What inspired me to reduce plastic consumption?

Though not exactly “reducing plastic consumption”, recycling has been a part of my life since a child. Growing up, we were taught to recycle as much as we can, both by my mom as well as at school. This got me into the habit of recycling pretty soon. Being an environmentalist at heart, I also didn’t like the idea of increasing waste on the planet. Once I had chanced upon an area in Delhi where I encountered mountains of trash just lined up as far as the eye could see – and I couldn’t imagine how the pace of our plastic consumption would accelerate this.This motivated me to start making some changes in my lifestyle and be conscious of plastic, but I must admit it wasn’t a drastic change.

The biggest shock came a few years ago when I was watching a documentary called “Chasing coral”, followed by another one on similar lines called “Blue”. Though these were more focussed on dangers to marine life, they also highlighted plastic pollution as a big threat. While not only strangling sea life, it was starving and killing species who mistook it for food. Moreover, it had entered the food chain in many forms, and had also reached the most remote places in the world through the oceans. The fact that our current rate of plastic consumption would leave more plastic in the ocean than fish by 2050 was just horrifying and really presented the magnitude of the problem.

This was a big driving force for me to change my lifestyle. It wasn’t until I started looking for plastic, that I saw just how abundant and disposable it was in everyday life. Since then, I’ve become an advocate for reducing plastic consumption and try to educate others to do the same as well. Though far from achieving a plastic free lifestyle, I would like to believe I am on a strong path.

What are some of the things I have done?

– Absolutely no plastic bags

I carry cloth bags for grocery shopping, and always keep some spare ones in my bag and car in case of a spontaneous trip to the shop.

– No plastic/disposable water bottles

I carry a water bottle instead of buying one, and refill it when needed.

– No take away cups

I carry a keep cup for coffee instead of using a take away cup

– Recently started carrying cutlery to avoid using plastic cutlery when eating out. If it’s not on hand, I try to eat from places that offer re-usable steel cutlery.
Avoid straws as much as I can. This should stop now that I have got a metal straw from THT
– Started using bamboo toothbrushes
Switched from shower gel to hand made local soap to avoid plastic packaging. Still looking for good alternatives for other body care products.

– Switched to silicone based re-usable lids instead of plastic cling wrap for food.
– Use glass storage boxes instead of plastic/Tupperware
– Refuse to buy fresh produce packaged in unnecessary plastic. Prefer buying goods packaged in glass or tin over the ones packaged in plastic.
– Started using compostable bin liners instead of plastic ones. Though I am told these aren’t really “compostable”, so I am looking for alternatives.
– Switched to toilet paper made from recycled paper that is not wrapped in plastic
– Use natural oils that come in glass bottles as moisturisers, though I still use some that are packaged in plastic ☹
– Buy bulk packs/bottles for toiletries or cleaning liquids and re-fill/top up containers at home.

– Support/buy clothes and goods that are made from recycled plastic whenever I can find them.

– Stopped using disposable make up wipes/pads. Instead use pads of soft clean cloth that can be washed.

– Carry boxes when buying cheese, etc.
Sort and dispose recyclable plastic properly – the least I can do.

What do I plan to do?

Try and achieve minimal plastic utilisation through:
Removing plastic packaged toiletries. Found a local shop that has huge dispensers for laundry liquid, etc. that can be used to fill your own container – making you re-use 1 container for a long time. This should address some of the toiletries if not all.
Use actual compostable bin liners or paper bin liners.
Find an alternative for plastic ear buds. I’ve seen advertisements for bamboo ear buds, but they’re either too expensive or not responsive to orders.
Stop using synthetic fibres (like polyester, nylon, lycra etc) for clothing and otherwise
Try options to avoid using sanitary napkins
Try to find a milk retailer that sells milk in glass bottles
Educate more friends about plastic pollution and ways to reduce consumption.

What could I have done differently?

I do feel that I could have started sooner on my journey for reducing plastic and I urge people to start soon too now. I definitely feel I could have been more strict on avoiding straws and plastic cutlery in the past! Now that will definitely change with my own on-the-go cutlery set and straw.

What would I like?

There are some products where I need to find better, more affordable alternatives such as plastic ear buds, toothpaste, plastic bottled beverages. I do feel there need to be more Zero-Waste stores in Australia where I can buy grains, cereals, toiletries etc without plastic in a Pack/Fill your own format.

About the Author:

Rashmi Malik is a digital artist (@misa.inks on Instagram) and an IT professional living in Melbourne, Australia. She is also an ambassador for driving awareness about Fibromyalgia, a certified scuba diver and a home baker. Living in the heart of the city, she has access to the best the city has to offer but sadly plastic alternatives are still few and far apart. Her efforts towards reducing plastic consumption have helped bring her Plastic Footprint to 10 kilos per year. With her planned efforts, this will further come down to 4.8 kilos (reduction of 5.2 kilos)