can you do with that plastic bag before you put it in recycling?
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My sleek silver cup keeps my coffee warm. I save money by making coffee at home whenever I can and taking it with me. This also ensures I’m suitably caffeinated even if I’m in a coffee shop free area.
2. Meal prep
Dashing out of the office at lunchtime to grab a salad to take back to your desk is a pretty healthy choice but those plastic boxes they usually come in are such a waste! Even if your local deli uses biodegradable cardboard containers, there’s still waste produced and energy used. Make your own salad at home and bring it to work in a reusable tub. This will save the planet, with the added bonus of saving you money too. What could be easier than slicing up some cucumber and lettuce, before chucking in some cherry tomatoes and couple of spoonfuls of chickpeas or kidney beans?
Make a salad dressing in a glass jar (reusing before recycling!) and keep it in the fridge or, for the seriously busy/lazy, a dash of soy sauce and a grind of black pepper will do the job.
3. Shop second-hand
Not only can you get some great bargains on preloved designer clothes and funky retro furniture, but you’re preventing waste in many ways. Think of all the packaging that gets sent out with stuff you buy new online. I bought a nice eco-friendly bamboo hairbrush online recently, which came in not one but two plastic bags! Check out Freecycle for completely costfree items that need a new home, and browse charity shops for Christmas presents to find unique and sustainable gifts which also support charitable work.
4. Get a reusable coffee cup
As a coffee addict, I end up in coffee shops very frequently. My smug pride as I stride towards the counter with my silver vacuum mug outstretched is immense. Not only is one less cup going in the bin, but many coffee shops give you a discount.
5. Dispose of your waste responsibly
From making sure you don’t put nonrecyclables in your green bin to posting unwanted but still usable items on Freecycle or Gumtree, a little bit of thought can ensure that your waste ends up in the right place. Who’s old enough to remember cassette tapes? Someone on Freecycle wanted a box of those. And I made a profit from selling seven cufflinks on Gumtree (yes, seven! Three and a half pairs).
Whilst it is easy to despair that the world is doomed, there are some small and relatively effortless ways you can help. It may seem like a teardrop in the vast and filthy ocean of misery, but if we all make a change - and then persuade one or two friends and family members to join in - then our movement is sure to grow. SM
About the writer
When she can sit still long enough, Hannah the Traveller is a writer and blogger. The rest of the time, she’s running or hiking or cooking up vegan feasts somewhere in the world or playing the organ! Find out more at www.hannahparry.co.uk/hannahthetraveller.
