Living with less plastic
We have so much more responsibility to save the planet we call home now than when we were growing up. We were totally naïve, straws in our milkshakes and all the little plastic toys from Mc Donalds. It was enough to recycle and be conscious of food wastage, but that just doesn’t cut the mustard anymore. We need to be doing more and consuming much much less. I’ve been trying to eliminate single use plastic from our home and recycle more efficiently. I thrift, trade and swop nearly all my family’s clothing as well as furniture and kitchen ware etc. I do my best to not to buy new plastic but I know I can do better when it comes to excess plastic food packaging – why you gotta be like that Woolworths? The Refillery nearly cuts this out. Your bring brown paper bags or old jars from home and fill them with your dry foodstuffs like flour, chickpeas, lentils, corn etc. You only take the amount you need instead of buying a big bag and it going off. In the United States, uneaten food is the single largest source of trash in landfills, which account for 18 percent of the country’s methane pollution, a greenhouse gas that’s 87 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period (source). You can also refill Olive oil, Kamboucha and cleaning products too. Just bring the old container and refill.
The Refillery in Cedar Square, Fourways, Johannesburg
Beeswax wraps
Eco friendly products I’m loving:
Plasters, are a single use plastic item that are hard to do without as a parent of a toddler. The Refillery has these Patch bamboo plasters which biodegrade. I had a conversation with my daughter about plastic and how it sometimes ends up in the ocean and the fishies eat it and choke. She understood and was totally okay with using fewer bamboo plasters only when she really needed it.
Why isn’t ALL shampoo sold in bar form? Genius.
SoPure bubble bath has been wonderful too. I’ve been on the hunt for a fragrance free option that doesn’t burn her eyes or dry her skin out and this is it! I love that it comes in a glass bottle and you can take it back to the Refillery to have it refilled at a reduced rate. And I’ve been loving my flower shaped shampoo bar, it’s made me wonder why all shampoo isn’t sold in bar form?
Bamboo toothbrushes are a no brainer and she loves having the same one as me.
The bees wax wraps are wonderful for cheese or anything you’d like wrapped up. And the Spaza Store bowl covers are a game changer, perfect for putting over a bowl of leftovers and back into the fridge for lunch later. SO much more wonderful and pretty than plastic wrap.
I keep stainless steel straws in my handbag to save smoothies from the curse of the soggy paper straw! I use a stainless steel straw to drink water at home and find my hydration levels increase as I drink more than I usually do.
It’s not enough to be conscious of over consumption and resource depletion; we need to actively change our behaviour drastically if we’re going to save this beautiful planet we call home.
