Helen McGonigal is a happily married, mum of three from County Durham. She’s a writer, author of ‘Mummy Makes Milk’ and literacy workshop consultant. Helen blogs at Spot of Earth, where she writes about her passions which include education, parenting, the environment, cooking and children’s literature, among other things. The family’s zero waste journey kind of crept up on them!
As a family, we try to live as waste and plastic free as possible. This involves buying locally where possible from independent butchers, where we can use our own containers, and greengrocers, where most of the produce is loose. We also minimise plastic in the bathroom. We try to reuse any plastic that comes into the house as much as possible before it is disposed of.
I spread the word through my blog. I have also just added a plastic free assembly to my literacy workshop service, because I feel passionately that children can carry this message forward and make bigger changes.
This post was written by the contributor. It is a PfU.K. Directory submission.
And the Pf U.K. Directory is…?
…a directory of UK-based groups, organisations businesses and individuals who are responding to the problems presented by the misuse of plastic. That does not mean anti-plastic necessarily but certainly plastic-problem aware.
The DIRECTORY is to promote their fantastic work. Read more here…
Got a project?
It is very easy to get a project featured. Each contributor submits a short synopsis of their project, focussing on the plastic aware element and I post it. You can read the submission guidelines here.
Jerry sell sustainable steel water bottles to raise funds for water projects around the world. They love water so much that they give away 100% of their profits to bring water to those that don’t have it.
We sell steel water bottles to raise funds for water projects. We are committed to promoting the #zerowaste movement and encouraging a cultural shift towards re-useables and sustainability.
Links – twitter – Facebook etc
This post was written by the contributor and is a PfU.K. Directory submission.
And the Pf U.K. Directory is…?
…a directory of UK-based groups, organisations businesses and individuals who are responding to the problems presented by the misuse of plastic. That does not mean anti-plastic necessarily but certainly plastic-problem aware.
The DIRECTORY is to promote their fantastic work. Read more here…
Got a project?
It is very easy to get a project featured. Each contributor submits a short synopsis of their project, focussing on the plastic aware element and I post it. You can read the submission guidelines here.
The MSCUK is a UK charity “that cares for our seas, shores and wildlife”.
The Challenge
The MSCUK are deeply concerned about the amount of plastic polluting the sea and trashing the beaches. And understandably so. Since the ocean is downstream, much of the plastic trash generated on land ends up there. ” It has been estimated that 6.4 million tons of debris end up in the world’s oceans every year and that some 60 to 80 percent of that debris, or 3.8 to 5 million tons, is improperly discarded plastic litter “. Encyclopedia Brittanica.
But back to the challenge. The MSCUK “have a vision of a world where plastics don’t end up in our seas and on our beaches, where they persist and impact our marine life.”
So they challenge you to give up single use plastics for a month (June), and get sponsored whilst doing it. The money goes to support MSCUK projects which are many and very worthwhile.
Too late for sponsorship? Don’t let that stop you. No matter when you read this, cutting your plastic consumption will benefit you and the environment - whenever you do it. So even if it’s the last day in June… or the first of February… join in anyway.
Other Great Schemes
The MSCUK organise other projects to help combat plastic pollution including The Great British Beach Clean on the 16th – 19th September 2016.
Plastic Is Rubbish Facebook Group where plastivists discuss issues and share information about unwrapped compostable and reusable products. The fun never stops….
We are a marine education company passionate about reducing plastic pollution
Our team Lent plastic challenge profoundly affected us all and we are now dedicated to helping others reduce or remove plastic from their lives which in turn helps protect our wonderful oceans and the creatures that live within them. We have regular blogs about reducing plastic as well as informative articles about marine life.
