Plastic, more than 100 years after its invention, we’re addicted! To pass a day without encountering some form of plastic is nearly impossible. First global analysis ever of all mass-produced plastics estimates that plastic production will reach 12 billion tonnes by 2050. About 60% of that has already ended up in landfill or polluting the environment in some way.

The growth of plastics production in the past 65 years has substantially outpaced any other manufactured material, especially in the form of packaging. The same properties that make plastics so versatile in numerable applications, durability and resistance to degradation make these materials difficult or impossible for nature to assimilate That’s why we are supporting #plasticfreefebruary, it is a chance to challenge yourself to live with less plastic for 28-days implementing both short- and longer-term goals to achieve a sustainable lifestyle. The prospect might seem daunting, even impossible. Which is why we’ve come up with 28 tips to help you on your way to reducing your plastic consumption.

• Day 1 – Give up bottled water

• Day 2 – Always carry reusable carrier bags on you

• Day 3 – Purchase a flask/travel mug to transport your hot morning coffee (will save you at least £12.50 a week too!)

• Day 4 – Refuse straws at pubs and restaurants

• Day 5 – Buy fresh produce from your local farm shop/ green grocer (and take produce home in reusable bags)

• Day 6 – Choose bottled wine over boxes of wine (even better with natural cork stoppers)

• Day 7 – Let go of frozen convenience foods

• Day 8- Use powdered dishwasher detergent/washing powder in a cardboard box

• Day 9 - Use bar soap instead of liquid soap

• Day 10- Give up shampoo in plastic bottles and try shampoo bars

• Day 11 - Bring your own headphones on flights - most planes will offer them wrapped in packaging

• Day 12 – Use handkerchiefs instead of small plastic wrapped packs of tissues

• Day 13- Purchase a bamboo toothbrush

• Day 14 – Swap cling film for aluminium foil or better still reusable containers

• Day 15 – Wrap gifts without celotape and learn the art of furoshiki (wrapping with fabric)

• Day 16- Move to a milkman delivery in glass 1pint containers

• Day 17- Try filter or instant coffee instead of expensive coffee pods

• Day 18 - Make your own soup instead of buying fresh in plastic pots – much cheaper and healthier too

• Day 19 - Make your own bread

• Day 20- Buy from bulk food stores and plastic free shops (a pop up ‘plastic free’ shop will be operating out of our offices throughout February)

• Day 21- Make your own snacks i.e. cereal bars etc

• Day 22 – Bring your own personal care products and skip the free travel size shampoos, soaps and lotions offered by hotels

• Day 23 – Choose natural fibres, when buying new clothes look for organic cotton, hemp and ethically-raised wool

• Day 24 – Consider giving charitable gift cards

• Day 25- Request plastic free gifts for yourself

• Day 26 – Consider using flannels rather than face wipes

• Day 27 – Planning a wedding…. grab a hole puncher from home and make your own confetti using dried flowers and old book pages

• Day 28- If you do nothing else, try to steer clear of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC #3), Polystyrene (PS #6) and Polycarbonate (#7). If you must use plastic, make sure it’s not #3, #6 or #7 Polycarbonate

Good luck.