Quitting Plastic by Clara Williams Roldan and Louise Williams

Quitting Plastic is a fantastic guide that has many tips for reducing your plastic footprint. 
I read it recently and I learnt so much from it.
The book has really made me think about the way my family and I live, and how we can implement changes to reduce the amount of plastic we use in our household. (I'll elaborate more on that later).
Single use plastics (straws, water bottles, coffee cups and plastic bags, etc) are things that we should all be avoiding wherever possible. 
I was shocked to learn a staggering 5 billion plastic bags were distributed in Australia prior to the bans that were implemented in most of the states in 2018. 
And wait for it - worldwide, that figure is estimated at ONE TRILLION!!! Can you believe it?!

There are many more facts like these included in the guide, and the book is set out in easy-to-follow chapters.
It covers topics including tips and advice for the kitchen, laundry, bathroom, toys, clothes, and entertaining.
It also explains the differences between types of plastics, and which ones to avoid if you plan on cutting back.

Were you aware that plastic production has increased 20 fold in the last 50 years, and that it is set to double again over the next 20 years?! 
Or that 50-80% of debris found along shorelines is plastic?!
I personally didn't realise that the figures were that high. This book really opened up my eyes, and after reading it, I have since made some changes and had a chat about it with my husband and kids so we all, as a family, can reduce plastic use.
Whilst I have been using reusable bags when shopping, and reusable food wraps and zip lock bags for quite some time, I knew that there was more that I could be doing, so after reading this book and learning more about the ways I could make our household more environmentally friendly, I decided to make changes  including:
- using a reusable bread bag so when I purchase bread and/or rolls from my local bakery, the items can be placed in the bread bag instead of plastic bags.
- using reusable bags for fruit and vegetable shopping
- using Velvet soap in place of bottled stain removers, etc

I also plan on purchasing shampoo/conditioner bars in future (once my stash of bottled hair products has been used), changing our cat's kitty litter to a biodegradable one, and looking for products without plastic packaging when shopping.
There are a great range of reusable products available online and in stores around Australia.

4myearth is an Australian owned and operated company that sell a fantastic range of reusable products, including: bread bags, sandwich wraps, snack pockets, food cover wraps (I have been using these for years and they are great!), lunchboxes and net bags. Check out https://www.4myearth.com.au/products/ for the full range. 

Food Bag
(Ideal for storing food/stationery/toiletries)

Bread Bag
(Easy zip-close design for storing rolls/bread)

Organic Cotton Produce Bags
(Ideal to use in place of  plastic bags for fruit, veg, nuts)

Snack Pocket
(Velcro tab makes it easy to open/close, expendable sides) 

         



I was fortunate enough to be sent some of their products, and I am delighted that by using these products in place of plastic alternatives, I will be reducing my environmental footprint. 
Whilst it is a bit of a work in progress, it is quite simple to make small changes like I have.
I think that it is very important for each of us to begin thinking about ways in which we can lead a more environmentally friendly lifestyle.

How do you minimise plastic usage in your home/work environment? I'd love to hear your tips below!


Quitting Plastic is available through Allen & Unwin Australia, and has an RRP of $19.99 
For further information on this title, head here 



Special thanks to Julia from https://www.4myearth.com.au/products/ for providing images and products for me to use. 

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