This post lists the best tips to get started with plastic-free habits for a more sustainable lifestyle.
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While I don’t think I have to explain the harmful effects of plastic, feel free to check out my post about why plastic is bad if you still need to be convinced. Although plastic can have useful purposes, we are using so much of it, mostly in unnecessary ways, that the environment and our health are suffering badly because of it.
If you’re looking for plastic-free product swaps, check out my guides on single-use plastic swaps, swaps to avoid plastic packaging, easy household product swaps, and microplastic detox swaps. However, this post will focus more on habits that can help reduce your plastic consumption.
Most unnecessary plastic exists due to our addiction to overconsumption and convenience. A pre-sliced apple packaged in plastic is more convenient than a whole apple you have to cut. Single-use water bottles save the effort of having to carry and wash reusable ones.
This can’t be fixed by just replacing everything with eco-friendly versions (though removing plastic from products is definitely an important part of the solution). A plastic-free world requires a mindset shift, one where the protection of the planet is more important than convenience and consumption. And most plastic-free habits are still convenient anyway, and can save money too.
So, let’s talk about ways you can implement easy plastic-free habits in your daily life.
19 Easy Plastic-Free Habits
1. Always carry a reusable shopping bag
Pretty much all my plastic-free and zero-waste guides start with this tip, but it can’t be said often enough. I can’t even count how many plastic bags I’ve avoided by just always stuffing a tote bag in my main bag when I go out the door. If you always have one with you, you are never faced with the realisation at checkout that you will have to pay 20p for a fossil fuel-based environmental pollutant.
2. Bring reusable produce bags with you
Similarly, within my tote bag, I always have a few cotton mesh bags for produce and baked goods. You can’t forget them if they’re always in your bag.
3. Or say no to bags altogether
Okay, we’re all human, and even with our best efforts, we sometimes find ourselves without our reusable bags at the supermarket. In those cases, remember you don’t have to put produce in a bag. Nothing bad will happen if your broccoli and oranges touch each other on the way home; you’ll wash them anyway.
If you’ve forgotten a big shopping bag too, see if you can claim an empty cardboard box lying around. And if I’m ever without a bag at the corner store, I tend to just carry things home in my hands.
4. Choose loose produce
Maybe this one is obvious, but try to buy only loose produce instead of packaged ones. Most fruits and vegetables really don’t need plastic packaging. Definitely avoid pre-sliced and cut produce, which reduces the freshness and quality, as well as needing unnecessary packaging.
5. Buy kitchen staples in bulk
Buying things in bulk reduces the amount of packaging required per unit of product. I buy my rice in 10 kg bags from my supermarket, which, though still packaged in plastic, creates a hell of a lot less plastic waste compared to the little 250 g ones I used to buy. It lasts me about a year per bag, saving a lot of money too.
So, depending on what’s available in your area, always choose the biggest size packaging for items that have a long shelf life.
6. Find plastic-free pantry items
There are several options nowadays to find pantry items like grains, pastas, nuts, and spices without plastic packaging. Many supermarkets carry brands which use cardboard, glass, or aluminium packaging.
An even better option, though harder to find, is refill stores that let you avoid packaging altogether by bringing your own containers. If you don’t have one in your local area, check online for stores that can deliver items in paper bags to your door.
I get most of my pasta and my cashews plastic-free from places like Ethical Superstore and Peace with the Wild.
7. Reject convenience foods and cook fresh
Chilled and frozen ready meals are convenient, but always packaged in plastic. There’s no way around keeping food like that fresh in anything but a plastic or plastic-lined container. So, try to kick the habit of relying on ready meals and prioritise cooking for yourself. Fresh food is more delicious and healthier anyway.
8. Buy local food at farmers’ markets
Most food is packaged in plastic because it is imported from overseas and has to travel great distances while still staying safe to eat. Buying locally at farmers’ markets avoids that problem, and you’ll find most food is without plastic packaging there. Local food is also usually grown with fewer chemical pesticides, and it helps support your local community.
9. Have it in instead of takeaway
Most coffee shops will give you real cups or glasses if you have your drink in instead of taking it away in plastic cups. So if you don’t carry a reusable cup, try to develop the habit of sitting down and sipping it there, and avoid the single-use waste. The same applies to food from bakeries, sushi places, and other takeaway foods. Taking a few minutes out of your day to slow down is good for you anyway.
10. Know your plastic-free takeaways
If you can’t eat in, or if you are ordering from home, get something that comes in paper or cardboard. Think of foods like pizza, burgers from some places, and sandwiches. Get to know your local takeaways to find out which use plastic-free packaging.
11. Use reusable containers for leftovers
Zip-lock bags and cling film are completely unnecessary forms of plastic when glass food containers exist. Glass containers keep your food fresh for longer, don’t leach microplastics, and you can put them straight in the microwave or oven to reheat your food. Just get over the very minor inconvenience of washing them.
12. Always carry a reusable water bottle
Another staple that should always be in your bag is a reusable water bottle. Single-use plastic water bottles are one of the biggest sources of plastic pollution because so many people buy them regularly without a thought. But your tap (in most places in the world) provides perfectly good water, and a stainless steel bottle keeps it cool for far longer, too.
13. Bring your own coffee or tea cup
If you regularly stop by the coffee shop for a takeaway tea or coffee, get yourself a reusable cup too. It saves a lot of plastic waste (note that most paper takeaway cups still have a plastic lining) and some places even offer a bring-your-own-cup discount.
14. Reject straws
I think straws are one of the most unnecessary uses of plastic out there. Most people are perfectly capable of drinking that cocktail or juice straight from the glass; the straw is really just decorative. So, rather than carrying a reusable glass or metal straw (though do so if you like), I usually just ask to get my drink without a straw. Of course, if you need straws for accessibility reasons, keep using them, but everyone else should simply reject them.
15. Reject single-use products
Rejecting products that just exist to pollute the environment works for more than just straws. Get comfortable with saying no to useless single-use products like plastic bags, freebie gifts, samples, soda bottles, etc. Some things you actually just don’t need in your life, and others you can find reusable versions of.
16. Choose products without plastic packaging
I’ve already mentioned a few ways to avoid plastic packaging with food, but this principle goes for anything you buy. Personal care products, cleaning supplies, online clothing, toilet paper, pretty much all of it can be packaged plastic-free, so make the active choice to spend your money only with brands that do.
17. Always check clothing labels
When it comes to clothing, develop the habit of always checking the label, so you can avoid synthetics like polyester, nylon, acrylic, and more. These are just plastics with fancier names, which are just as harmful, and of lower quality than natural fibres too. Check out my sustainable fabric guide to see which fabrics to choose and avoid.
18. Buy less
I’ve said it before, but a lot of plastic pollution can be avoided if we just buy less. The overconsumption that is being pushed on us by big companies can be avoided if you create more mindful and intentional shopping habits. Check out my overconsumption and buying less guides for more.
19. If you need to buy, buy second-hand
Try not to start your plastic-free journey by buying a bunch of new stuff. Focus first on using what you already have, but if you have to buy, buy second-hand. There are enough products in the world to supply everyone twice over, and much of it is unused and gets thrown away.
So hit up your local charity shops or look on online reselling platforms and save something from landfill instead of giving more money to corporations. Sure, it might not be the most aesthetic option, but sustainable living is not about aesthetics; it’s about impact.
Trying to be plastic-free in a society where many people don’t seem to care can be a lonely and exhausting experience. Don’t let that discourage you, and remember that there are many people out there on the same journey. Keep in mind the goal: to create a world where plastic is no longer polluting the environment and poisoning our food. Every small plastic-free habit change you make adds up.
