10 Jul Cut down your daily waste

THE TOP BIG 4 PLASTICS

Plastic bottles, coffee cups, straws & bags

Is your plastic free journey not working out as well as planned? Don’t fret you are not alone. It only takes a few simple steps to create sustainable lifestyle choices and Love Thy Earth is here to help!

Now I am hearing you! It seems near impossible to avoid single use plastics completely, making it hard to reach the plastic free dream! Almost everything we buy nowadays has some form of packaging, but it is possible to make better decisions when it comes to buying, such as purchasing products with minimal packaging, buying in bulk, buying items loose, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds and wholegrain, you can even buy chocolate in bulk these days Winning! Aim to eat organic foods to avoid extra burden on our precious earth and our health.  

“One simple change is all it takes to make a huge difference in retaining our planets beauty and preserving our own precious health.”

– Love Thy Earth Founder and CEO Renee Hillier (Nat BHCs)

We do have to start somewhere right! So why not we start with the top 4 single-use plastics that you could start reducing today.

Plastic water bottles

One of the biggest polluters of our waterways and are causing devastating effects to our health. Most plastic water bottles are made up of toxic chemical components like Bisphenyl (BPA). BPA is an industrial chemical used in certain types of plastics. Unfortunately studies have shown that BPA is an oestrogen mimicking compound, not only detrimental to your heath, but to our planet, wildlife and waterways to. Plastic also contains BPS and BPF, which are used as a replacement in plastics that contained BPA. Exposure and the effects on humans health is still unclear. We seem to be the guinea-pigs. Crazy right! Instead why not take a sturdy reusable water bottle with you. These days there are so many options, both online and in store, we prefer glass, second to stainless steel. Be careful of cooper water bottles as copper can through out your zinc as the two compete for adsorption.  In Australia you can even refill your bottle with filtered water at a water station near you such as Natrapure, Water 3, or Alkafil. This will reduce your plastic use and still keep you hydrated. 

Coffee cups

Coffee cups are paper yes! However they are lined with a thin, clear layer of plastic containing BPA, making them impossible to recycle. In fact you cannot recycle a coffee cup via your council kerbside recycling collection (your yellow bin). Instead why not bring with you your very own coffee cup. This will not only reduce your daily plastic waste, but also is a much healthier choice for you, as you do not want to be heating up plastics, and coffee is HOT! 

Straws 

Wherever you go aim to refuse single use plastic straws, these also contain BPA and are causing destructive damage to our health and the environment. Instead bring your own reusable straw when out and about. Bamboo straws are the winner in our eyes. Bamboo is not only a 100% natural fibre, but it is also a fast growing grass, safe on the planet and on us. Second to bamboo straws wed choose glass and then stainless steel. 

Bags

Plastic bags are made from fossil fuel plastic (polyethylene). These bags are not recyclable and are causing destruction to our planet and our health, particularly in our waterways harming precious marine life. Instead opt for a natural fibre bag made from cotton, hemp or linen. Love Thy Earth have a beautiful range of reusable eco bags, which are ethically made and Australian made.