Taking Baby Steps

In case you missed it, cutting out plastic from my life sent my brain reeling somewhat. I rambled incoherently for a lot of words and didn't really make any concrete plans. Things have changed. A little, I mean it is still colossally overwhelming. I just have to keep remembering, I am but one human, at this juncture I can only take baby steps. But baby steps add up, especially if I can inspire some of you to follow in my tentative steps.

And that is exactly the ethos behind the source of my newly gained confidence. The #2minutesolution book: No. More. Plastic. by Martin Dorey. I got this book at the beginning of the week and I have already finished it.

By the founder of the Beach Clean Network and #2minutebeachclean.

I found this book massively helpful because it has an easy reading tone. It's not agressive or preachy; it just talks sense. And the best bit? It offers help. Excuse me while I sing a chorus of heavenly hallelujahs.

It has a logical progression through the plastic problem; starting with why the book exists, through to the problems with plastic and finishing with what you can do. Being the #2minutesolution, peppered throughout the book are little things you can do, just slip them into your lifestyle. Takes 2 minutes, tops. That is the real beauty of this book - everything Dorey suggests is quick, simple and easy. By taking 2 minutes, it is in their nature to be that way. And those which will take a little more research, he offers resources like apps and websites. Some of which I have already used and downloaded, but more on that in a minute.

Thanks to this book, I definitey feel more equipped to deal with my own plastic consumption and reducing it. There is a checklist in the back of the book, compiling all the times the question "What can you do now?" was asked. I have copied out this list, tailored it to my needs and am happy to say I have already ticked a few things off! And they are things I'll do over and over, becoming part of my reduced plastic routine.

My double-sided checklist I will carry with me.

I am going to pass my copy around my book club, with cards for all of them to write their own lists out. I will be making sure Dylan and my little sister read the section on schools - start the eco-warrior mentality at a young age! If anyone asks me about my little card of #2minutesolutions, I will be sure to spread the good word. I am already making steps to improve plastic waste at work. But I cannot recommend enough how much you should buy this book. The Beach Clean Network are a brilliant cause and are responsible for inspiring most of the action I have taken to making our oceans better.

One of the apps suggested in the book is Beat the Microbead. Within half an hour of finishing the book and compiling my #2minutesolution list, I had downloaded this app and scanned all the bathroom products. I have been using Soap & Glory products for a while and have been more than worried about the little pink exfoliating beads in my face wash - I can breathe easy, they are not microbeads! I did find one offending product and that went swiftly in the bin. I also happened to stumble across another app which is addressing plastic pollution, My Little Plastic Footprint. You can make a series of pledges to reduce your plastic consumption while also taking quizes to learn about the problem at hand. Safe to say, I will be using these apps more. I am going to scan literally everything with Beat the Microbead!

So, I made the bold claim that I have ticked off a few things already. What have I done? Well, the first step was the biggest. Thanks to my aunty Wendy, who had a spare SodaStream, I have kicked my water bottle habit. Instead of buying 4x2l bottles every couple weeks, I am carbonating a 1l bottle daily and, ultimately, saving myself a butt-load of money as well as exponentially reducing my plastic. (Fun fact: A "butt load" is 126 gallons of wine.)

These bubbles are better.

What else have I done? I have opted to purchase my fruit and veg from the market, avoiding unnecessary plastic packaging there. I forgot my tote bag this time, but it's a learning curve and I will remember next time. I have bought a Guppy Friend, to catch those pesky microfibres in my laundry. I am getting it through Surfers Against Sewage, who also have bamboo cotton buds - win!

It doesn't seem like much, but like I said, baby steps. And the point of my checklist is what I can do next. And I already have a few items in my sights. Like switching from shampoo and conditioner bottles to bars - any excuse to go around Lush really. I checked out my local health food store and, lo-and-behold, they have plastic free sanitary towels, something to purchase when I need them. My sister suggested I try the Mooncup, which I will do as well, but honestly? It sounds grim. Would it not be better to have plastic free pads as the norm? 

Anyway, the biggest step I want to take soon is contacting local government. The book suggests an email to your local MP, which is definitely on my checklist. But the recent sunny Bank Holiday Weekend inspired another letter - to the County Council. About why we have shockingly few bins and no recyling bins on the street. I am part way through composing that, so hopefully that will be up sooner rather than later.

One more key feature of this book is coming up with your own #2minutesolution. I think I've thought of one, but I'm not sure how much of a wide spread issue it is, as I am a bit backwards. When it comes to music, I love to own a CD. It's not enough to just have the tracks digitally. But, I'm not entirely sure why I have this old fashioned obsession with owning CDs, as they go on the shelf and intermittantly get rotated in my car CD collection. In an ideal world, all CDs would come in those slimmer paper sleeves, eradicating the need for those brittle, plastic cases. But of the many CDs I own, I think I have three which are paper cases. So my #2minutesolution is only purchase digital copies of music. The same applies for DVDs, but thanks to Netflix my DVD purchases have pretty much dropped to zero since University. (I just had to buy Sponge Out of Water, ok? It was academic, I swear.)

I guess my last note on this would be to ask, any #2minutesolutions from you guys? Be sure to comment here or an any of my social medias. Let's turn the plastic tide together.

I am a hydrated mermaid with a plan.