At the beginning of 2019, I decided that I would do my best to reduce my plastic consumption during the rest of the year. The aim was to get to a point where my life would be plastic-free, or almost.
I had no idea how difficult this journey would be.
I have always been conscious of some environmental issues and did my best to recycle and avoid single-use plastic bags when going to the supermarket. But until the beginning of 2019 that was basically it. I knew plastic was bad for the environment. I just didn’t realize to which extent and I didn’t know about alternatives. Mostly because I didn’t really take the time to do proper research and educate myself on the topic.
Then I started seeing some YouTube videos and reading articles by people who had started to adopt a plastic-free life and found alternatives to plastic items. I realized there were companies that created environment-friendly products made of plastic alternatives.
I think one of the first videos I saw on the topic that really impressed me was this one by Sorelle Amore. She was talking about how she reduced her plastic consumption by around 80% and it inspired me. For the first time, I started thinking that maybe one individual can actually make a difference. Until then I somehow believed that my actions would not have any impact whatsoever so an idea like becoming plastic-free felt pointless. I thought I was doing my part by recycling and not using plastic bags most of the time. Then I realized there was so much more I could do.
But how much plastic do we use?
There are plenty of statistics out there, all very concerning. According to this article by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, around 300 million tons of plastic are produced every year. From these, at least 8 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans. Plastic makes up somewhere around 80% of all marine debris.
By the way, did you know there is an enormous mass of garbage in the Pacific Ocean? It’s called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and it contains somewhere around 80,000 metric tons of plastic. Microplastics represent up to 94% of the total objects. These end up inside fish, sea salt, and on our plates. Not to mention all the marine life harmed and even killed by plastic items. You’ve probably seen that video of the sea turtle with a plastic straw in the nostril.
The transition to plastic alternatives
The transition might seem daunting at first but it becomes easier. I started searching for places that sold unpacked items, stopped buying a lot of products that only came wrapped in plastic and basically changed my whole lifestyle.
It was quite a slow transition and it became easier when I moved to Berlin. Over there this concept has been around for a few years and there are stores that sell food in bulk and lots of farmers’ markets where one can buy fruits and vegetables without any packaging. Nowadays it is extremely rare that I buy any food wrapped in plastic.
I also ditched all cosmetics that came in a plastic bottle and switched to shampoo bars, soap bars, coconut oil for removing makeup, a bamboo toothbrush, and toothpaste tablets. Currently, the only things I have in plastic are some makeup that I wasn’t able to replace with plastic-free alternatives yet. I did my research and I found brands that have plastic-free makeup, such as Zao Organic Makeup.
Overall, I think I reduced the amount of plastic I buy (and throw away) by somewhere around 80%. When I think about it, it’s quite a huge achievement for me!
The side-effects of becoming plastic-free
The first positive side-effect of not buying stuff wrapped in plastic was that I drastically reduced the amount of junk food I ate. Cookies and snacks usually come with plastic packaging and there aren’t many alternatives so I just quit buying this stuff altogether.
I also reduced the quantity of meat that I eat since, again, most of it comes in plastic packaging. Now I only eat meat when I go to some restaurant or if I buy it at the farmer’s market or the butcher counter in some supermarkets where they wrap it only in paper. I am by no means vegetarian but I think of this as a positive side-effect. We all know how polluting the meat industry is.
The great side effect is that I produce less waste overall. With no plastic packaging to throw away, I drastically minimized the waste I produce. Also, since I don’t buy packaged stuff, I buy overall fewer things, especially when it comes to food. I mostly eat fresh food, therefore, I cannot buy big quantities and I don’t end up throwing stuff that goes to waste.
Dealing with the guilt of buying plastic
This was a big problem for me once I somehow settled into this lifestyle. I sometimes accidentally bought things wrapped in plastic, like that frozen package of cordon bleu that came in a carton box but was also wrapped in a plastic bag that I couldn’t see. Fun fact: I then started feeling and shaking each box to understand if there was any internal plastic packaging. I’m pretty sure people look at me like I am crazy.
Accidents still happen. Like that time I was eating out and I asked for a Coke in a glass bottle, paying extra because it was not included in the menu, and before I realized it the guy put a plastic straw in it. I wanted to shout at him “Why would you do that???”. I felt so bad at that moment. Then I slowly started to deal with this guilt by telling myself that I was still doing so much more than I was before.
If I think back at all the plastic items I bought before, what I am accidentally buying now is nothing. I made huge progress and I am only human so it’s okay to make mistakes. It’s even okay to consciously buy that one item that comes in plastic because I need or really want that thing and there’s no alternative.
Sticking to the plastic-free life
It’s easy to get disheartened when you see so many people who don’t seem to care about the plastic issue. The reality is not that they don’t care, at least most of them. The truth is they are not educated enough on the topic.
Anyway, it can become challenging in certain situations. When receiving presents for instance, or when going to a party organized by people who are not so conscious about the topic. You can feel disappointed, at times you might even want to give it all up because there are just too many people not doing anything. I know I felt this way. I started noticing people on the street carrying water bottles or plastic bags. In time, I became extra aware of plastic items, everywhere.
Plastic-free travel
Probably one of the toughest parts about trying to lead a plastic-free life is traveling. It’s normal to end up buying stuff that more often than not comes wrapped in plastic. This means that you need to get extra creative and be super organized!
The obvious parts would be buying a reusable water bottle or a water filter, depending on where you are traveling. Around Europe, it’s quite easy to find good water at the airport and in the cities, even on the streets. This might get tougher in places like South America or Asia where it’s highly recommended to have a water purifier to avoid having to buy bottled water. And although this might not seem like a lot, it makes a huge difference.
After some time I also decided to buy a stainless steel food container. When traveling, all I need to buy are some veggies and I can make myself a salad. It’s cheaper, healthier, and creates less waste. But even if you don’t want to go for this option, at least eat out, in places where they don’t use any plastic plates or cutlery, and avoid takeaway.
Traveling while trying to avoid plastic can be tough but with some planning ahead it’s totally doable.
Could you lead a plastic-free life?
Sometimes we don’t even attempt to do things because we believe we cannot do them. Often we’d rather not try at all for fear of failing or because the task looks too difficult and we believe we are not good enough.
If you’ve ever thought about cutting down on plastic or you are thinking about it after reading this, I challenge you to try. You don’t have to commit to it for life. Make it a challenge! Try to reduce the amount of plastic you buy (especially single-use plastic) for one month and see how it goes. See if it’s something sustainable for you. It definitely is for the environment.
I could write so much more on the topic but my goal was to simply show you that it’s doable. I’m grateful to myself for taking this challenge and turning it into a whole new lifestyle. If you do have questions, feel free to reach out! And if you’re taking the challenge, let me know how it goes!
Until then, if you wish, check out also my latest articles on the lessons I learned in 2019 and on life in Berlin.
