Plastic is a growing problem
So what can we do about that plastic problem this Earth Day?
First held on 22 April 1970, Earth Day is an annual event to demonstrate support for environmental protection.
Globally, there are a number of events that take place. Each year, there is a new theme that focuses on an aspect of making change for the better. The theme for 2024 is Planet vs. Plastic. The demand is that there is a 60% reduction in the production of all plastics by 2040. It’s a massive goal.
The Planet vs. Plastic theme is fitting for us
For a number of years now, we’ve had an interest in gradually becoming more sustainable in the way we live. To be honest, that drive probably became more important to us when the section we live on at Pakotai, was acquired.
Plastic has been one of the key items that we’ve tried to reduce. It’s tough, man! Just about everything we buy, and everything we do, contains plastic to some degree.
We realised very early on that there was not going to be one massive thing that made us a more sustainable and earth-friendly household – it was going to be the amalgamation of many little things.
Where do you start?
Trying to make change can be overwhelming, but it is important to identify one simple place to start. These are the two places we went to first, to try to make an impact. These are also the things that we have stuck with.
Coffee Choices
There’s a lot of us who have been guilty of buying those convenient coffee sticks. You know the ones, right? They are convenience to the maximum. Coffee, sugar, creamer/milk powder, and flavour at times, are all in one. Just add hot water, and some choose to add a little extra milk.
We had a penchant for mocha flavoured, and hazelnut flavoured sticks. So, that was our first little change. We attempted to make our own.
Actually, it went really well. Because we mainly had a mocha at night, we used decaf coffee granules, the drinking chocolate of our choice, and we added milk powder. We measured it all out and stored it in a jar, and thoroughly enjoyed that.
For hazelnut, we opted to buy a bottle of flavoured coffee syrup.
We eventually decided to get a Nespresso machine, and of course, we started off with the aluminium pods, and then went to compostable, then refillable. After refilling our own for a year, and not being absolutely happy with the coffee flavour, we scaled up and bought a home barista machine.
We now have far less waste, and the coffee pucks go into the compost.
Tea Choices
This was a simple one. We switched to loose leaf tea, and we use a T2 teapot that was a 40th birthday present for Debbie. It’s our favourite, and it makes the perfect amount for two people. We enjoy the flavour of tea even more when we drink it this way.
We have a beautiful large teapot that we use a cup diffuser in when there are more people needing a cuppa.
Not only do you save money – loose leaf tea is far cheaper – you also wipe out the micro plastics contained in tea bags. Don’t be fooled into thinking those little suckers are eco friendly!
It’s no more effort than tea bags, so the logic for giving it a go is pretty simple.
What are some other things we’ve done?
- Debbie has switched to shampoo and conditioner bars, and now makes her own bars, as well as soap, and moisturising cream to reduce packaging even further
- We use stainless steel water bottles, and have done for around six years now
- We purchase Dazz cleaning tablet refills for our foaming hand soap dispenser, and bathroom, multi-purpose, and glass cleaner spray bottles, all of which are glass – the sachets the tablets come in are home compostable
- We now use Resolv dishwashing liquid refill pods, which come in home compostable boxes
What is Wild West Worcester doing to be more sustainable?
Changing up Packaging
Given our overall interest in being more sustainable, and leaving less of a footprint, our focus naturally settled on our packaging, and what we use when we send orders out.
Our cartons are recyclable, and because they are so sturdy, they’re reusable and won’t let you down for ages. The dividers we use double as a bottle wrap, and are cardboard too, and the packaging we use to keep the bottles safe is kraft paper.
What we did change in the packaging front though, was the tape that we use to seal cartons. We’ve ditched plastic tapes, and opted for a paper tape with a compost safe adhesive. Since December 2023, we’ve used six rolls of that paper tape. That volume of plastic is not going into the landfill now, and that positive figure will continue to rise with every order we send out!
Less Printing
Food safety regulations mean that there are forms that need to be completed for each cook that we do, and for health and safety and hygiene purposes. We’re now transferring all of these forms and documents into electronic form, that we can complete using a tablet. Less printing, means less replacement cartridges for printers, which means less plastic.
Checklists for shows are now being set up in Microsoft Planner too, giving us easier shared access, no lost or forgotten pieces of paper, and again, less requirement for plastic in the long run.
What next?
There are a few things at the moment that we can’t change.
- The thermal courier label we print contains plastic, so that’s a future goal
- We currently use plastic lids with drippers for our Worcester sauces
- Our labels are synthetic so that they stand the test of time – this is something we’d like to change in the future
- The heat seal caps that we top our sauce bottles with is plastic, so we’re investigating alternatives there too
So, what are you going to do?
What way’s do you see that you could reduce your plastic waste?
Our advice is start small. Grab a set of stainless straws (they give a cafe vibe to a home made iced coffee!), switch to loose leaf tea, and invest in a fancy, functional tea pot. Give solid shampoo and conditioner bars a try – after a small adjustment to how they work, you won’t look back!
Every small change you make counts. Start with one or two adjustments, and gradually incorporate more as you feel comfortable. Together, our small changes can make a positive impact on our environment.
Happy Earth Day 2024!