Here are some tips for limiting plastic when you are shopping this Plastic Free July.
General
- Say no to the plastic bags that shops give to carry your goods, see Limit Plastic Bag Use, always have a folded up bag or two in your handbag
- Choose items in glass, paper, cardboard, etc as opposed to plastic
- Avoid over-packaged products, go for products with the least plastic packaging
- Go for reusable options where you can, eg refilling containers, refillable toner cartridges, etc
Food
- Take your own containers for deli and butcher items, there are more us doing this now so you might not be the first for your butcher, you can do it
- Buy loose fruit and veggies and not the ones pre-packaged, use your own cloth produce bags.
- Buy nuts, dried fruit, flour, legumes, coffee, rice, oats, etc from bulk bins using jars, paper bags of cloth bulk bin bags (check out your local Bin Inn Store)
- Consider buying commonly used items like flour and rice in bulk and share with friends (bags are usually paper)
- Purchase from a farmers market or your local farm shop and take your own bags
- Take cloth bags or tea towels to your local baker (farmers market or farm shop) for bread, or better still make your own bread with your bulk flour! You can make your own cloth bread bags by following these instructions
- Buy wine with natural corks
- Give up chewing gum (would you believe chewing gum has plastic!)
- Buy loose tea leaves instead of tea bags, they also have plastic in them, let alone the plastic they wrap the boxes in
- Grow your own veggies and fruit
- Avoid pre-packaged items
- Use cloth alternatives
​Cleaning Supplies
- Make your own cleaning products, there are lots of websites with recipes online
- Take your own reusable containers to refill at bulk buying shops such as Bin Inn
- Use cleaning clothes such as Enjo, no other products are required Bathroom Items:
- Buy wooden toothbrushes and compostable dental floss, floss is often found wrapped around fish
- Ditch the bottle and use hair, face and beauty bars that a natural with no plastic packaging
- Use clothes like Enjo have for washing your face and body, no other products are required
- Make your own body care products, there are lots of websites with recipes.
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