WiseOceans is a leading resource in marine conservation jobs, advice, news, events, marine education, information and recruiting marine educators. We are a specialist marine education and conservation company, striving to spread awareness for our wonderful yet fragile oceans and the fantastic creatures that live within them. The oceans are facing many threats and plastic pollution is one of top issues. We passionately believe that education is the key to helping the oceans and the marine life it supports: “In the end we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand and we will understand only what we are taught” Baba Dioum
If engaging in a plastic free/waste free life has encouraged you to do more for the environment then our jobs page has lots of information about jobs, internships and volunteer positions in marine conservation (for novices as well as marine biologists).
This post was written by the contributor. and is a PfU.K. Directory submission.
And the Pf U.K. Directory is…?
…a directory of UK-based groups, organisations businesses and individuals who are responding to the problems presented by the misuse of plastic. That does not mean anti-plastic necessarily but certainly plastic-problem aware.
The DIRECTORY is to promote their fantastic work. Read more here…
Got a project?
It is very easy to get a project featured. Each contributor submits a short synopsis of their project, focussing on the plastic aware element and I post it. You can read the submission guidelines here.
The Problems Presented By Plastic Misuse & How To Combat Them
Today plastics dominate our lives. We use a shocking amount of plastic on a daily basis, often without even realising it. Some of the day to day plastic that we use includes plastic carrier bags, water bottles, the packaging that our food is wrapped in, beauty products, sanitary towels and cleaning products.
According to the United Nations Environmental Program, between 22 percent and 43 percent of the plastic used worldwide is disposed of in landfills. All this plastic is being wasted and more importantly, causing huge environmental problems.
It releases toxic chemicals into the atmosphere when burnt, kills ocean life and leaves unnecessary waste all over our planet. Experts are now describing some of the oceans around Australia as a ‘plastic soup’ filled with all sorts of plastic debris. Is this really how we want to treat our planet?
Plastics are here to stay. Literally. In the environment plastics will photodegrade which means they break up into smaller and smaller pieces, but they won’t disappear. To manage the build up of our waste we have a few different options: landfill, burn, or attempt to recycle.
Plastic is a killer. It kills millions of seabirds and ocean creatures every year who get caught up in plastic debris and discarded fishing nets, or end up trying to ingest plastic. In recognition of their impact countries such as Bangladesh or China banned the use of single plastic bags fourteen years ago. The UK introduced a charge on single use plastic carrier bags in 2015.
What can you do to help?
Environmental and health issues are down to human behaviour. The good news is that this means that there is a recognisable solution, behaviour change. The bad news is that changing people’s behaviour worldwide isn’t an easy task. Plastic is one of the biggest environmental problems, yet it has a pretty straightforward solution: change behaviour.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Three simple words to live by. If we can reduce our consumption that is great. If you have to buy plastic then at least make an effort to reuse it. Many things can be safely reused over and over again. If you cannot reuse something then recycle it. A lot of plastics can’t be recycled so do check with your local authority.
Plastic water bottles
Can you invest in a long lasting bottle and save yourself the hassle and money of buying single use plastic bottles? People spend a lot more than they realise on plastic bottles each year, you could save quite a bit of money by investing in a reusable water bottle.
If you are caught out and you need to buy a plastic bottle, try and remember to take the lid off and rinse it out when you recycle it. Young children overseas painstakingly unscrew every bottle top from the plastic bottles so that the bottles can be recycled (different plastics) that high income countries ship for recycling.
Food shopping
Instead of using plastic bags, get into the habit of carrying a small foldaway bag in your handbag. Also when you are buying your weekly food shop, or any products, try and avoid buying things with lots of plastic packaging.
Make a song and dance
We need to start questioning companies not only why they are using so much plastic (it costs the earth but it also costs them and therefore us). Excessive packaging equals higher charges for us.
Can they look at innovative ways to protect our produce? Does a beauty or hygiene product really need plastic in it? It’s frustrating that more supermarkets don’t provide biodegradable bags such as corn based for fruit and vegetables. Don’t be afraid to question companies and try and inspire change.
These are just some of the things you can do to help. There are so many ways you can alter your lifestyle in order to help the environment. You might not think you can personally make a huge difference, but every little helps.
