Plastic Free July 2019: Lessons learned
It's been just over a year since I started my plastic free journey through the #PlasticFreeJuly Challenge in 2018.
While I've made some significant changes towards living a more plastic free lifestyle, it hasn't been nearly as easy as I though it would be! There have been lots of lessons learned along the way, mainly through trial and error. Fortunately, I also have access to certain resources, support and networks who can keep me in check. I'm sharing a little bit about minimising my plastic consumption and general waste, while also sharing certain sustainable swaps that worked for me, and others that did not.
Plastic Free Travel
It's no secret that the travel industry is a huge contributor to plastic and food waste. Maintaining a zero waste lifestyle while traveling is challenging - I shared a little bit about my struggle to maintain a plastic free/zero waste routine when traveling to the States last summer. However, there are small ways to reduce your plastic and food waste impact.
When it comes to plastic free travel, here's what has worked for me so far:
I've since developed small habits like taking my ToGoware bamboo cutlery set, my water bottle and my Keep Cup with me every day. My boyfriend has the same things in his car with him every day, or in a bag when we travel together. Not going to lie, lugging this stuff around can be a serious pain, but it's necessary in order to avoid all of the single use plastics.
Luckily, when traveling business class with American Airlines last Autumn, most of my food and drink related utensils were glass and reusable. Go figure that the more sustainable option was also the most expensive, and not accessible to most people. When traveling economy, I just don't take any of the plastic cups that are usually distributed, and I refill my bottle at airports.
Food on flights: I don't think I'll make my own food for a flight to avoid any plastic packaging (I'm not that organised), but I generally eat a meal at an airport restaurant so that I can avoid (plastic packaged) food on a plane.
My boyfriend recently bought a a super light Samsonite suitcase made from 100% post recycled plastic bottles and cork. The cabin bag can expand, has a five year guarantee and comes with all the normal pockets, TSA lock and so on. Until there is luggage made from sustainable materials (Such as hemp), this seems like a sustainable alternative.
I think the Diva Cup fits in quite nicely (pun intended) with travel, as I was able to take my cup with me on all of my travels since last summer. This has been a game changer for me, and I absolutely love having a sustainable alternative to tampons and pads! It also takes up far less space than any other sanitary items.
Here's what hasn't worked when trying to travel plastic free:
Being able to avoid single use plastics, even when you insist that you don't want or need them. This is such an obvious statement and yet it's so annoying to think of the thousands of pounds of single use plastic that are wasted on a daily basis simply out of habit. Straws, cups and packaging are the biggest things to avoid, even when you repeat you don't want something, what feels like a thousand times.
Similarly, I've been surprised by the hassle it takes to have someone use my reusable cup at a cafe. I try to be as polite as possible, and just explain that I'm trying to avoid plastic. Things have changed a lot in the past year, but I still get a really confused look when I put in my request.
Plastic Free Home
We have tried to reduce our single use plastic consumption at home in a number of ways and we made some sustainable swaps over time, some of which have worked better than others.
In the kitchen, here is what has worked:
A reusable wash cloth to replace paper towels
Wax wraps and cute container covers for storage in place of plastic wrap
Silicon baking sheet in place of tin foil
Making my own laundry detergent (Cheaper, better for sensitive skin and plastic free!)
Trying homemade cleaning products such as white vinegar
Cotton cloth napkins in place of disposable paper napkins
Silicon ice cube trays
Cotton mop from The Society for the Blind in Barbados
Homemade detergent - I'll be sharing the recipe soon!
Here's what we need to work on:
Finding a sustainable replacement for stainless steel ice trays (the little handle/lever kept snapping, so I ended up giving them away)
Composting instead of throwing out our food (one of our 2019 resolutions!)
Buying packaged meats and vegetables at the supermarket, instead of buying them package free from vendors and farmers directly. So obvious, and yet so much effort, and we fail miserably at this.
Soda water. I don't generally drink soft drinks, but I have a weakness for soda water, so we buy a lot of bottled soda water. The PET bottles are recyclable, but the plastic caps are not. We're looking in to getting our own soda machine, which is not the easiest thing to find in Barbados.
Packaged food is really difficult to avoid, especially for staple food products, as we import those items in Barbados. Until we have a bulk store or package free option in Barbados, there isn't much we can do about this yet.
In the bathroom, here is what has worked:
Bamboo toothbrushes instead of plastic toothbrushes
Silk floss instead of regular dental floss
Single bars of soap, instead of packaged soaps or bottles of body wash
Harry's tooth paste in a glass jar, instead of a tube
Charcoal powder
Stainless steel razor blade, instead of disposable plastic razor and blades (My favourite!)
Cotton and copper gloves as body scrubbers, instead of synthetic bath sponges
Here's what we need to work on:
Bars of shampoo and conditioner: My hair was destroyed by these cute bars of shampoo and conditioner! I tried various brands to no avail. They also melted away quite easily (even when we stored them correctly), perhaps because of the humidity in the Caribbean, but they were a big no for us.
Mouth wash: we still use the big bottles of regular mouth wash. I'm open to suggestions on plastic free alternatives that work!
Plastic Free Shopping
We travel to the US and have family coming from the US quite often, so we do order quite a few of our supplies online. Not only is this often cheaper, but it also allows us to buy certain items in bulk.
One step at a time
Since taking the challenge and sharing a bit about my experience, friends of mine now tell me that they think of me whenever they see a plastic straw or anything recyclable/compostable, etc, which isn't quite what I was going for, but whatever works to help them become more conscious of it! :)
A friend of mine recently reminded me to 'start where I am' and not apply too much pressure on myself when it comes to plastic and waste. Once you become aware of the gross amounts of single use plastic everywhere, it can be really overwhelming to do your part to reduce or control it. There's only so much a single person can do, without going crazy, especially when living on a small, developing island state.
The key is to start where you are, do what you can, and try your best to invite others to join you, where they can.
Accessibility
On that note, I do want to touch on the fact that I live on a small developing island, where ACCESS to sustainable options is a huge issue. From recycling, to having the opportunity to buy sustainable/environmentally friendly products, or even ordering things online, everything is a little trickier when you live on an island.
Affordability is another issue, as many sustainable items are often more expensive because of import duties and taxes, such as garbage bags made from bamboo. Until government offers reduced tax rates or subsidised pricing, many sustainable options are limited to those who can afford them.
PlasticFreeChallenge-SkiptoMalou
Single Use Plastic Ban in Barbados
On a more positive note, our local government enacted a ban in Barbados. As of April 1st, 2019 there was a ban on the importation of petroleum based single use plastic items (there’s a comprehensive list of items which includes cups, egg cartons, plastic plates and styrofoam containers) From July 1st, 2019 there is a ban on the retail sale and use of single use plastic items. On January 1st, 2020 there will be a ban on petroleum based plastic bags!
I’m super excited to see the change happening in Barbados, thanks to the hard work of a very dedicated group of people and a very progressive leadership. Not only does this set the stage for a more sustainable local culture, but it also sets a framework for more sustainable tourism practices islandwide.
My hope is that Barbados can become a leader in sustainable tourism one day! There is still SO much work to be done however, to change our individual consumer behavior and to better our understanding of the impact that our behavior has on the environment. Plastic pollution is just one element of an unsustainable global system. In addition to focussing on ways in which we can do less damage to the environment, we need to relearn how we can create a whole system of mutually beneficial relationships with the earth.