You might be finding checking the news these days a pretty scary task. It does feel a little like every time you read the headlines there’s something bad to read about.
While that’s probably not the cheeriest start to a blog you’ve ever read, it’s hard to disagree.
But there are two ways to react to headlines you read. The first is to view headlines as not particularly relevant to you and just carry on as you are. There’s not much you can do about government legislation, or the football results for example. They’re out of your control.
The second approach though is a little different. It’s about looking at the problems out there in the world and considering how you can make a difference in your own little way.
So you’ve likely seen the headlines around the problem of climate change, global warning and environmental issues. If you haven’t, you’ve not been paying enough attention!
You might think that this is the domain of big industry and that it’s somewhat out of your hands. But that’s not strictly true. Every person out there who commits to making a change to their habits with the aim of enhancing the situation is admirable. Every person who commits to doing so adds up, and collectively, a genuine change can be made.
Therefore, if you want to make a small but important difference to the wider green revolution, a great way to do so is by reducing your plastic waste.
If you are looking to do this as part of a new year’s resolution or simply to make a difference of your own accord, we’ve put together this blog to help you find ways to bring about plastic waste reduction in your life this year.
The problem with plastic
Why does plastic pose such an environmental problem? You probably know a bit about this already, but it’s worth refreshing your memory.
Plastic pollution has been caused globally by plastics being both durable and inexpensive. This is the perfect fit for mass produced products, but is a major problem once the product has been used.
The durability that makes plastic so appealing to mass producers means that disposing of it once used is really difficult. And all too often, plastic enters the wider environment and can then impact wildlife and human life.
This is why a wider focus on cutting back on plastic use and finding plastic alternatives is so important to our day-to-day lives today, and the world we leave for future generations.
Simple ways to reduce plastic usage with Stoves & Solar
Life in a typical home is always going to be a busy and tricky thing to stay on top of. Particularly if you have children, there’s always a danger that even if you have good intentions, you can end up staying in your old habits of plastic usage quite easily.
But it’s all about making positive changes where you can. It’s all about identifying opportunities to reduce plastic usage and doing what you can to go ahead with it. One way to do this is with sustainable products.
A great place to start is the range of homeware products available from Stoves & Solar. This is a dedicated range of top quality items with a host of different uses and really handy domestic purposes.
So for starters, most of us like to treat ourselves to a hot drink in the mornings. Whether you’re a tea fanatic or a coffee aficionado, Bambeco’s sustainable glass tea infuser and bamboo press coffee makers can help you make the perfect start to the day while reducing your plastic usage.
The beauty of bamboo as a product is that it’s a viable alternative to plastics and doesn’t contribute to the pollution that plastic production causes. So when seeking ways to cut down on your plastic usage, the bamboo approach is a good way to go.
We also have Bamboo thermos flasks that are handy additions to anybody’s day and are again a strong alternative to typical plastic options. And there are sets of reusable stainless steel drinking straws that can be used by all the family. These are again a small but important way to change your approach to plastic usage. Be sure to browse through our choice of eco-friendly products and find great buys for your home today. Other considerations
One way to take stock of how much plastic you are using is to really pay attention to it! It sounds simple, but the reality is plastic is everywhere in our daily lives and we have become so accustomed to this that we don’t think twice about using it.
So as you go about your day to day life, try to be mindful of when plastic is being used and whether you have to use it. Most of the time there are viable alternatives out there. So if you’re truly committed to cutting down on plastic in 2020, these are the kind of things to notice and change when possible.
As an example, how many bottles do you encounter every day? Probably a few. Drinks bottles are an obvious example. But there are also detergent bottles, milk bottles, and more that you might meet during your day. The best alternatives to this are boxes. These are a more sustainable option.
Frozen foods are also a big container of plastic materials and therefore avoiding these can be a good way to reduce plastic use, while reusable produce bags are a great alternative to plastic bags, which can take up to 1,000 years to degrade!
Other simple tricks are using razors with replaceable blades instead of disposables, chewing less gum as this is made of synthetic rubber, and using matches instead of lighters are all great additional ways to lessen plastic reliance.
Make a positive change in 2022
By acknowledging and understanding the overall need to limit plastic usage, you can start to turn a corner and make a positive change this new year.
Stoves & Solar is committed to helping people across the UK change their living habits to enable a wider change across the planet. It’s all about encouraging small things to bring about big results.
Get in touch with our team if you have any questions.