Top 5 tips to go plastic free

When the sunshine lands in Manchester, with it comes picnics, festivals and lots of single use plastic, so why not take take a look at how you can reduce the amount of plastic you use this summer? To help us get started, we've shared our 5 top tips for help you reduce and reuse.

1. Get a reuseable water bottle

Every year in the UK we use approximately 13 billion plastic bottles, and only 7.5 billion get recycled! Switching from disposable plastic bottles to a water bottle that will last will save you money when you’re on the move too.

2. Coffee to go please!

Did you know less than 1% of coffee cups we use in the UK get recycled? Due to a tricky mix of plastic film inside of the cups they need a special recycling facility that isn't widely available. Stay grounded and switch to a reusable coffee cup today.

3. Bag of tricks

The environment bagged a winner when the plastic bag charge was introduced in England, as it led to an outstanding 85% decrease in use. Try and keep a bag for life or tote in your car or bag so it's always at hand.

4. Use Clean Cutlery

Used only for a few moments, your single use fork, knife or spoon can take over 200 years to decompose! Why not try a spork, or if you’re feeling fancy, how about a metal straw for enjoying drinks when you’re out?

5. Reuse, Reuse, Reuse

It might seem like reusables are more expensive but you only have to buy them once, so they will start to earn their keep after a few uses. The bathroom can be a great place to start, where you can switch to a bar of soap rather than a bottle, and swap shampoos and cleaning products to refillables.

Want to start shopping plastic free? There are refill and zero waste shops popping up all over Manchester! Check out this map to find your nearest one.