Plastic. A material that over the last 100 years has become intrinsically woven into our daily lives. If we were to try and cut all ties with it now it would likely result in us having to ditch a fairly hefty amount of our possessions.

So, no, that probably isn’t the answer. After all it’s not that realistic to go out and refuse to own or purchase anything containing plastic (that would be the end of buttoned shirts, computers and ballpoint pens for a start) but what we can all do is become aware of the issues around throwaway plastic items, the bits and bobs that more commonly line landfills and float aimlessly in our oceans. The things that with a little care and attention we could all live without, like polystyrene foam cups, plastic bottles and plastic bags.

So it’s definitely worth following the 4R’s and RE-duce, RE-use, RE-cycle and RE-fuse some of these pesky items. After all, it’s not as if we don’t have alternatives. Below are some great initiatives and campaigns around re-thinking our usage of single-use plastics and finding alternatives that can help our planet. Enjoy :0

TakeOutWithOut
“While it’s obvious that our own, personal actions are not enough to clean up the world-wide mess we’ve made, they are an essential starting point for everyone, and that’s what the TakeOutWithOut Campaign hopes to accomplish. The campaign invites restaurants to encourage those who frequent them, to bring their own containers and urges patrons to cut back to what is only necessary. Americans toss out enough paper and plastic cups, forks, and spoons every year to circle the equator 300 times!. TakeOutWithOut exists to help you fill your stomach and not our landfill.

TOWO has its own three Rs: Refuse (Do you really need all of those straws, plastic cutlery and napkins?); Retake (Bring your own containers, cups and bags.); and Reconsider (Take a look at your eating habits, and make some changes.) The campaign also has a handout card with 10 waste reduction strategies for restaurants so they can make an impact too.”

Plastic Pollution Coalition
“The mission of Plastic Pollution Coalition is to stop plastic pollution and its toxic impacts on humans, the environment, and wildlife worldwide.
Plastic Pollution Coalition provides a platform for strategic planning and coherent communications; increases awareness and understanding of the problem and sustainable solutions; and empowers action to eliminate the negative impacts of plastics on the environment, wildlife, marine life, and human health.”
They’ve got a lot of great stuff going on including a Facebook cause with over 60,000 followers and some great plastic related videos like the one below.

Fake Plastic Fish
We’ve already featured a blog this week from Beth from Fake Plastic Fish who has been on a 3 year journey to try and live a plastic free life. She has some really practical tips on cutting plastic out of your life, they are really worth a read. Some of our favourites are below:
Give up chewing gum: Did you know almost all chewing gum is made with plastic?
When ordering pizza, say no to the little plastic “table” in the middle of the pizza box.
Carry reusable utensils and glass drinking straws.

So if you feel inspired to make a change to your habits then why not take the Plastiki pledge and pledge to stop using some of the 4 most harmful plastic items out there. You can also see more plastic facts and some of our info-graphics on our Plastic Issues Page.