How can I start living plastic-free – 8 easy tips?

Plastic free audit over 31 days — Use it as an audit or as a challenge, here are 31 ideas on how to live plastic free.

How can I start living plastic-free – 8 easy tips?

Impact of plastic on our ocean

Since we officially opened our door in 2015, our team has been conducting beach clean-ups and underwater clean-ups. We have noticed an impact of our consumption on the ocean, and we have seen it increasing over the years. Plastic-free living is a challenge everyone faces. During our trips over the Banda Sea, we visit remote inhabited islands which are covered with plastic wastes.

In partnership with Friends of Pemuteran, we pick up an average of 80 kg a week from the coast of Pemuteran Bay. Yes, Weekly! What do we pick up the most?

🛍 grocery plastic bad

🍟 food wrappers

🍼 diapers

🚺 feminine hygiene products

🥤 straws

👔 clothing

8 tips on where to start your plastic-free journey

Here are our 8 tips (areas) you could reduce your consumption of single-use waste. Start now to a plastic-free living.

Shop plastic-free

It has been almost a decade since reusable bags made their grand entry in grocery stores and other shops. Most of us own close to a dozen of those bags. Do not forget to bring them back in your car, motorbike, or inside of your purse/backpack. The main reason being, that the production of these bags has a larger environmental impact. To counteract its impacts, you must use them all at least a certain number of times.

A Danish study came up with this conclusion :

Polypropylene (most green reusable bags from the supermarkets): 37 times

Paper bags: 42 times

Cotton bags: 7,100 times

Clean plastic-free

Did you know that vinegar and lemon can get you quite far when it comes down to cleaning? No need to buy liquid soap all the time to clean your surfaces.

Shower plastic-free

When it comes down to showering; the same principle applies. Shampoo bars and soap bars are so easy to make or to purchase. You do not have a valid reason to buy heavy plastic shampoo bottles.

Eat-out plastic-free

When going out into a restaurant, take it upon yourself and require, as your order, no straws. Ordering coca-cola? Ask if it will be served on tap or in a plastic bottle or a can. Change your choice of beverage if need be to go plastic-free,

Entertain yourself, plastic-free

No need to print concert tickets or flight tickets. Do your best to have an efficient filing system on your phone to allow you to get receipts and documents at the tips of your fingers. No need for printers anymore.

Offer a gift, plastic-free

Offer your friend your favorite book or a plant. Wrap it with used newspaper, banana leaves, or even an old t-shirt.

Cook plastic-free (gardening)

We are always a bit shock when we see bananas wrapped in plastic at the supermarkets. Yes, bananas, oranges, watermelon all have one thing in common; they have a natural layer to protect them. Please make choices at the grocery store and buy your red, yellow, and red bell peppers separately. No need for plastic bags. REFUSE and REDUCE should be the first step.

Dress plastic-free

Polyester is one of the most common fabrics in our fashion world. So many other fabrics are plastic base and getting educated on this subject is a good thing. Here is a little article from the newspaper Independent on the fabrics with the worst environmental impact, from polyester to fur.

Audit your consumption today

Start your audit over the weekend. Note down on a notebook where is your consumption of plastic base product come from.

The most revealing and shocking will most likely in your bathroom (soap and creams) or around your grocery habits. Note how many pieces you use over the weekend and note which one you could change over the next few weeks.

Plastic-free life audit over 31 days — Use it as an audit, or as a challenge, here are 31 ideas on how to live plastic-free.

To help you out, we have prepared a little 31-day challenge to help you change one habit at a time. It is only called the 31-day challenge because Plastic-free July is starting now and has 31 days. Do it at your own rhythm, one at a time.

Want to help with the impact of plastic?

Join us, and the Trash Hero Pemuteran team, on our weekly beach clean-up on Sundays. Underwater clean-up is on Mondays with the team of Friends of Pemuteran.

Push your knowledge with our team during your next dive holiday in Bali. We are a proud PADI and certified GreenFins dive center. We are always happy to challenge people to think outside the box on how to reduce the use of single-use plastic.