Whilst its been a little while since I did a catch up, my #ecosparkles2018 commitment is still going strong.  I have tried to reduce, reuse, recycle or repair in many aspects of daily life and I’m pleased with my progress whilst acknowledging there is always more to do.  Of all my actions I think clothes is a big change, I am buying fewer items and have repaired two things in the past few weeks rather than recycle them.

However the one area I’ve really focused on is reducing my use of plastic.  There have been many articles in the media highlighting the impact of plastic on our environment and it is worrying.  I have become quite zealous in not buying plastic bags or using plastic cups this year, my count on both is zero and I have refused to purchase a drink if it is served in a plastic cup.  I always carry a drinks bottle and cafes have no problem in filling it up or in giving me a glass for my drink rather than the plastic cups they provide.  It was a real eye opener at Butlins this week on how so many national food outlets use plastic, I found paper plates and wooden cutlery but there was far too much plastic just being thrown away not even into recycling bins.  I’m used to independent cafes in our small town who are definitely more eco friendly.

It was my birthday recently and it appears my crusade has been noticed by friends too.  I got a Chilly water bottle which keeps your drink cool or hot dependent on the content and it is amazing, this is not an ad just an appreciation of a great piece of kit.  I also received some beeswax wraps to be used instead of cling film for food covering.  Again I have been pleasantly surprised by their efficiency and I’m also using Tupperware boxes for food storage too (old not new purchases as they are plastic) rather than covering in cling film.  In the shops, I look at food packaging and have found the market the greenest place for plastic free packaging, I’m the 1950s housewife with my wicker basket of fruit and veg and I rock my look! My local health food shop is also encouraging you to bring in containers to take away your product so I’ve been taking advantage of this invitation too.  I’ve been using this article for inspiration too

https://myplasticfreelife.com/plasticfreeguide/

There is always plenty more to do, but just by making some simple changes, I feel I am helping in my own little way and am looking for new ways to be eco friendly in the months to come.