Ideas for improvement
Ditch the plastic:
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Combatting the plastic tide is all the hype now, so get onboard with these 10 easy tips on how to make your life less plastic-dependent for your own health and that of the environment.
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1) Buy a bar of soap instead of liquid soap and make your own toiletries/cleaning products
2) Instead of clingfilm use natural beeswax food wraps or cover food with a plate
3) Re-use any plastic bag as a bin liner, e.g. from your bread, pasta, toilet paper etc.
4) Don't buy drinks in plastic bottles, instead buy a refillable water bottle and coffee mug
5) If you can, buy in bulk. Look up if there is a shop near you that sells staples like pasta, flour, nuts etc by weight
6) Use your own shopping bags. I usually carry a fold-up shopping bag with me
7) Avoid synthetic fabrics acrylic, nylon, and polyester and instead buy only clothes made from natural fibres like wool and organic cotton. When washing synthetic garments, tiny particles of plastic are entering our waterways and ultimately our foodchain.
8) Re-use glass jars and swap them for your plastic containers. Did you know that you can even freeze your food in glass jars? Just ensure that you only fill the jars about 3/4 so that the content can expand without breaking the glass.
9) Don't buy take-away food in plastic containers. Either eat in or bring your own food.
10) Refuse plastic straws and cutlery.
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Buy, grow and demand better food:
It might seem that we have dramatically increased food choices but the truth is, our food choices have actually decreased and the food that is on offer is often not as nutritious as it used to be. There are usually only a few varieties of fruit and vegetables on offer when you go to the supermarket. E.g. when you are buying apples, these are usally of the same few varieties and they can be a year old after they have been treated and then stored in a chilled warehouse. But here in the UK, we used to have about 2,300 different apples to choose from, compare this to the Granny Smiths and Pink Lady's so common today. Luckily, the apple has made a comeback as variable fruit, be it for cooking or eating and even though they might not be available all your-round, at least they taste like the real deal.
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