Plastic Free July - Week Two

For orders placed between 7th - 14th July we are offering a free reusable teabag and a spoonful of loose tea of your choice – just pop the name of the tea that you would like to try in the ‘add a note’ section on the My Cart page to receive these with your order.

Plastic Free Loose Leaf Tea

A few years back I was reading an article about teabags and microplastic. Yes, the bags themselves can shed billions of particles of microplastics.

Polypropylene is often used to seal teabags to stop them from falling apart. As it isn’t compostable, recyclable or biodegradable, it can lead to plastic pollution as it won’t be broken down.

Like most plastics, polypropylene is a known endocrine disruptor. Take a close look at the packing information on a range of teabags, is the bag made of plastic or is a bioplastic used to seal the bag? Do you want to drink plastic in your tea or go for a zero waste, plastic-free option? Also, I would recommend using a reusable cotton tea bag or a stainless-steel strainer. If either starts to get stained by the tea, just rub with some baking soda and vinegar.

Plastic Free July Day 7 - 🌿 Who owns a reusable shopping bag??

There are some absolutely beautiful reusable bags out there that suit every style and taste. But really, any bag you already have will do – whether you bring a plastic bag, canvas bag, linen bag, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you are reusing what you have. When the time comes that your current bag has come to the end of its life, then shop around for an eco-friendly alternative.

I found the trickiest part here when I first made the switch was remembering to take my reusable bag with me. There have been plenty of times that I was caught out with a shop – and just piled everything into the boot and bagged it up on the driveway to carry it into the house.

So, I recommend keeping a couple of bags in the car and in your usual day to day bag! Once you’ve shopped with your own a few times this will become a habit. I’m still using mine – over 15 years old now and going strong!

Plastic Free July Day 6 - Reusable cups

Everyone who knows me knows that I always start the day with a good coffee (my personal favourite are our organic Peruvian coffee beans – as much for their story as for their taste.

When I worked in the city many years ago before I owned a coffee machine, I used to get my coffee in a single use disposable cup. Some were single use plastic, some were biodegradable.

Then I discovered these lovely glass coffee / tea cups. They have a silicone lid too if you are sipping on the go. So, this very simple swap, has saved me sending 365 single use plastic cups from landfill every year. And that is just my use..

The same goes for water. There are so many health reasons not to drink water from plastic bottles as well as the eco reasons. I recommend getting glass where you can, or food grade (very important) stainless steel.

Plastic Free July Day 5 - Refills and Containers

Buy refills of food and pop them into your own containers!

1. Buy from a refill store @zerowastebulkfoods
2. Decant your products into your own containers
3. Recycle or compost the packaging

I believe glass containers are the safest option. Glass is an inert and non-porous natural material and so there is no chance that it will leach unwanted, poisonous chemicals and endocrine disruptors into my food. Have you ever eaten something that has been stored in a plastic container and noticed it smells of plastic and tastes different to when it was cooked?

Using glass is also an environmentally friendly option and will last for years. You’ll save money in the long run as you won’t need to replace (unless you drop it!) I use old glass jars to store food in my cupboards and special glass dishes that are oven and freezer proof to freeze and cook with.

Plastic Free July Day 4 - Packaging Part 2

When we send out deliveries using couriers, we either use paper to provide cushioning, or biodegradable packing peanuts! There is no peanut in these – they are called packing peanuts because their shape is a little bit like a peanut. They also look a little bit like the polystyrene packing peanuts, but these are far from it.

They are made from starch, which is an annually renewable resource rather than a depleting resource. They are certified biodegradable and have been proven to provide better impact protection than polystyrene. They dissolve in water, so once you receive, there is no need to put them into any bin - just add water and watch them disappear.

Plastic Free July Day 3 - Let’s talk packaging!

I am committed to reducing the amount of single use plastic heading to landfill and the ocean. It is so important that we take action now - the ABC’s ‘The War on Waste’ series is well worth a watch if you haven’t already – it is horrific to see what happens to our to single use plastic – carrier bags and wrappers are picked out by Hugh looking almost like new with a date on them from the 1980s..

I package all of my products in recyclable brown paper bags, and certified home compostable plant based bags – which disintegrate completely in hot bins, composts or even in the ground (I buried some in clay soil and at some point between my 3 and 6 month check, they had completely disappeared). We don’t need products to be packed in plastic at all – the technology is already here! Once you receive your order – I recommend decanting into glass jars – they’ll look great in your kitchen too!

Plastic Free July Day 2 - Replacing bottles with bars

Cut down on those bottles in the kitchen and bathroom and try replacing with bars of soap / shampoo / conditioner / washing up bars etc.

These weren’t instant swaps for me – they were always in the pipeline but some bottles seemed to take forever to finish, and it is definitely better to finish what you have – even if it’s in plastic – before throwing it out and replenishing everything at once in bar form.

There are hundreds of bars out there and it’s really hard to know where to start. For me, products with an eco-focus are really important – I want to make sure that when soapy water disappears down the drain, that it is eco-friendly – that it doesn’t harm the environment. Also, smell is really important – essential oils rather than artificial fragrance and natural ingredients are also top of my list.

What is important to you?

Day 1 of Plastic Free July!

Plastic Free July is an Australian initiative that has taken the world by storm. It was set up in 2011 to work towards a vision of a world free of plastic waste. Every year millions of people take part and end up making permanent changes to the amount of plastic they use in their day to day lives.

So, this week, to get you started on your journey, we are giving away a food grade, stainless-steel straw with every order placed from today until 7th July. Just type in “plastic free july” in the ‘add a note’ section on the My Cart page to receive your gift.

My whole family love these straws – they can be used for hot or cold drinks, from cocktails, smoothies, milk, carbonated drinks to hot chocolates, frappuccinos and everything in between. The straws are completely reusable and dishwasher safe and completely plastic free, chemical free and BPA free.

Say no to single use plastic!