As sailors, we are all too aware of the need to reduce our usage of plastics, having seen first-hand the terrible impact on our marine life. Plastic has touched practically every corner of the planet - even in the Cocos-Keeling Islands, we found the windward coast littered with trash. We often saw floating plastic debris when we crossed the Indian and Atlantic oceans, so the problem is real and pressing.
Today, there is an increasing awareness of the urgent need to reduce our dependence on single-use plastics. A recent ban on single-use plastic bags and plastic drinking straws in some countries illustrates this trend. We have made small but important steps on our way to eliminating plastic waste, but we still have a long way to go.
Furthermore, in many of the less developed countries we have visited, reducing plastic usage is particularly important. Although some great work is being done by various organisations, many countries lack the resources and infrastructure for recycling. Because of this, it is even more important to not add to the growing piles of plastic waste in landfills.
This post describes some of the strategies we have used but this is in no way exhaustive and I would welcome any further comments or ideas!
Essentially our strategy boils down into 3 parts:
Minimise usage
Recycle and re-use
Substitution
I’ll go into each step in turn……
Minimise Usage
If I can’t avoid purchasing an item without plastic packaging, I’ll buy the largest container that fits in our lockers , and repack the contents into smaller containers for immediate use. I do this for bulk pasta, rice, pulses, cooking oil, and even toiletries such as moisturisers and lotions.
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| Repacking dry goods for short and long term use |
In this way, I’m only buying one large container rather than several smaller ones, and where possible, I will re-use these containers when empty. Which leads to my next step….
Recycle and reuse
If I can find a way or re-using a container or a bag, I will! Many foodstuffs come in sturdy re-sealable bags and I will re-use these again and again to store anything from sandwiches for a passage to flour and powdered milk. Strong plastic bottles work well for storing cleaning fluids (for some ideas on environmentally-friendly cleaning tips, please see my last post!).
Old sauce bottles work well for kitchen use 
I'm storing tortillas in this reusable bag
Some countries offer recycling facilities, so where they are available, we make sure we recycle whatever we can.
Finally, we’ve found that some vendors are happy for us to return their packaging to them so they can use it again.
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| Not only does Mandingo sell wonderful tropical fruits, but he accepts empty bags to re-use. What a legend! |
Substitute
The third step is to find an appropriate alternative to plastic, which is the best option as we avoid using plastic at all. Some examples include:
Using multi-use bags when shopping: many people now do this as a matter of course, and we are no exception. Many Caribbean fresh food markets sell their produce in plastic bags, so I bring my own bags to use instead. I’ve had them for many years but they’re starting to look a little worn, so I’m also going to make some more bags out of scraps from my huge fabric stash!
It goes without saying that if we can buy items loose or in a more environmentally friendly package, we will do this. The wonderful medina in Monastir sold all dry goods completely loose, so we could buy oats, beautiful dried fruits and almonds to make our muesli.
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| No packaging here! |
Making your own: by making our own yogurt, muesli etc., we don’t need to purchase them at the store in their plastic packaging.
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| Making muesli in bulk |
Plastic free alternatives: it’s possible to source all sorts of biodegradable personal care accessories, such as bamboo toothbrushes, biodegradable dental floss, laundry detergents and kitchen sponges. We’ve made use of all of these, along with re-usable and washable sanitary products. Even in countries where it isn’t as easy to find such products, there may be local alternatives. For example, we learned from our wonderful OCC Port Captain Martin that coconut coir can be used as a pot scourer and lasts for several months!
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| Our bamboo toothbrushes - but check carefully if the bristles are also biodegradable |
Despite our best efforts, we’ve found that we still can’t completely avoid single-use plastic. There are times when I open a packet of teabags or crackers and discover that every single one comes individually wrapped in plastic (why???!!!)! But by following these steps, we’ve tried to minimise our plastic ‘footprint’ as best we can and I hope that you find these tips useful.
I’d also be really interested to hear any other thoughts or ideas about how others reduce their plastics use - feel free to comment below!
My next article will explain a few ways of minimising fuel and water consumption when I cook so stay tuned....
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