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Plastic products are public enemy number one at the moment, and for good reason. With billions of tonnes of waste plastic littering beaches, cluttering the oceans and ending up in landfill, the impact to the environment is devastating. And yet plastic products continue to get pumped out of factories like there’s no tomorrow, often creating single use or purely unnecessary items that we could quite easily all live without. If you want to do your bit for the environment, here are a few simple ways you can use less plastic at home.

Purchase Reusable Cups and Bottles

Plastic water bottles and coffee cups are bad news, and most of us buy, use and throw these away on a weekly (or even daily) basis and think nothing of it. One way you can stop this awful waste is by purchasing good quality cups and bottles from a site like Bottletidy that can be used time after time. Take your own water in your bag with you, being that bit organised will save you money and you won’t have to buy a disposable bottle. Did you know that if you take your own mug into a coffee shop they will fill it for you instead of using plastic? There are lots of cute bottles and travel mugs out there, so you can accessorise it to your style as well as it being practical!

Say No to Single Use Items

Straws, pens, razors, carrier bags- these are all single use items that are a huge waste of plastic. Instead of buying plastic, get things that can be refilled and used again. Use paper straws, or buy reusable thick plastic or metal ones which will last pretty much forever. Don’t buy cheap plastic pens, go with an ink pen that can be refilled. The same with razors, avoid the disposable plastics. Choose a good quality model with changeable blades, not only will it perform better but you won’t be wasting plastic too. Purchasing some sturdy canvas bags and taking these into the supermarket wherever you go shopping is another way to save plastic. The government has put a charge onto these bags to prevent them from being used once and binned, so follow their incentive. Reuse plastic bags or purchase some nice shopping bags to use.

Look into Recycling

While plastic can be recycled, the cost of doing so has prevented this in many cases in the past. However more and more types of plastic are starting to be recycled, and so it’s well worth getting clued up on this. Knowing what kind of plastic can be recycled, washing it and putting it into the correct bin can make all the difference. Polyethylene terephthalate is one type of plastic which is starting to be widely used in things like yoghurt pots and can actually be recycled. Doing what you can to ensure what is being recycled is going to the correct place all helps to reduce your carbon footprint.

What do you do to ensure that you’re wasting a minimal amount of plastic at home?