Over the past few months, I have been making more of an effort to save the planet. There have been a few documentaries and news articles recently and from this, more people are trying to live a more sustainable lifestyle. I am worried about what the use of plastic is doing to this planet and how it is affecting our animals. There is a shocking amount of plastic in the oceans and in landfill. Because of this, I am slowly trying to live a less wasteful life. Here is what I have done so far.

Ditched bottled water

This was the first thing I did in my journey to living a more sustainable lifestyle. At the time, I was living in Winchester where the water is hard. At home in the Midlands, the water is soft, so I really did not enjoy the taste of it. The first thing I did when I moved down to Winchester both times was buy a water filter. This was great for when I was in my flat, however when I was out and about I found myself buying bottled water.

I realised how much plastic I was using from buying bottled water. Sometimes I would buy one or two bottles a day, which is terrible. So, I started to look into reusable water bottles with a built in filter. My search led me to the Brita Fill & Go water bottles. They have a filter in the lid, which means you can fill your bottle from any source and start drinking straight away. The water goes through the filter as you drink. Each filter is meant to last one month or for 150 litres (the bottle has a 600ml capacity). However, since I bought mine last June I have only changed the filter once. I use my water bottle everyday and I could tell by the taste that it needed changing.

As I said, I use my water bottle everyday. It is something that I always have it with me in bag and I have found it so handy. I can fill it up wherever I am and not have to worry about how the water tastes. When I need a refill, I always ask in coffee shops and restaurants. So far, I haven’t had anyone say no to filling it up for me. I have only had to buy bottled water twice since buying the bottle and that is because I forgot to put it in my bag.

Started using a reusable coffee cup

Takeaway coffee cups are a big part of the plastic problem. You may think that they are harmless as they are usually made of paper, however the inside is lined with a kind of plastic. This means that they are difficult to recycle. Costa will take in any takeaway coffee cups, whether they are from Costa or not and will recycle them for you. If you are having takeaway coffees a lot, then you may want to invest in a reusable coffee cup.

You can get these anywhere nowadays. All of the chain coffee shops sell them and most offer some sort of incentive for using them:

Starbucks – 25p off your drink
Caffe Nero – one extra loyalty stamp
Costa – 25p off your drink
Greggs – 20p off your drink
Pret a Manger – 50p off your drink
Paul – 50p off your drink
Patisserie Valerie – 50p off your drink
Pumpkin – 25p off your drink

My reusable coffee cup has the Marauders Map from Harry Potter on it. It is made of rice husk and is from a brand called Huskup and you can purchase them at Waterstones. I also have one from Starbucks which was only £1 and is slightly bigger. I take it out with me even when I’m going to be sitting in a coffee shop, so I still get the discount. When I am done with it, I’ll pop to the toilet and rinse it out in the sink so I can put it back in my bag.

Switched to a menstrual cup

Only recently did I realise just how much waste period products create. I don’t like using tampons anymore, but when I do use them I go for the ones with a plastic applicator. I have been having a period a month for the last 17 years, so I can’t imagine how much plastic waste I’ve produced. According to The Independent, tampons, pads and panty liners amount to more than 200,000 tonnes of waste per year. Last month I started to use a Mooncup when I was on my period and I was so surprised at how easy it was. I definitely won’t be using tampons again and I’m looking into some cloth pads for lighter days when I don’t want to use the cup. There are a lot of different sellers for reusable cloth pads on Etsy and so many prints to choose from.

Started carrying around tote bags

Since the introduction of the plastic bag charge in October 2015, I have tried to not buy plastic bags. Plastic bags are awful for the environment. Although most can be recycled, it is believed that across the world, 200,000 plastic bags are dumped into landfill per hour. When I am going out, I always fold up one of my canvas tote bags and put it in my bag. Even if I am not planning on buying anything.

I have so many tote bags which I have collected over the years. Some have been free from events, some are cute Disney or Harry Potter ones from Primark, and I also have one from my favourite charity, Kings Heath Cat Club which I love. It really doesn’t matter what is on your tote bag, you just need to remember to use it. When I worked in retail I heard a couple of people say that they would take a plastic carrier bag just in case they needed to return the item. This is the most ridiculous reason to take a carrier bag. If you are returning an item to Debenhams/New Look/Tesco, they don’t care if you bring it back in one of their bags, as long as the item is not damaged and is in a resalable condition.

Stopped using plastic straws

Okay, I’ve not been great at this one so far, but I’m trying. I’m sure you have all seen just how damaging plastic straws can be to marine wildlife. We’ve all seen those horrible videos of turtles with straws stuck up their nostrils. A lot of places in the UK have swapped their plastic straws for paper ones. Some have even gone for biodegradable plastic, which cost a lot more than normal plastic ones.

When the only option is a plastic straw, then I will usually go without. Unless it is something that needs a straw (such as a milkshake or a frappuccino). However, I have bought a set of reusable stainless steel straws from Amazon. These come in a little pouch and have cleaning brushes included too. Luckily, there are plenty of options on Amazon. I’m considering one that folds down into a box that can be put onto my keyring.

I do know that there is so much more that I can do to live a more sustainable lifestyle, but this is just the start. I believe that even the smallest changes can help to make a difference. Even if you just do one of these things, it will help. What changes have you made to live a more sustainable lifestyle?