Bring the fucking shit back to where it belongs!

The beach full of garbage!

​Nice pic right? My version of The Little Mermaid (Danish: Den lille Havfrue) in Copenhagen. Ok, that’s a joke! But anyway it looks nice, the blue sea, palm trees, white sand and nice rocks in the clear water. So what’s the problem then? Just 10 m away, a little bit further up on land, there were lot’s of garbage everywhere. Hey! This is a remote quiet island, Karimun Jawa. You are not suppose to see this here. Karimun Jawa is located 5 hours by boat north of Central Java in the middle of the Java Sea. This island is off the beaten track, not many tourists here to talk about. But still the beaches are full of garbage. It makes me really depressed. What’s wrong with people? Why don’t they bring their own fucking shit back to where it belongs? ???

Please! Check out the 9 tips below how to reduce your plastic waste!

My version of The Little Mermaid (Danish: Den lille Havfrue) in Copenhagen

Garbage on the beach

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9 tips to reduce your plastic waste

​Making just a few small changes can have a big impact on the amount of plastic we use on a day-to-day basis. Source: Greenpeace UK

1. Carry a reusable bottle

In the UK they use over 35 million plastic bottles every year! Carrying a reusable bottle is a great way to cut your plastic use and save money too! There’s even an app that tells you where you can refill your bottle for free!

​​2. Say no to plastic straws

Plastic straws are bad news for our oceans. Next time you order a drink, think about whether you need a straw – and if you don’t, just say no! You can also ask your local pub to stop adding straws to drinks as standard and offer paper straws to those who want one.

​​3. Take a reusable coffee cup

2.5 billion coffee cups are thrown away every year in the UK – and less than 1 in 400 are recycled. Carry a reusable cup with you – some cafes even offer a small discount if you use your own cup (and if they don’t ask them why not!)

​​4. Avoid excessive food packaging

Whether it’s making different choices in the supermarket or choosing a different place to shop, we can all try and cut down the plastic we buy. And as an added bonus, loose fruit and veg is often cheaper than pre-packaged alternatives!

​​5. Use refill stations for detergents

There are some products where it’s difficult to avoid a plastic container (for example washing up liquid or laundry liquid) – the good news is that there are an increasing amount of places where you can refill your old bottles.

​​6. Say no to disposable cutlery

We’ve all been there – caught out in a cafe or at a train station when we’ve bought a salad or a yogurt but the only cutlery on offer is plastic! Whilst it’s hard to plan for every opportunity, consider carrying a spoon or fork (or spork!) in your bag or keeping cutlery in your desk at work.

​​7. Get your milk delivered

Although the early morning sound of a milk float is not as common as it used to be, there are still lots of places in the UK where you can get milk delivered in glass bottles – which are then collected and reused.

​​8. Avoid microbeads

The good news is that the UK government have announced a ban on microbeads! However until the ban comes into force in 2018, there will still be products on the shelves, so keep checking those labels before you buy and avoid products containing polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and nylon.

What are microbeads?
Microbeads are manufactured solid plastic particles of less than one millimeter in their largest dimension. They are used in exfoliating personal care products, toothpastes and in biomedical and health-science research. Microbeads can cause plastic particle water pollution and pose an environmental hazard for aquatic animals in freshwater and ocean water. 

​​9. Carry a shopping bag

Since the plastic bag charge was introduced in England, there’s been a massive 85% drop in their use. Many of us are used to carrying an extra bag with us – if you still find it hard to remember, try a foldaway one that you can carry in your normal day bag.

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