Single-Use Plastic - Make 1Change

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As a Mum of two young daughters, I often think about how the world is changing and what the world is going to look like when the girls grow up. As well as the usual parenting worries, such as how I’m going to cope raising teenagers in a world of social media, the increase of unrealistic ideas of body image expectations and the challenges they may face with confidence and self esteem, I also worry about the physical world around us and what it’s going to be like when they have children of their own. The increase of pollution, changes in energy sources, the environment and global warming. As lovely as the ‘fake Spring’ we had recently seemed at the time, it’s isn’t normal, and I find it a little unnerving that my generation haven’t been looking after our planet as much as we should have been.

Over recent weeks and months, there has been an increased focus in the media about the single-use plastics and the damage they can have on our environment, What started with the introduction of the 5p plastic carrier bag charge has extended to an increased awareness in the media about the dangers of single-use plastics in general – plastics that are used only once before they are thrown away or recycled. Despite this, single-use plastics are still fairly common place in our shops and supermarkets, including everything from yoghurt pots, fruit and vegetable packaging, plastic drinks bottles, ready meal containers and plastic knives, forks and lids, and more needs to be done to reduce the impact they are having on the world around us.

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Why are Single-Use Plastics a problem?

Currently the world produces nearly 300 million tonnes of plastic every year, an estimated 50% of which is single use plastic – used once, before being thrown away or placed in recycling.

It is estimated that only 9% of the world’s plastics are recycled, and that the rest ends up in landfill, taking hundreds (potentially thousands!) of years to decompose. It is worth noting here that plastics also NEVER fully degrade, but simply break down into smaller pieces, pieces that can end up in our water ways and oceans, and be ingested by marine life.

These are shocking statistics, and this March, The Midcounties Co-operative have launched their 1Change campaign in a bid to help tackle the problem.

What can we do to reduce Single-Use Plastics?

As a family, we make a conscious effort to recycle all that we can, sorting out our plastics, cardboard, tins and bottles and trying to reduce as much of our ‘black bin’ waste as possible. We also love craft, and where possible, I use unwanted products to get creative with the girls and give them a new lease of life. Since the 5p charge came in for plastic carrier bags, we have made a real effort to make use of ‘bags for life’ or canvas bags, and I keep a fold up tote in my handbag for when I go on an unplanned shopping visit (which seems to happen quite a lot). The girls love having straws with their drinks, so we recently introduced stainless steel straws which can be reused time and time again (without going soggy like the paper alternatives).

I’d like to think that we do our fair bit for reducing single-use plastic – but could we be doing more?

The Midcounties Co-operative 1Change Campaign

This March, The Midcounties Co-operative is launching a campaign called 1Change, to help reduce single-use plastics and encourage its co-operators, customers and employees to join the fight in reducing the use of single-use plastics by providing shoppers with information to help them make informed decisions.

The Midcounties Co-operative challenged me to keep hold of all the single-use plastic we as a family have used in a week, and I have to say I am a little bit embarrassed to share the results!

Here is the selection of single-use plastics our home has generated in a week.

The quantity is pretty huge, and I am actually quite concerned by scale of this. This is just ONE WEEK’S consumption, as a fairly standard family of four. If all weeks are representative of this week, and this is representative of the average family in the UK, then that is a HUGE amount of plastic being used our country and much of it isn’t even necessary!

The single-use plastics we have used include:

Plastic water bottles
Plastic bottles of fizzy pop (which I should be cutting out anyway!)
Plastic trays for fruit and vegetables
Plastic yoghurt pots
Wipe Packets
Cleaning Product Containers
Plastic tops from Neve’s food pouches
Plastic trays from ready meals and biscuits.

What can we do to reduce our Single-Use Plastic Consumption?

The Midcounties Co-operative are asking people to work together and pledge 1Change they will make to help the fight against single-use plastics.

Through their campaign, they also have the following targets:

- To work with 50 schools and educational establishments by 2022 to spread the message that ‘Plastic is Not Fantastic’ and ensure that all Co-operative Childcare Nurseries maintain eco-schools status.
- Encourage member volunteering to clean up plastic pollution from waterways and the surrounding environment
- Reduce the overall waste that it produces through its operations by 20% by 2022, whilst maintaining the 99% recycling rate.
- Eliminate single-use cups from in store coffee areas, providing a reusable cup option by 2020.
- Eliminate single-use plastic straws and cutlery from food stores by 2020.
- Remove all plastic bags across premium supermarkets by 2020, providing bag for life alternatives.
- Enable customers to bring their own containers for products from its meat and delicatessen counters by 2020.
- Replace all single-use produce bags with a more environmentally friendly alternative by 2020.

The last week has really opened my eyes to what more we can do as a family to reduce the amount of single-use plastic we consume.

My 1Change Pledge for reducing Single-Use Plastic

After learning more about the Midcounties Co-operative 1Change campaign, I will definitely be making a pledge to reduce my single-use plastic. That said, I have more than 1 change that I would like to make!

The amount of plastic bottles we had was really quite shocking, and not only do we not really NEED to consume that amount, but I could buy larger bottles / in bulk as opposed to multiple smaller packaging. I also need to remind myself that we are lucky enough to live in a part of the world where fresh drinking water is available on tap, and as such, is buying bottled water completely necessary, when I can simply refill a bottle as often as I wish?

Many of the fruit items I purchased came in some kind of plastic tray or casing, much of which was completely unnecessary, and went in the recycling IMMEDIATELY when the fruit was consumed. I have to be honest in that I have NEVER really given this any real thought, despite me being the first to question when items from couriers come in super large boxes or with excessive or unnecessary packaging. A bit of a creature of habit in the kitchen (opting for quicker and easier alternatives), we have often bought pre-prepared or pre-packed fruit and veg, and I am going to make a conscious effort to try and change that. Loose fruit and vegetables are not only a better option in terms of reducing plastic packaging, but are often MUCH cheaper too!

I love the idea of being able to take my own containers, as this would in theory reduce the need for much of this wasteful and harmful single use plastic which serves very little useful purpose. I will also look for packaging that is more environmentally friendly e.g. opting for detergents in box’s rather than bottles, and paper trays rather than plastic.

I am so happy to hear that retailers are taking proactive steps to reduce their impact on the environment, and I hope that via education and spreading the word, more and more people will take action to reduce the amount of single-use plastic they consume. By making some little changes and changing the way we shop, the items we buy and the choices that we make, we can have a massive impact on the environment for future generations.

What is your 1Change pledge for reducing single use plastic – head over to the 1Change website and make yours!!

*Disclosure – In paid partnership with The Midcounties Co-operative