Easy everyday swaps to avoid single-use plastic

One thing to remember with your journey on avoiding single-use plastics is - it all adds up.

A straw here, a takeaway coffee cup there - if we all live this way every day the rubbish that needlessly goes to landfill can be enormous. Every piece of single-use plastic you refuse makes a difference.

Here are some easy swaps for your day-to-day:

Toothbrush: bamboo toothbrushes have never been so accessible! Keep smiling with those pearly whites knowing you’re not impacting the environment.

Cutlery: wherever you can use reusable cutlery and encourage your local cafes to stock bamboo, rather than plastic. We can help! Urge the business owner to join our Swap for Good program where they will be provided with support, resources, information on alternative materials and collaboration opportunities to help them ditch disposable plastics for good.

Straws: add “no straw please” to your regular order. These can be the easiest single-use plastic to avoid. Just pick up your drink and take a sip!

Water bottles: any time you’re out and about, remember to bring your own reusable bottle. There are 232 water fountains across the Northern Beaches that you can refill for free.  Check out our handy map which shows you your nearest refill station or bubbler.

Coffee cup: your morning coffee is going to taste incredible knowing you’re not contributing to landfill - remember to bring your own!

Fruit and veggie produce bags: many people are already in the good habit of bringing their own reusable bags to the supermarket. Add to this good habit by bringing along your own reusable produce bags - for some fruit and veggies, you don’t need a bag at all!

Body wash: bar soap is just as effective at cleaning your skin as a liquid soap – and doesn’t come in the plastic packaging!

Plastic wrap: in most cases, plastic wrap is used once and thrown away. Pack a waste-free lunch with reusable beeswax wraps. Come along to one of our webinars and create your own.

Bags: remember to bring your own bag wherever you go, not just to the supermarket – most retailers welcome reusable bags too.

Disposable plastic razors: If you, or someone in your household shaves regularly, it’s time to invest in a reusable metal razor or electric shaver.

Cleaning products: ran out of a surface cleaner? Don’t throw that container away just yet, reuse it to make your cleaning products! Bi-carb soda, vinegar and water are a winning combo to clean just about anything and there are plenty of simple concoctions online for you to make your own, (minus the added chemicals).

Reusable nappies: this may be a great alternative for you! A baby can go through between 4,000 and 6,000 nappies before they are toilet trained - that costs around $3,000 for just one child. Modern cloth nappies only cost between $500 and $1,000 and keep nappies out of landfill. Attend one of our webinars and see if this might be a good option for you and your family.

If you can do even five of these a day for a year, that’s at least 1,825 bits of plastic you’ve avoided! It all adds up.

To find out more about Plastic Free July and other ways you can reduce single-use plastics, visit the Plastic Free July website.

At any time of year you can take our Swap this for that pledge, and commit to ditching one or more single-use plastics!