New research released this month has shone a spotlight on Australia’s very real “plastic pandemic”. According to IPSOS research commissioned by BRITA Australia, almost 2 million Aussies consumed more single-use plastic during 2020, due to spending more time at home. This contributes significantly to Australia’s annual plastic waste total which was already at 3.5 million tonnes in 2018-2019.
Additionally, insights have shown that more than a million Aussie households primarily drink bottled water at home. If all these households pledged not to do so for just one day, we would save over 6.5 million single-use plastic bottles from being discarded in Australia.
If you want to reduce your single-use plastic waste at home, or even take part in Plastic Free July, here are some simple changes you can try:
Reducing single-use plastic in the kitchen
- Instead of plastic food wrap, try alternatives like beeswax wraps or reusable containers. You can also purchase reusable silicone bowl toppers to cover your food in bowls, pots, and pans.
- Make the switch to a filter jug at home instead of drinking water from single-use plastic bottles. A BRITA cartridge, for example, can filter approximately 100 litres of tap water, eliminating the need for up to 100 one litre single-use plastic bottles.
- Cut back on plastic by swapping your bin liners for newspaper or certified compostable ones instead. You could also consider cutting back on the amount of bin liners you are using altogether by aiming for as little waste as possible.
Reducing single-use plastic waste in the rest of your home
- Did you know every plastic toothbrush you’ve ever used still exists? Swap your plastic one for a bamboo toothbrush instead.
- You can also cut out plastic from your laundry routine and use powdered laundry detergent in a box rather than laundry liquid in plastic bottles
- Besides being much better for the environment, using soap bars is cheaper and lasts longer than liquid soap in plastic containers. Soap bars come in different blends, so can be used as a body wash, face wash, shampoo and for shaving. This eliminates the need for multiple plastic bottles lined up in your shower
Reducing single-use plastic in your day-to-day
- Try to be more environmentally conscious when doing your grocery shop as it can make a huge difference! Where you can, avoid pre-packaged foods by choosing bulk or loose food; better yet, take in your own jars.
- Plastic straws are one of the top pollutants of our beaches and oceans. Make a difference and switch to stainless steel straws or paper options if the option is there. Better yet, don’t use a straw at all!
- You can easily avoid takeaway coffee cups by bringing your own reusable cup. Keep one in your bag, on your desk at work and even in your car!
- Reusable shopping bags are an amazing alternative to single-use one. It’s always a great idea to keep reusable bags in places you will remember to take them like the car or by your front door
–To help tackle Australia’s plastic waste issue, BRITA Australia has teamed up with Plastic Free July, announcing a goal to prevent 50,000 single-use plastic water bottles from being discarded. They are calling on Aussies to take the #FilterForGood pledge and give up using single-use plastic water bottles at home. Make your pledge at https://www.brita.com.au/filterforgood and help make a difference.
