Hey you guys! Today I want to talk about the little lifestyle changes we've made as a family to try and use less plastic. But before that, let me take you back to my childhood, the good old days!

I grew up in India in the 80s & 90s and you know what, I don't remember seeing a lot of plastic in the house. I clearly remember we used ceramic or pickling jars and stainless steel boxes (or 'dabbas') to store all our food items like grains, rice, pulses etc. Leftover food was stored in steel or glass containers without any cling film, just steel covers, and put in the fridge. We had a milkman who came every morning at 5:30am to give us fresh milk (like fresh from the cow!) and there was no plastic involved. We bought our fresh veggies directly from a vegetable vendor who came to our neighborhood every week. Whenever we went to the grocery store we always carried our cloth or jute bag. I carried my lunch to school in a stainless steel lunch box (yes, the three tiered one, called a 'tiffin'!). The only thing plastic if I remember correctly was the water bottle. Oh I'm suddenly very nostalgic :)

I lived in a large developed city, so it's not like there was a lack of resources. What I'm trying to get to is that plastic was just not part of our lifestyle! Can you imagine!? But then something changed.. tupperware replaced the stainless steel boxes, fancy plastic lunchboxes replaced the good old steel 'tiffins', grocery stores expanded like crazy and we soon became the generation quite heavily dependent on plastic.

Anyway, we can't change all that and it's all part of progress and evolution etc, so let's not look back. But today I want to share with you, the little changes we've made to our lifestyle to slowly get rid of our dependence on plastic.

Oh and these go beyond the basic things like using our own shopping bags, not using disposable/plastic bottles etc.. just saying!

1) Packaging matters - say no to plastic packaging
I'm very conscious of the packaging when I'm choosing my items in the store. For example, if I need to buy pasta or washing detergent, I opt for the brands that use cardboard/paper packaging instead of plastic. Same with sauces and oils - I always opt for glass bottles instead of plastic. You'll be amazed at how much plastic gets into the house just because of the packaging. So next time you're shopping, try and pay close attention to the packaging. You may need to let go of your preferred brands, but remember it's all for the greater good.

2) Buy in bulk
When we were living in Singapore, our storage space (especially in the kitchen) was so limited that we had to buy smaller quantities of food items like rice, flour etc. It was such a pain, because not only was it more expensive over time, but also the amount of plastic that we had to go through was just ridiculous! Now thankfully we have a bit more storage, so I buy most things in bulk to reduce the amount of plastic coming in the house.

3) No straws please
I admit to using plastic straws more than I should (long story, my dentist said my teeth were too sensitive so I had to use a straw, blah blah). But now I'm making a conscious effort to stop. I hardly drink juices, or soft drinks anymore, so I suppose that will help! If you must use a straw, there are so many eco-friendly options available these days - paper, stainless steel, glass and bamboo. A lot more expensive, but totally worth it! Also, check out the #stopsucking campaign, and join in to eliminate plastic straws and other single use plastic once and for all! I'm so happy to learn that the UK is going to be the first country to ban plastic straws, cotton swabs and plastic stirrers! I hope other countries join in as well!

4) Less takeaway
Have you seen the amount of plastic that's used in your takeaway?! The plastic boxes, plastic wraps, plastic cutlery, little plastic ketchup sachets, not to mention each box is individually packed in a separate plastic bag to avoid spillage and transfer. It's really mind boggling! This also applies to takeaway hot/cold beverages. We've consciously reduced the number of times we do takeaway. Not just for health reasons, but also the plastic packaging and wastage just can't be ignored. If you must do takeaway very often or can't avoid it, find out which restaurants/takeaways do eco friendly packaging. Or better still, go out with your friends, or make it a date night with your partner and dine out! Win-win!

5) Bath & Beauty products
This has been by far the toughest thing for me to do! Just because I'm a complete sucker for new bath and beauty products and I want to try everything that comes my way! Who else is like me?? But I've recently made the switch from liquid body wash to soap and surprisingly I'm loving it! Try some organic vegetable soaps or oatmeal soaps - they are lovely! Aretha Natural Beauty and Pan All Natural are brands I really like and would recommend. Another thing that immediately comes to mind is face/body scrubs. Most of the scrubs have teeny-tiny little particles called microbeads - nothing but plastic. The US and UK have already put a ban on microbeads, but it may take a while for the products to be out of circulation. I try to make my own face scrub using oatmeal/almonds and lip scrub using sugar/honey. Works just as well! Let me know if you want the deets. If you must buy, make sure you select products that don't use plastic. This applies to makeup and toothpastes as well! Always check the label.

So that's it guys, I hope you found this useful! I know there's a long long way to go, but with these little steps I hope to make a difference in my own little way. Next on my list is never to buy cling film/plastic wrap ever again! Do you have any other ideas on how to use less plastic in and around the house?? Share, share!

I would love to know your thoughts, so please comment below. So until next time..

xx

Kirti

Want to use less plastic? Here's how you can begin