We've had World Environment Day this week and now we're celebrating World Oceans Day; but it's not so much of a celebration when half the world's oceans are heavily polluted with plastic and other waste. Sea-life is suffocating under the burden dumped by humans in a world where convenience is valued over nature. But if you want to make a difference, start today with these environment-saving tips.
Photo: Brian Yurasits/Unsplash
Environmentally conscious fitness events
Mass participation events are an amazing way to get fit, push your boundaries, achieve something great, raise money for charitable causes, make new friends and they are on the rise. The only downside is that marathons, half marathons, triathlons and the many other fitness events out there do, inevitably, produce a lot of waste in the form of plastic bottles, wrappers, plastic cutlery and the like. Researching events and their environmental policies beforehand will give you a good idea of what events are doing in order to reduce their waste and become more sustainable.
The Royal Parks Half Marathon is the greenest half marathon, not just because its scenic route takes runners though four of the eight Royal parks in London, but also because they are leading the way with their green credentials. The 2019 event, taking place on Sunday 13th October will be plastic bottle free, a huge feat for a race for 16,000 runners. Partners, exhibitors and sponsors of the half are not permitted to leaflet within the event site and are not allowed to use balloons. In addition, no single use plastic items will be distributed to people attending the event with all plates, cutlery and food servings being made from a compostable material and no products containing palm oil can be on the event site.
Ocean plastic swimwear
By now we all should be aware that plastic in our oceans is a serious problem. It's a problem not only for the animals that live in the sea but also for anyone whose diet contains fish; a recent study found microplastics in human stool samples!
There are a number of innovative and simple ways we can help reduce plastic pollution and one is to purchase goods from brands that have recycled and/or sustainable products.
Last year MARU Swimwear, a British performance swimwear brand, created their Black Pack eco swimwear range with each swimsuit being manufactured out of ECONYL, a fibre made of 100% regenerated nylon fibre from pre and post-consumer waste, including ghost fishing nets, nylon scraps and carpet fluff found in our oceans. Plastic is being taken out of the ocean and used to make something new! If that wasn't enough, 100% of the profits from the Black Pack range will go to the SEA LIFE Trust, a global charity dedicated to protecting the world's oceans and the marine life that lives within them.
No excuse for single use
You may be sleepy and need your morning caffeine hit and yes, the weather is getting warmer so you will need to carry a bottle of water with you to stay hydrated, but it's time we all took the plunge and swapped takeaway coffee cups and plastic water bottles for reusable, compostable and/or biodegradable alternatives.
ecoffee cups are made of natural bamboo fibre, corn-starch and resin. The lid and sleeve are made with matte, food-grade silicone which is latex-free and designed especially for hot liquids. It has a re-sealable 'no-drip' lid, making it perfect to take with you everywhere you go. The cups are available in a variety of sizes and colours and best of all, they are reusable and chains like Pret a Manger will give you money off your morning brew if you bring your reusable cup with you.
Chilly's stylish water bottles always allow you to have cold water on-the-go, without having to buy single-use plastic water bottles. Chilly's are donating o10 from every Refill x Chilly's Bottle sold to support the award-winning Refill campaign to prevent plastic pollution at source by making it easier to reuse and refill your water bottle on the go than buy a single-use plastic bottle.
Sip and wipe responsibly
Most teabags on the supermarket shelves contain plastic which means that teabags are not biodegradable and will stick around on our planet for many, many years to come. If you want to sip your tea without contributing to this problem, you'll be happy to hear there are options out there. You can either chose loose leaf tea and use a strainer or you can purchase biodegradable teabags from brands like Teapigs whose 15s and 50s packs of tea temples, tins of tea and matcha tins are certified plastic-free!
Stop wiping with trees! It may not be the most glamourous topic but yes, we're talking about toilet roll. Toilet roll is made from trees and with the extreme and high rate of deforestation all over the world, we really need to hold on to the trees we have to keep the planet healthy. Why not swap to a brand like Who Gives A Crap that sell toilet paper which is made without trees and from recycled materials. They also donate 50% of their profits to building toilets for those in need.
Wet wipe swaps
We've all used them and yes, they may be convenient, but our mass use of wet wipes is causing big problems for the environment because most wipes will contain non-biodegradable plastics that could take up to 100 years to break down! Also, if you care about the effective removal of grime and makeup from your face then actually, wet wipes are a pretty poor choice because they don't fully cleanse your face and remove dirt, pollution and makeup.
As an alternative try a cleansing balm with a reusable cloth. The whole experience is more pleasant and the cloths are washable so there is no waste. Liz Earle's Hot Cloth Cleanser smells wonderful and to be most effective should be removed with one of their reusable cotton cloths.
Pre-packaged food alternatives
Why does a cucumber need to be wrapped in plastic? By being more conscious about what we buy, we can dramatically reduce the plastic waste from our households each week. Head to your local farmers market to buy loose produce like fruits and vegetables. Stores like Planet Organic and Wholefoods allow you to purchase food that is not wrapped in plastic. There are also a number of home delivery companies that deliver produce directly to your door in recycled, reusable and/or returnable packaging. Abel & Cole's boxes are packed with the season's best and can be personalised to suit your taste. From organic eggs to sustainably sourced fish, your weekly shop is sorted and delivered right to your door. Able & Cole drivers will pick up returnable packaging when they drop off your next shop and will recycle anything you can't so there is no need to throw anything away!