Say No To Plastic

I bought Say No to Plastic, 101 Easy Ways to Use Less Plastic by Harriet Dyer while queuing in Waterstones for my annual pilgrimage to the shopping extravaganza that is Christmas. It was one of the tempting little books that sits near the check-out begging for an impulsive purchase.

What I liked about it was its down to earth language and instant accessibility, as well as a very handy key that shows how each tip actually reduces plastic. After the obligatory opening section explaining why plastic is not so great for the planet (again easy to read and digest), it’s basically one tip per page.

I’d encourage you to buy the book (generally available new for £5-6, used for less) and just work your way through it, remembering that changing one thing is better than nothing and often leads to more change. There’s probably some things you already do so you can knock those off without any effort; enough to get some momentum and allow a little welcome smugness. And there will be some that don’t apply to your lifestyle; sadly I’m too bald for solid shampoo (#1) and too old for eco-nappies (#17). So before you know it you could be 10-20% plastic-compliant and well on your way.

The first four sections encompass 64 of the 101 tips, covering most ordinary plastic consumption, you personally, in your home, when you are out and about and special occasions. From there it gets more a bit different, and for me quite interesting, as the book offers the remaining 37 tips under the headings Plastic Activism and Upcycle. Tips here ranged from the very simple, take home and dispose of 3 items of plastic each time you visit the beach, to the wildly creative, like making tote bags out of old t-shirts.

All this might appear a little overwhelming and that is the trap to avoid falling into. Better to do a few of the things in the book and not worry about the volume and difficulty of the tips than to do nothing at all. And, as tip 79 nicely puts it, you are not alone. We are all struggling to make our way in life without it feeling too hard, or pointless, to take part in reducing plastic use. So find others who you can share ideas and concerns with, either in the physical or the on-line world. And if you can’t find anyone, you can always let me know how you are getting on.