12 ways to get rid of daily plastic

Sarah Lightbody, Green Ideas reader, Auckland

“I got really annoyed with margarine plastic containers a few years back but equally annoyed with hard butter from the fridge. Now I make spreadable butter – I use equal quantities of butter and pure olive oil and food-process until smooth. It tastes like butter but spreads well and there’s no plastic involved!”

Felicity Monk, Green Ideas contributor, Auckland

“Instead of buying disposable plastic plates, cups and cutlery I opt for wood or bamboo. Check out www.friendlypak.co.nz or www.disposabletableware.co.nz. You can also buy plastic-free food wrap – made from a blend of beeswax, jojoba and tree resin. They are a Canadian company but ship internationally: www.abeego.ca.”

Sam Judd, Green Ideas contributor, Sustainable Coastlines co-founder (and Young New Zealander of the Year!), Auckland

“Meat can be frozen without plastic by using glass, or wax paper, foil and freezer tape (there are some great tips at www.tinyurl.com/lsyed5z). And an option for fans of wild food that uses a very small amount of plastic is to vacuum pack your meat or fish – cut off just the top 1cm of the bag when you remove it, then wash the bag and re-use again.”

Maria Hahn, Green Ideas reader, Auckland

“When I’m at work and everyone is heading to the local fast food stand for lunch, I grab a bowl or plate from the office kitchen and ask for my food to be served in that. It only takes a few times before they stop giving you funny looks!”

Jo Drysdall, Green Ideas reader, Christchurch

“My way of dramatically cutting the amount of plastic in my life was to get a SodaStream. I do like my fizzy drinks, but I’ve always found them far too sweet and wanted a way to control the amount of sugar/sweetener that went into them. The excellent side effect, of course, was that suddenly my recycling bin was nearly empty. You can reduce the plastic waste even further by making your own fruit flavoured syrups. My favourite, however, is to just have the fizzy soda water with a squeeze of lime or lemon juice – it’s just the best refreshing summer drink.”

Donya Feci, Green Ideas reader, Papamoa

“Have you seen the sandwich wrappers that are reusable? The brand is called Ginger Pye. They keep your sandwiches fresh and you can just wipe or wash and reuse them.”

Joanna Wickham, Green Ideas contributor, Auckland

“Instead of plastic bowls I buy old vintage glass mixing bowls from junk shops. And to store food in the fridge, rather than click-clack containers or glad wrap I use china bowls with plates on top.”

Angela, Green Ideas reader

“I use Onya bags when I go shopping. My Onya bags clip to coats, bags and belts so I’ve always got one with me. Check out www.onyabags.co.nz.”

Jill Stansfield, Green Ideas reader, Paraparaumu

“Use your own bags when you go shopping and where possible use stores that allow you to fill your own containers, eg. Bin Inn. When there is no option but to buy something in a plastic container, I opt for the largest and then recycle.”

Veronica Schmidt, Green Ideas contributor, Auckland

“Get yourself an aluminium drink bottle and a reusable ceramic ‘takeaway’ coffee cup. You’ll never be tempted to buy bottled water or drink coffee from a plastic-topped cup again.”

Ann Fraser, Green Ideas reader, Northland

“I have just read Zero Waste Home – what a great book. The author goes into great detail on how to keep plastic out of your home. See www.zerowastehome.blogspot.co.nz.”

Greg Roughan, Green Ideas editor, Auckland

“We’ve switched to bamboo toothbrushes and I can’t believe we didn’t do it earlier – our days of biffing plastic brushes every couple of months are over. We order ours in bulk from Kiwi company www.gobamboo.co.nz – they also sell biodegradable cotton buds and clothes pegs.”

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Take the next Green Ideas small step

Summer time means saving water. Whether you get it free like Cantabrians, or pay for it like Aucklanders, it’s crucial that we all do our bit to preserve this most precious resource. Tell us how you save water by emailing [email protected]