David is an expert on recycling and is passionate about helping to save our planet. He regularly writes for environmental, eco-living and recycling websites and is a key writer for kedel.co.uk, a company that sells recycled plastics.
This post was written by the contributor and is a PfU.K. Directory submission.
And the Pf U.K. Directory is…?
…a directory of UK-based groups, organisations businesses and individuals who are responding to the problems presented by the misuse of plastic. That does not mean anti-plastic necessarily but certainly plastic-problem aware.
The DIRECTORY is to promote their fantastic work. Read more here…
Got a project?
It is very easy to get a project featured. Each contributor submits a short synopsis of their project, focussing on the plastic aware element and I post it. You can read the submission guidelines here.
Offset Warehouse is a social enterprise which brings together a huge range of hand-picked eco fabrics and haberdashery, ideal for all textile projects. Whether you’re into fashion, lingerie, interiors, toys, quilts or other crafts, we have everything you need to create a product that not only looks good, but does the planet good, is kind to the workers who produced the raw materials – and that doesn’t harm your loved ones with dangerous chemicals and pesticides!
As well as most of our products being natural and biodegradable we have eliminated all plastic from our packaging. Everything is sent out in recyclable paper and cardboard.
This post was written by the contributor. and is a PfU.K. Directory submission.
But I have used them. Here are my notes
Being Updated
Have a wide range of fabrics including Peace Silk that is silk made without killing the caterpiller, organic jersey and ethnic prints. You can find them all here
Their explanations of the fabrics provenance were clear and detailed. Each product is accompanied by a detailed description telling you exactly how it’s ethical. For example their ladybird cotton is :Animal Cruelty Free, Azo-Free, Fair Wage, Low Energy, Low Impact Dyes, Low Water, No Genetically Modified Crops, Organic Certified
This is followed by a more detailed explanation like this “The dyes used in printing the muslin are azo-free and the cotton is organic and completely biodegradable. Furthermore, the weaving and printing is done in a cooperative and certified Fair Trade by the WFTO. As the printed organic muslin is handmade the process uses virtually no energy or water! This print is also available as a cambric.
Know what you are sewing
They give the fabric weight and suggestions for its use. They post vidoes with an introduction to the fabric quality and pictures of the material made up. You can buy samples or swatch packs which are a broad selection of the most popular fabrics. .
Plastic Free Packaging
They will post the fabric out to you plastic free if you request it. I got this in response to my enquiry
” we are currently using cardboard boxes to send out the fabrics anyway. They are sometimes using bubble wrap to separate the fabrics - so if you just get in touch when you want to make the order we we make a note on it and ensure no plastic is used.”
Actually the packaging isn’t completely plastic free. The invoices comes taped to the box in a plastic bag.
And the Pf U.K. Directory is…?
…a directory of UK-based groups, organisations businesses and individuals who are responding to the problems presented by the misuse of plastic. That does not mean anti-plastic necessarily but certainly plastic-problem aware.
The DIRECTORY is to promote their fantastic work. Read more here…
Got a project?
It is very easy to get a project featured. Each contributor submits a short synopsis of their project, focussing on the plastic aware element and I post it. You can read the submission guidelines here.
Reusable plastic souvenir Cups for any event. Premier solution to millions of disposable cups thrown into landfill sites in UK & Ireland each year.
Plastic Challenge - Reduce the millions of disposable cups thrown into landfill sites
Branded Cups pride ourselves on being a supporter of charities wherever possible and being a sustainable organisation not only with the products we supply but also the manner in which we operate. We embrace environmental, social and economic challenges to ensure we are not compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
The philosophy is to supply any and every event with reusable plastic cups, providing a personal service at the most competitive rate possible.
Our knowledgeable experience, enthusiasm and a desire to go the extra mile for each client ensuring they are not simply content but delighted with our service ensures long term growth.
This is illustrated with 100% of our clients returning for repeat orders, we like to be reused just like our Branded Cups. We have a wealth of experience in business and management; complimented with sales, marketing and accountancy
This post was written by the contributor. and is a PfU.K. Directory submission.
