Did you know that plastic is only 111 years old. The first viable and cheap synthesis plastic was invented by a Belgian-born American called Leo Hendrik Baekeland in 1907 in the New York state.
For something that was only popularized in the 60’s, it certainly has wrecked undeniable havoc to our planet’s ecosystem. While the UK has taken measures to lessen its effects, like a 5p charge on plastic carrier bags laid out on Oct 2015 that has reportedly dropped its usage by 85% — there is still a long way to go in shaking off our polymer dependency. More plans are on the way. There are proposals to ban single use plastic in the EU and UK.
Typically, plastic items can take up to 1000 years to decompose in landfills. There are growing concerns about the detrimental impact this durable products has on our ocean, sea life and environment. The urgency to act has never been stronger, so we have to put together a small introduction piece of how to live plastic free in London.
Farmers markets
An obvious solution is to visit your local Farmers’ Market. Don’t know where your local markets are and when they are open? Type your postcode on London Farmers’ Market and voila! It shows you where the closest markets to you are. You can get a range of groceries here, mostly plastic free, like your weekly bread, cakes & pastries, cheese, eggs (re-use old cartons and just fill them up), fish, fruits and vegetables. Majority of these markets are open either on Saturday or Sunday, so be sure to check in advance and bring along enough reusable bags, cartons or containers that you may need! By supporting local farmers, most whom are very passionate about real produce, you are also eating organic and fighting plastic pollution big time!
Supermarkets
While Farmers markets are pretty awesome, there are a whole range of products you will not be able to procure there. However, with the plastic free movement in full swing, plastic free supermarkets have been making a resurgence (since our grandparents era of weigh and scale) and popping up all over London. These give you the option to buy long-life shelf products that would traditionally come wrapped in plastic in regular supermarkets.
These places are great to stock up on :
- Re-fillable shampoo and body wash by the brand Faith in Nature
- Nuts and grains
- Dry pasta
- Dried fruits
- Loose tea leaves
- Flour
- Spices
- Powder (protein powder, smoothie powder..)
- Chocolates
- Nut butters
- Oils
- Household items like sponges, toothbrushes, water bottles and handmade soaps
- And even Kombucha on-tap! ;)
West London: We visited The Source Bulk Foods in Chiswick (W4) in West London to get a taste of our first plastic-free supermarket shopping experience. The Australian chain has 41 stores down under, and opened their very first outlet in London in Feb 2018 to much fanfare amongst environmentalists and regular folk alike. The shops clean layout and friendly staff is very welcoming and everything we could ask for from a plastic free store. Loose produce is charged per kilo. You can either load up your goodies into brown paper bags provided at the store or bring your own jars to fill up. If you decide on the latter, weigh your jars with the staff beforehand so the prices can be deducted accordingly.
Address: 24 Turnham Green Terrace, Chiswick, London W4 1QP
South West London: Hetu in Battersea (SW11) means ‘purpose’ in Hindi and is a vegan, organic and plastic free shop. They offer whole foods and sustainable reusable items without unnecessary packaging with the motto of helping others to live a more zero waste lifestyle. There is no animal products, pesticides, exploitation, plastic and over consumption, with a priority that’s focused on your health and the environment.
Address: 201 St John’s Hill, London SW11 1TH
North London: While not entirely plastic free, Earth Natural Foods in Kentish Town (NW5) has a decent selection of loose produce for you to choose from like grains, nuts, seeds, teas and coffees. Their fruit and vegetables are also mainly sold loose. With a supply of mostly organic products.
Address: 200–202 Kentish Town Road, London, NW5 2AE
Food & Beverage
Composting your food waste ensures everything goes back into the earth and does not end up in a landfill. By buying package free, you would already have significantly reduced the amount of your trash. Use apps like Mucho that allow you to track which ingredients you have via a digital kitchen cabinet, so you can reduce waste and stay on top of what needs to be cooked before expiry.
Grow your own herbs. Experiment with growing common cooking herbs like basil, chives and parsley in your own kitchen or backyard. These are available to buy in kits if you are short of a green thumb and only require love and sunlight — maybe an occasional conversation!
Regrow vegetables. A mind-boggling fact of nature is that certain produce (like romaine lettuce) can be regrown by submerging the chopped stem in water. That’s a never-ending supply of veg for your whole life. At cost price!
Bring packed lunches to work or school. Definitely more nutritious than stale sandwich and crisps that come wrapped in plastic! Why not try the following?
Staying hydrated is always a priority, especially on hot days travelling in the tube. (Those tube announcements have gotten into our heads!) Carry a water bottle everywhere you go and stop plastic bottles entirely. It’s a small simple step we can do and with a lot of designs to choose from these days, it’s time we made a statement that plastic bottles are not acceptable. Many shops have now also joined the Refill movement to offer consumers to refill their water bottle. All you need to do is find a shop that has the Refill sign at the store front.
Say no to straws. The #LastStraw campaign is alive and kicking around London but there are still many pubs and restaurants serving up drinks with plastic straws. Refuse them as it is one of the most unnecessary usages of plastic. There are also metal straws you can buy for home use.
Most coffee shops around London offer stamps or up to 50p off (Go Pret!) for takeaway coffee that’s filled up in your own reusable coffee mug. That’s triple props for getting your daily caffeine, saving the environment and money.
Beauty products & Toiletries
The bathroom is another good place to kickstart your goals to reduce plastic. Almost everything comes wrapped in plastic, from shampoo bottles to toothbrushes.
Here a few attainable suggestions for you to get started :
- Bamboo toothbrush from Brush with Bamboo . They are the only company in the world that has implemented the most advanced biobased bristles (made from 62% Castor Bean Oil, 38% nylon) and uses 100% organic bamboo for the handle.
- Shampoo bars from Lush. Hair shampoo bars from Lush have been increasingly popular in recent years. The bars lather up in the shower, smell like a dream and boast natural properties for any hair concern. For body, switch to soap bars instead of bottle shower gel.
- Deo bars or cream from Lush. Your underarm odour does not have to cost the world.
- Reusable cotton pads from Pure Skin Food. Removing makeup with single-use disposable cotton pads create a lot of wastage. Switching to reusable pads which are machine washable helps lessen landfill.
- Loo roll from Who Gives a Crap . Saving the planet one toilet pun at a time, they sell 100% recycled toilet paper which are all wrapped in paper!
- Q-tips from I Ban Plastic. These use a wooden material instead of traditional plastic in the middle.
Aside from these suggestions, there are many eco-friendly DIY recipes online. It probably will take a bit of trial and error to get it the way you want exactly but hey, it’s often more economically in the long run, better for your body and the environment.
