Plastic Free July: What We Learned

What we Learned and 10 Easy Tips to Take Your Plastic Free Habits to the Next Level

So, Plastic Free July is over, but our journey to a less plastic lifestyle is not. Plastic Free July is all about forming new habits and trying new things in the hope that some of those things will stick around and become your new ‘norm’.

So, what new things did you try..?? What worked out for you and what didn’t..??

We tried lots of new things and took a stricter approach to many of the things we were already doing – e.g. if we forgot the reusable shopping bags…we didn’t shop!! And what did we learn…??

Honestly, it was a bit of an eye opener. We are pretty good with the basics so tend not to push ourselves or look around too much when we shop. But this last month, we’ve been really focused and made a special effort to avoid ALL plastic packaging.

So, the biggest lesson I learned was that plastic really is everywhere and avoiding it is no easy task. And did we manage to avoid it all…..?? No. We slipped up a few times, but we’re treating all those ‘fails’ as lessons.

We’re also real about this. We know that to go to a ‘no plastic at all’ lifestyle for our family just isn’t realistic or affordable right now. But we’re making changes where we can and accepting those areas where for now…we can’t find a better solution. And we feel good about that. We’ve made progress and that’s what it’s all about!!

So, here are the Top 10 ‘Wins’ we took away from doing Plastic Free July.

Easy Takeaways

1. Reusable Shopping Bags

Bags, bags, bags, bags, bags…… If you do nothing else, do this. Gear up with reusable bags for grocery shopping, a set of produce bags and a foldable tote to keep in your handbag. This alone will make a huge difference to the amount of plastic you use. Did I mention bags…??!!

2. Shop Around

As we showed in our Plastic Free July diary, supermarkets can vary greatly. Some offer lots of pre-packaged produce and some are mostly loose bins so you can fill your own produce bags. Some have butchery and deli counters where you can get your own containers filled with meat. So choose one that gives you the most options for what suits your needs.

3. Choose Unpackaged Fruit and Veg

If your favourite supermarket does offer lots of pre-packaged produce, PLEASE choose the unpackaged version…..!! So much of the packaging is just unnecessary and often the loose version is cheaper too. It’s a no brainer.

4. Take Your Own Containers

If you regularly buy products from the deli, the butcher (in store and independent) or fish shop, try taking a few of your own containers with you. Staff are usually very happy to oblige and use these instead of the plastic bags. I asked in all sorts of shops and, nobody refused or made me feel bad for asking to use my own container.

5. Visit a Bulk Store

If you haven’t tried them out yet, take a trip to your nearest bulk store. They are popping up everywhere offering a huge selection of pantry items and health foods and most of them actively encourage ‘no packaging’. So you can take you own containers along and fill up with things like flour, rice, spices, cereals and legumes.

6. Home Baking

Doing some baking can save on quite a bit of plastic packaging. Even if you just make the odd batch of muesli bars or muffins instead of buying the individually wrapped versions….it makes a difference!!

The other bonus is of course, that you know what’s going into your food and you’re not only avoiding plastic, you’re avoiding overly processed and sugary food too!!! I didn’t buy a loaf of bread for the whole of July and instead baked it at home. It took a bit of planning but is a WIN for me as it’s something I will keep doing.

7. Beeswax Wraps

Ditching cling wrap for some pretty, long lasting and eco friendly beeswax food wrap is an easy swap to make. Cling wrap is a single use plastic so changing it out for something that performs the same duties and is reusable makes perfect sense. We don’t use much cling wrap anymore and instead use our Beeswax Wraps which we use all the time for covering left overs.

8. Don’t be Afraid to Ask

You’d be surprised how accommodating people are when asked for things ‘out of the ordinary’. Like asking for paper bags instead of plastic when there are none on display, or asking the butchery section in your supermarket for some of the mince that’s on special to be put straight into your own container instead of buying it pre-packaged. Yes…I did this. After some initial curiosity from the whole of the butchery department, the job was done with a smile.

Just by asking, you’re sending the message that there are people like you who want this service and things might not change overnight, but if enough people ask… things might change eventually.

9. Be Organised

Being organised and doing a bit of planning will help you stay on top of your plastic free goals. Plan your weekly shop so you know what you’re going to buy and what containers you’re likely to need. Planning meals in advance is a great way to help form your shopping list AND saves food going to waste.

10. Solid Shampoo and Body Bars (soap)

Plastic free isn’t just for the kitchen. Save on plastic bottles in the bathroom and try going solid. Solid shampoos and soap bars have come a long way and don’t have to be highly scented and harsh on our skin like they used to be. Natural ingredients like coconut oil, olive oil, goats’ milk, and essential oils are used to create gentle and effective cleaning for your skin and your hair. And the only packaging they have is a strip of paper or card….!!

Our family is currently loving the goats milk soap range from Udderly Pure. The kids use it in the shower and although it is not technically a shampoo bar yet, apparently the calendula bar is great on hair!!!

OK, so that’s the easy part. Here comes the hard part where we struggled to find easy solutions for plastic free….

Plastic Free Challenges

Cereal

We searched high and low for plastic free cereal options (including a trip to the cash and carry) and the only one we found was at our local bulk store. These stores are great for lots of things but if price is a deciding factor, the bulk store might not always be for you.

Cheese

We get through quite a lot of cheese in our house and it’s usually packaged in plastic, so it seemed sensible to look for alternatives. I remember supermarkets back in England had huge deli counters with all kinds of cheeses available which were cut to size from a big block – we heard that New Zealand supermarkets used to offer this too, but not anymore. So unless you are near a proper cheese shop or speciality grocery store and have the budget that’s required for most of these options, the choice of plastic free cheese could be limited….

Specials

It’s a good idea to use a shopping list and try and stick to it but often I like to take advantage of specials. We don’t always know about specials in advance so we might not have a spare container. And, most of us love to get value for money or a bargain so, I found it very hard to avoid plastic in some scenarios when the price was too good to miss.

Packaging – it’s everywhere….

This was the biggest challenge of all. SO many things we really want/need are trussed up in plastic… Pasta, dried fruit, wraps, coffee beans, crackers….. And there ARE alternatives for most things but honestly…. baking your own crackers or making your own pasta every time the need arises is not for everyone!!! Sometimes, yes of course – making your own is awesome and I really enjoy it when time allows. But when you come home after a busy day and need to get dinner on the table in 30 minutes, most people aren’t going to reach for the pasta machine. Me included!!!

And driving round, visiting 5 different shops to source meat, fish, cheese and other goods just so you can avoid packaging is also perhaps a waste of fuel, time, energy and money.

So what’s the point of it all…?? Well, perfection is a lofty goal alright and we salute those that aim for it. But for most of us, doing our best with the time and resources we have available is still good progress. Great progress in fact, and we must remember this. It’s all about what we CAN do.

This quote from Edward Everett Hale sums it up perfectly for me:

If you’re feeling inspired to make some changes or would like to learn more our Sustainable Living Blogs are a great place to explore.