And the Pf U.K. Directory is…?
…a directory of UK-based groups, organisations businesses and individuals who are responding to the problems presented by the misuse of plastic. That does not mean anti-plastic necessarily… but certainly plastic-problem aware.
The DIRECTORY is to promote their fantastic work. Read more here…
Got a project?
It is very easy to get a project featured. Each contributor submits a short synopsis of their project, focussing on the plastic aware element and I post it. You can read the submission guidelines here.
It is my mission to try and find ‘green’ alternatives for our family and others, for everyday living essentials. By green, I mean things which are biodegradable, recyclable, re-usable, sustainable products that have little or no air mileage, support the local (or failing that, national) economy and generally make the world a better place to live in. The overriding thing that I look for when choosing products to help life happen, is to what extent they are plastic free.
I am an individual who is blogging to help our family and others pursue green alternatives.
To combat plastic overuse, I choose products that are plastic free, blog about viable alternatives for others to read, and make it my mission in life through social media and everyday encounters to help others realise the problems that plastic has and is causing to our beautiful planet, and what can be done about it. I have created the ‘ultimate list’ on my blog for a quick-reference guide for others to see, without having to go trawling through internet forums/social media/ web pages to find such a handy reference guide.
I live in Scotland (United Kingdom) and have an amazing husband and two wonderful small people. Apart from being chief caregiver, activities coordinator, cook, cleaner and counsellor, I teach primary aged kids and have a keen interest in living in a way that has a positive impact on the environment.
This post was written by the contributor. It is a PfU.K. Directory submission.
And the Pf U.K. Directory is…?
…a directory of UK-based groups, organisations businesses and individuals who are responding to the problems presented by the misuse of plastic. That does not mean anti-plastic necessarily but certainly plastic-problem aware.
The DIRECTORY is to promote their fantastic work. Read more here…
Got a project?
It is very easy to get a project featured. Each contributor submits a short synopsis of their project, focussing on the plastic aware element and I post it. You can read the submission guidelines here.
Bulk buy or refill stores are places you can buy all kinds of food like rice, suet, even soup mix - loose and unpackaged. You take as much as you want/need from a larger container, weigh and pay. You can usually use your own packaging. The advantages for the #plasticfree shopper hardly need stating! These are common in America and Australia, far less so in the U.K. But we do have some. I have put together a list of stores that sell loose products, listed alphabetically by the location / place name. If you know of others please add them, with as many details as possible, in the comments box below and I will incorperperate them.
The weight of the container may make a difference at checkout. Some shops subtract the tare weight but other don’t. The tare weight is the weight of the empty container.
Latest Loose Food Shop
from Twitter
Popped to the fantastically named @weighahead in Dunblane, a new #zerowaste shop near #Stirling. Highlights were finding packaging-free bar soap and stocking up on staples without any single-use plastic. We’ll be back!
Jarfull Ltd
“Our shop all being well will be open sometime in the first couple of weeks of December. We will announce the confirmed date when we have done a little more decorating so please follow our social media pages to keep informed. “From their website
@jarfulluk
2 Bower Street, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG1 5BQ
Heard of one in Chapel Allerton. will be checking that out later.
A to Z of Refill Shops
A Aberdeen Aberdeen has a foodstory shop(/vegan café) which offers a wide variety of unpackaged food and other household items Aberystwith B Barmouth Barnsley Bath “Bath store – NewLeaf HealthFoods, 29 Shaftesbury Road, Bath, BA2 3LJ Happy to preweigh your container with what you are going to fill it with. Bulk bins of nuts, flour, sugar, grains, dried fruit and more. Loose herbs and spices. Ecover refills.”
