30 day plastic detox challenge

February 27, 2018 2 Comments

By 2050 oceans are expected to contain more plastic than fish. Plastic is found in virtually everything these days. Your food and hygiene products are packaged in it. Your car, phone and computer are made from it. And you might even chew on it daily in the form of a gum. Two sustainable fashion entrepreneurs launched a 30 day experiment to see if it’s possible to live plastic-free. An Australia vs. Iceland challenge. Learn 9 simple steps they adopted to dramatically decrease the amount of plastic waste they generated in their day to day life.

Where does plastic pollution come from?

The challenge with plastic pollution in the seas is as big in Iceland as it is in other countries in the world. Every citizen of Iceland consumes on average 40 kilos of plastic bags and containers every year. Only a small part of this plastic is recycled, while most of it ends up in a landfill or in the seas. This waste produces methane gas which is an especially harmful greenhouse gas. Our waste is harming marine life and directly contributing to climate change!

Australia vs. Iceland challenge

Starting February 1, 2018, two sustainable fashion entrepreneurs, highly motivated and increasingly concerned with plastic pollution, launched an Australia vs. Iceland challenge. It was a 30-day experiment to see whether it’s possible to live plastic-free. The contenders, Heidrún Sigfusdottir, Chief executive officer @Dimmblá, and Edda Hamar are both Icelandic but one, Edda, lives in Australia. The challenge was announced on Instagram and a #plasticpenalty was issued for each item of plastic they used and resulted in “a dare to be filmed and shared on social”.

Here are some of the things they adopted to stay plastic free in their day to day life. You can do it too!

1. Use reusable bags. If you're bringing reusable bags to the grocery store, you're on the right track. If you're still using plastic produce bags, it's time to make a change. Purchase reusable bags and help keep more plastic out of the landfill. Avoid bags made of nylon or polyester. They're also made from plastic. Opt for organic cotton bags instead.
2. Buy laundry detergent in boxes. Buy laundry detergent and dish soap in boxes instead of plastic bottles.
3. Buy from bulk bins. Many stores sell bulk food like rice, pasta, beans, nuts, cereal and granola. Opting to fill a reusable bag or container with these items will save both money and unnecessary packaging.
4. Reuse glass containers. You can buy a variety of prepared foods in glass jars instead of plastic ones, including spaghetti sauce, peanut butter, salsa and apple sauce, just to name a few. Instead of throwing these away or recycling them, reuse the jars to store food or take them with you when you’re buying bulk foods. If you have plastic containers leftover from yogurt, butter or other food, don’t throw them out. Simply wash them and use them to store food.
5. Refill your bottle. Bottled water produces 1.5 million tons of plastic waste per year. These bottles require 47 millions gallons of oil to produce, according to Food & Water Watch. By simply refilling a reusable bottle you’ll prevent some of these plastic bottles from ending up in landfills and oceans – but don’t stop there: Bring a reusable cup to coffee shops and ask the barista to fill it up, and keep a mug at your desk instead of using plastic, paper or styrofoam cups. The average American office worker uses about 500 disposable cups a year so you’ll be reducing a lot of unnecessary waste.
6. Bring your own box. Whether you're picking up takeout food or bringing home your restaurant leftovers, be prepared with your own reusable containers. When you place your order, ask if you can get the food placed in your own container. Most restaurants will have no problem with it.
7. Don't use plasticware. Say goodbye to disposable chopsticks, knives, spoons, forks and even sporks. Be prepared when you go out to eat at fast food restaurants and bring your own forks and knives.
8. Refill your container. If you buy berries or cherry tomatoes at the farmers market, just bring your container to the market when you need a refill.
9. Make your own cleaning products. There's no need for multiple plastic bottles of tile cleaner, toilet cleaner and window cleaner if you have a few basics on hand, like baking soda and vinegar. So free up some space, save some cash, and avoid those toxic chemicals by making your own cleaning products.

We only have one Earth, with limited resources and limited space. Plastic, can take hundreds, if not thousands, of years to biodegrade. This means plastic that gets thrown away will stick around for many generations, taking up precious space in landfills and polluting the environment such as our oceans. We encourage you to reduce the plastic in your day to day life. Start your own 30 day plastic detox challenge! If everyone minimized their plastic purchases our impact on the planet would reduce significantly.

One small change towards sustainability starts a chain reaction. The sustainability revolution starts with you.

Learn 3 tips to more sustainable everyday life

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