How To Easily Avoid The Dangers of Single Use Plastic

Before discussing how we can reduce our plastic usage, it is important to deepen our understanding of how plastic recycling actually works in this country. In the United Kingdom there are seven types of plastic most commonly used. Three of the seven are widely recycled, another three can only be recycled at specialist recycling points, and the remaining type is categorised as ‘difficult’ to recycle. The widely recycled category includes: drinking bottles, food packaging (e.g punnets), milk cartons and soap dispensers. Whilst it is a positive that these everyday items are regarded as ‘easy’ to recycle, other things such as magazine packaging, takeaway containers, shopping bags and plastic cutlery, are also used on a daily basis but require specialist points in order to be properly recycled. Whilst recycling is amazing, purchasing single use plastic bottles etc maintains their demand, resulting in more harmful products being produced at the earth’s detriment. Commonly purchased items like crisps and salad packets fall into the hard to recycle category, meaning they usually end up in landfill. Becoming aware of how plastics a lot of people use on a daily basis have a serious impact on the environment is the first step in minimising your single use plastic usage.

Lockdown has provided a great opportunity to stop buying bottled water and other drinks because most of us are spending a lot more time at home, meaning the need for on the go products is reduced. Whilst this is a positive, the pandemic has also given rise to a lot of un environmentally friendly habits. For example, in some workplaces employees are required to change their mask and plastic gloves at regular intervals to ensure hygiene regulations are being met. Obviously this is understandable and important, but the impact on the environment of these single use items being mass used across the globe is saddening. Currently, cafes, restaurants, and pubs are only allowed to open for takeaway, meaning a lot of single use plastics must be used to allow the products to be taken elsewhere. No one is to blame, but being aware of how detrimental single use plastic is, and how the pandemic has made things better but also worse, is important to remember. 

There are many easy things we can do to minimise our engagement with single use plastics. For example, cook lunch at home rather than buying a meal deal. This saves a lot of money and means you can also make your lunch healthier. Although, meal deals are enjoyable, especially these days with not much else to look forward to. Why not try just buying a sandwich and crisps, without a drink? Whilst it is supposedly worse value, it costs less than the price of a meal deal, and reduces the demand for single use plastic bottles. Small changes like these have a cumulative positive impact when a lot of people make them. Read on for more simple changes you can make to reduce your single use plastic usage.