journey to plastic freedom
I'm B, I spent alot of time travelling the world....and taking alot from it.
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Sat on the beach In my own little bubble of convenience, drinking bottled water, I saw a plastic cotton swab and the more I looked around me, the more I saw other bits of litter lurking in the sand. It made me think: I had thrown out a cotton bud this morning too...obviously the one now by my feet wasn't mine from that morning, but did that mean it wasn't my problem?
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The more I thought the more I realised how many countries I had traveled with little or no waste management and the litter I had disposed there. Where had I expected this or any of my other rubbish would end up? and then it struck me how naive and inconsiderate I had been....expecting my plastic rubbish would magically waste manage itself. Before I started travelling I had been relatively eco-conscious, but, I had slipped so far off the track that I had become oblivious to my own convenience making excuses of "oh I'll get into the habit again when I get back home" - all the while packing my backpack with what could have been easily swapped for greener options. I realised I had become one of the people that find excuses for convenience.
It was time to change.
The journey back to meting my alter-eco wasn't always smooth sailing.
I'd sometimes forget lunch at work and then the cafe would prep my food in a plastic container, or my hairbrush coming to the end of its life and the small town I lived in having nothing but plastic or kids wooden combs (I chose the kids comb til I found a greener option!) I'm far from perfect, but honestly, no one is.
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It's not actually about being perfect. It's about making healthier and more sustainable choices to ensure that both ourselves and the next generations can enjoy as many beautiful sights as I have been lucky enough to see whilst traveling. It isn't about being a superior eco-warrior compared to everyone else, it's about recognizing that every time you need something and there's an eco-alternative, you have the choice to protect the planet or pollute it.
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The key to success to my eco-journey was preparation.
Once your prepared, everything is convenient anyway.
Bottle of water? Don't even need to go to the supermarket, I've got a reusable chilling in the fridge. Ran out of make-up wipes? Impossible mine are bamboo cloth and reusable. Plastic cutlery and containers from the cafe? No thanks you can fill the containers I brought in. The list goes on. And when you need to purchase new or refresh your supplies you can count on B & Sea, to help provide you with the everyday products to support you living greener.
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Don't wait for your plastic to break, make sure you have an eco-alt ready to go so you're not caught short and only have the option of plastic.
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Every single piece of plastic ever created is still out there somewhere harming the planet either breaking down into micro plastics or in the stomachs of our wildlife, the list goes on.
And yet we continue to drive demand because it is convenient.
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So let me inspire you to consider your next plastic purchase:
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And if you don't think one person can make a difference....the average person can consume around 168 plastic water bottles per year. There's approx 5 million people living in New Zealand. Every single person can make a difference because every single person contributes to the damage and the demand for more plastic to be created. Whether that's water bottles, toothbrushes, cotton swabs, razors etc. Its not someone else's problem. Its everyone's.
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Buying eco helps drive down supply and demand for plastic. And once big corporations stop heavily profiting from plastic, they will invest in healthier products too.
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Be that one person that sets an example and inspire others to follow. We have the power to turn the tides in climate change.
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Up your eco!!
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