13 5-day plastic free challenge

FIVE DAYS WITHOUT PLASTIC PACKAGED FOOD PLASTIC SURGERY

Priyankaa Joshi details the trials and tribulations of her plastic-free experience for a working week

We all know that life in plastic is far from fantastic. It’s estimated there’s over five trillion pieces of plastic floating in our oceans and if we carry on like this, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish by 2050. There’s even a floating island of plastic in the Pacfiic that’s three times the size of France. There’s no shying away from these facts. It’s clear that we need to change our consumption habits and fast. While businesses from supermarkets to coffee shop chains are making pledges to ditch single-use plastic, what can we do to reduce our personal plastic footprints?

I like to think of myself as a pretty eco-conscious person. I don’t eat meat, I walk everywhere and I’ve got a reusable coffee cup. Well done me. That being said, there’s definitely room for improvement. I often forget said reusable coffee cup, I’m partial to a takeaway and I buy my fruit and veg from the supermarket, wrapped in plastic.

So, I set out on a five day challenge to see how easy it is for the average person, who doesn’t have oodles of time or money, to cut out plastic food and drink packaging.

HERE’S WHAT I LEARNT...

Plastic straws suck! Not exactly the pick’n’mix I was hoping for

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PREPARATION IS KEY Ahead of the challenge. I’d planned to hit up a farmer’s market and a local zero-waste shop to stock up on some plastic-free essentials. Unfortunately, life got in the way and I didn’t get round to it.

When Monday morning arrived and the challenge began, I really wished I had made the effort. Breakfast was a sorry affair. My usual combination of granola, yogurt and berries was off the menu – they all came in plastic packaging. To make matters worse, oat milk was off limits too because the carton had a plastic lid. Porridge with water and a black coffee it was. Brilliant. Things didn’t get much better as the day progressed. I ended up being dehydrated because I couldn’t take my plastic water bottle around with me and I had no plastic-free tupperware to take a packed lunch in.

Key learnings: invest in a plastic-free water bottle and Tupperware, carry around metal cutlery and stock up on food that isn’t wrapped in plastic.

Plastic problem stats Going plastic-free tips

• Almost 1 million plastic bottles are sold around the world every minute • More than 40% of plastic is used just once then thrown away • Only 9% of plastic waste is recycled globally • 700 species of marine animal have eaten or become entangled in plastic 700 billion plastic bottles end up in the ocean every day

Source: National Geographic • Carry a reusable coffee cup • And a reusable water bottle • Get a few reusable bags and take it around with you • Say no to plastic straws and disposable cutlery • Invest in some eco-friendly utensils • Take a trip to your local market • Buy fresh bread • Take your own containers to the butcher

Did you know?

• The average plastic shopping bag takes 100 years to decompose • 7 million coffee cups are thrown away in the UK every day • There has been an 85% drop in the use of plastic bags in the UK since the plastic bag charge was introduced • Almost every piece of plastic ever made still exists today • Enough plastic is thrown away each year to circle the earth four times

PLASTIC IS EVERYWHERE After a disastrous day one, day two didn’t get off to the best of starts either. I forgot to make myself a packed lunch again so I had to venture into town to see what I could find.

The supermarkets were useless – filled with plastic containers of fruit, sandwiches and pasta salads – so I ended up in Pret a Manger where I couldn’t have one of the flatbreads or salad boxes I usually go for.

The only option was a mushroom risotto soup which came in a cardboard container. In the evening, I headed to my local supermarket to see what plastic-free purchases I could make. The answer: very few. I’m a huge salad fan but it all comes in bags. Bagels were a no-no. As was cheese, hummus, yogurt, rice and pasta. I ended up buying a random but wholesome mix of fruit and veg as well as some frozen Linda McCartney sausages, Weetabix and baked beans to keep me going for a few days.

Takeaways: there is still an awful lot of plastic packaging in supermarkets and tinned food is your friend.

YOU HAVE TO GET CREATIVE I love a good snack. My cupboard is filled with chocolate, fruit and nut bars, biscuits and crisps. You name it, I’ve got it. Unfortunately, pretty much all of them come with some sort of plastic packages. Even the ones that give off an eco-friendly impression tend to be wrapped in plastic.

The thought of a whole week without any sweet treats was too much for me, so I russelled up some banana and oat cookies to snack on, which were delicious. I also made my own beetroot hummus and attempted to make some falafels.

What did I learn? Being plastic-free pushes you to try new things and cook from scratch more. Also, the packaging on the Galaxy vegan chocolate bars is made from a compostable film packaging and wood fibre that can be composted at home. Downside: it costs a hefty £3 for a bar.

AVOIDING PLASTIC CAN BE EXPENSIVE I ended up spending more than usual during the week but that’s partly because I had to stock up on the essentials to get started. I ventured to a zero waste shop and bought some pasta and coffee and while they weren’t ridiculously expensive, they cost significantly more than I’d usually spend. On the flipside, going plastic-free does help you save money in the long-term. Most coffee shops give you a discount of around 25p for bringing your own cup, and carrying a water bottle around with you means you never have to buy a plastic bottle. I also discovered that buying fruit and veg from a local market is a lot cheaper.

IT’S PRETTY TIME-CONSUMING Wandering around the supermarket aisles searching for plasticfree things was a pain. I also had to go to multiple shops to get everything I wanted which was fine for a week but I don’t think it’s practical for most people who have busy lives, particularly if you have children. And as much as I loved getting creative in the kitchen, baking sweet treats and cooking everything from scratch takes a long time. There were times when I got home after a busy day and wanted nothing more than to order a takeaway or shove a frozen pizza in the oven.

THE VERDICT I’ll be honest, I was relieved when the challenge was over. Although I’ve kept up with some of the habits I formed during the challenge (tote bag, reusable water bottle, no plastic cutlery), cutting out plastic takes preparation, time and money. Until supermarkets heavily cut back on plastic and zero-waste shops become more common, I don’t see how the average person can avoid plastic food and drink packaging. It’s everywhere. That being said, perfection isn’t the goal, it’s simply about doing what we can to help heal the planet. After all, choosing loose veg over the packaged variety means there’s a little bit less plastic in the ocean.