There are things we can all do to help reduce the amount of single use plastics that we dispose of everyday. 

See our handy leaflet giving you 8 very practical tips for cutting down on your and your families’ use of plastics.

1. Say no to using plastic bags; take your own shopping bag.

Use your own bags instead of a plastic carrier bag. Some shops provide thin plastic bags to hold fruit and vegetables.  Use lightweight muslin ‘Freggie Bags’ to hold your fruit and vegetables, they're washable, reusable and good for the planet.

 

2. Say no to plastic straws, cutlery and stirrers. 
Remember to say ‘no straw please’ when you order a drink, or ask if they have a paper one.

3. Bring your own reusable cup. 
Take your own cup out with you. Some shops will charge less for a drink if you bring your own cup and if it’s a thermal cup your drink will stay hot or cold for longer.

4. Carry and refill reusable water bottles. 
Use your own water bottle to carry a drink around with you all day, a healthy alternative to cans or cartons of drinks containing preservatives and cheaper too.  In Lyme Regis a number of shops, cafés, restaurants and hotels show a refill scheme sticker near their entrance, just stroll in and ask for a top up.

 

5. Say no to single use condiment sachets. 
Reusable condiment containers can be refilled, and glass containers can be recycled.

6. Avoid synthetic clothing: it sheds microfibers.
Did you know that fleeces and other synthetic cloth shed tiny pieces of plastic every time you wash them? These minuscule bits then float through our sewers and pass through some treatment filters to go straight into the sea.  Try to select natural fibre clothing like cotton and wool, kinder to your skin and the environment.

 

7. Use biodegradable cotton buds and bamboo tooth brushes. 
All of these small things can make a very big difference!  The toothbrush you were using this day 10, 20, 30 years ago is still kicking around somewhere.

8. Pick up any plastic or rubbish.
Pick up any plastic or rubbish you see on your travels: on the beach, in the country side, on highways and byways. Pick it up and put it safely away which prevents any birds or animals eating it and suffering from ‘Plasticitis’. It’s not a real disease (!) but no one, animal or human, wants to knowingly, or unknowingly eat plastic.