Berkhamsted Herts Clean Earth Pantry in Berkhamsted Herts. Monthly market stall with whole foods, household liquid refills and reusable items x
Burley in Wharfedale “Waste Not The Grange, Station Road, Burley in Wharfedale, LS29 7ND, UK do shampoo refills as well as lots of other stuff. more details here“
Buxton 18.1 Day Zero in Buxton. A great little family run refill shop. Very friendly and helpful in giving advice on how to make changes. Also responds to the customer to try and source plastic free products should there be a request for it.
C
Camarthen “There’s the ‘green scoop’ in Camarthen http://www.thegreenscoop.com 9 Hall Street, Carmarthen, SA31 1PH”
Cardiff Cardiff- Ripple in Roath. Zero waste shop
Chichester Chichester has Refilled Chichester at Drapers Yard, The Hornets. Drapers Yard also has other plastic free friendly shops including Zest for Taste which does oil and vinegar refills and Bear Boy Fresh with local organic veg and a milk refill station .
Cleethorpes Spill the Beans St Peter’s Avenue #cleethorpes now have paper bags out as an alternative to plastic. If you’ve not been here PLEASE check if out! Loads of fab whole foods plus cereals Baking stuff and more #cleethorpes #discovernel #totallylocallyne
D
Dundee Little Green Larder opened in Dundee today
E
East Wittering Nearby in East Wittering health shop Mind Body Medicalhas a refill section
I, J K Kingsmouth Kingsmouth Devon Free local delivery – spend £7.50 and we will deliver free – within a 7-mile radius of Kingsbridge. Great for bulk buys. Good review here. Kingston
Leicester https://zerowasteleicester.co.uk/ for Leicester
Leigh-on-Sea, Essex “Leigh-on-Sea, Essex has The Refill Room which has been running for 6 months. All the bottles, jars etc are glass in case you forget to bring your own ( or don’t bring enough !). All the usual dry goods plus housecleaning and toiletries are available. They also have a website – link below: The Refill Room 15 Elm Road Leigh-on-Sea Essex SS9 1SW https://www.refillroom.com/ “
Please add Naked Larder in Herne Hill, South London SE24 9QP to your list. http://www.nakedlarder.co.uk Many thanks, Phil
I have just discovered this shop has recently opened…. Get Loose @ Hackney City Farm – 100% Organic Pastas, Grains, Pulses, Cereals, Milk and alternative Mylks (in refillable/returnable glass bottles), Nuts, Cheeses (in compostable wrapping), Chocolates, Dried Fruits and lots more. The shop is a social enterprise and growing its produce selection week on week. Hackney City farm (just inside the gates on the right), 1a Goldsmiths Row, E2 8QA Open; Wed 17:30 – 20:00, Thurs 16:30 – 19:30, Fri 10:00 – 18:00, Sat & Sun 10:00 – 16:30 On Twitter @GetLooseFoods
T Thatcham Can you please add Thatcham Refillable to the list. We are in Thatcham near Newbury in Berkshire. http://www.thatchamrefillable.co.uk We sell refill household cleaning & personal care products daily and we hold a monthly market where we have stall holders selling dried food and other eco products from our shop.
Pain Au Chocolat - home bake Pain Au Raisen - Home Bake Yorkshire Puds Fruits of the forest and other soft fruits Roast veg - peppers to potatoes Uncooked Vegetables ... Read More
Lidles is a chain of budget supermarkets. It offers some plastic free surprises. (Click the links to see a review and other options). Take your own bags Lidl Stiftung & ... Read More
Vegetable oil is difficult to source plastic free. Buy in glass and the metal caps will have a little plasticized disc or plastic liner on inside and maybe a plastic seal ... Read More
Here are some independent Tea & Coffe merchants. You may need to take your own bags Leeds The Teapot has coffee beans and leaf tea from all round the world. Really lovely ... Read More
Loose pet food, home wares and some loose sweets. Being committed to local shopping, I prefer to buy that way whenever possible. I would encourage you to do the same ... Read More
Please add any shops you know of in the comments below and I will incorporate them into the post. Links to reviews particularly welcome.
