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Soon humanity will be drowning in waste. Or not? Let’s turn to real-life experience: every day thousands of citizens take home mountains of plastic and polyethylene from stores. A carton of milk, a box of cheese, plastic packaging of frozen or other foods, various stickers, pouches and bags.
After using these products, all packaging material ends up in the trash bin (again). Every trip into nature ends with litter from disposable plastic cutlery and plates. Honor to the exceptions who know how to clean up after themselves. Otherwise, it’s pure hell for our nature.
Life without plastics
Her Majesty Elizabeth II already banned plastic in all residences and catering facilities adjacent to them several years ago. The royal family does not use any disposable plastic containers or packaging.
The queen became even more interested in this issue after meeting the legendary naturalist and documentary maker David Attenborough, who actively advocates rejecting single-use plastics.
However, life without plastics is not just a royal privilege! Anyone living in any country can afford it. Proof of this is the example of a woman from Yekaterinburg, Russia. More than a year ago she said a firm no to plastic bags. On her blog she writes about how she manages without unnecessary packaging material and how other shoppers or cashiers in stores react to it.
Dina regularly participates in events for collecting and recycling recyclable materials, speaks about protecting local parks and squares, and tries to awaken some environmental awareness in people. She gladly shares how to live without spreading mountains of single-use waste.
If you decide to reconsider your consumption habits and adopt a more eco-friendly lifestyle, we have a few tips to get you started.
Get 2 or 3 eco-shopping bags and carry them with you. You can sew them from linen, coarse cotton or denim. At the checkout simply say: “Thank you, I don’t need a bag.” Besides, an original shopping bag can easily suit your outfit.
1
You will need a dozen eco-bags for weighing products. The special pouches sold online are not made from natural material, but are durable, equipped with a drawstring and a special place to stick a label. Of course you can use other reusable bags as well.
2
The bags are feather-light and therefore do not affect the weight of weighed fruit or vegetables nor the final price on the receipt.
3
Instead of polyethylene gloves, which you throw away immediately after use, put your own bag on your hand.
4
Use a classic net bag for vegetables and fruit!
5
Look for bakery products that don’t have their original packaging. Choose dairy products in cardboard packaging.
6
Of course, sausages, meat and fish without plastic packaging are possible to find only rarely. There’s nothing to be done about that for now. But you can simply take fruit, vegetables and herbs home in your own reusable pouches and bags.
At first it seems confusing and sellers just shake their heads in amazement. But soon they will start to regard them as honored customers and will willingly offer them fresh products. As with any habit, the most important thing is to start.
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