N.B. lines changes, products get removed. For more information why not ask the Plastic Is Rubbish FB group for updates. They are a great source of tidbits, personal experience and the latest news. Why not join them and share the plastic free love x
I started Being PALL - Plastic A Lot Less in November 2008. I had a life changing day, literally!
I´d always “recycled” but on this particular day I did my first beach clean on a deserted beach on the West Coast of Portugal where I was living. The beach was covered in plastic, we removed as much as we could carry back up the steep cliff. We took it to the recycling bins, most I didn´t even know was plastic! That evening I came across an article in The Surfer´s Path that simple said, “Every piece of plastic that has ever been made still exists and much of it is in our oceans.” There was a you tube link to; A Tale of Entanglement. Which is a pretty graphic film of animals entangled in plastic. I was upset and looked around the camper… at all our plastics. The next day I started refusing and researching.
Some people may doubt this statement. As some plastics have been burnt and there is still plenty on land, but no one can deny, our Oceans are choking in plastic.
I´m a photographer and I surf (when the conditions are small enough). I was shooting surfschools. This meant I was spending a lot of time at the beaches, surfing or shooting.
With the Atlantic swell, it´s hard not to notice the ever-changing plastic washing up on the beach. Especially when I was shooting, often even in small Summer swells, plastic washed up around my feet. I was constantly reminded of the presence of plastic pollution, so I couldn´t help but do something positive about it. Firstly be reducing my own plastic drastically and then helping other people reduce theirs.
Although I´m still coming up upon obstacles all the time, I try my best to over come the challenges as refusing plastics is a way of life for me now. I don´t claim to be perfect, there´s always more anyone can do, but PALL-ing´s a good place to start.
I am Photographer, Blogger, Educator on plastic pollution, Consultant to businesses, with regards to reducing their single use plastics.
I refuse single use, and many many other longer use plastics. After 3 years I´d calculated I alone had refused in the region of 10,000 SUP items, and that number has continued to grow over the years that have followed.
Over the six years I have also helped many other reduce theirs. Some things are simple but add up to incredible amounts. For example, a Surf School I worked with back in 2008 swopped single use bottled water for a water cooler and filter. Over the years they have gone on to refuse 12,000 SUP bottles and the plastic wrapping. They have also saved themselves over €1,500 and countless hours moving water bottles around.
This post was written by the contributor. It is a PfU.K. Directory submission.
And the Pf U.K. Directory is…?
…a directory of UK-based groups, organisations businesses and individuals who are responding to the problems presented by the misuse of plastic. That does not mean anti-plastic necessarily but certainly plastic-problem aware.
The DIRECTORY is to promote their fantastic work. Read more here…
Got a project?
It is very easy to get a project featured. Each contributor submits a short synopsis of their project, focussing on the plastic aware element and I post it. You can read the submission guidelines here.
So pleased to feature Natalie in the Plastic Free U.K. Directory.
Natalie Fee’s a TV presenter, author, songwriter and campaigner for cleaner seas. She founded City to Sea in Bristol to bring together the individuals and organisations working on plastic pollution to create a City-wide initiative for Bristol during it’s year as European Green Capital. Plastic Challenge - launching City to Sea: a City-wide initiative to reduce the amount of single-use plastics used in the city, including: earbuds, plastic bottles and polystyrene take-away boxes.
City to Sea: a network of individuals and businesses in Bristol committed to lobbying for change in the way we manufacture and dispose of single-use plastics in the City.
Links -
This post was written by the contributor and is a PfU.K. Directory submission.
The Pf U.K. Directory is…?
…a directory of UK-based groups, organisations businesses and individuals who are responding to the problems presented by the misuse of plastic. That does not mean anti-plastic necessarily but certainly plastic-problem aware.
The DIRECTORY is to promote their work not mine. Read more here…
Got a project?
It is very easy to get a project featured. Each contributor submits a short synopsis of their project, focussing on the plastic aware element and I post it. You can read the submission guidelines here.
