The HCF Plastics group provide regular tips to help us all to live more sustainably. Here’s a round-up of the tips from 2020. For a list of businesses that help us reduce, reuse, and recycle, see Related Organisations.

Remembering what you have before you shop

This was on the BBC Good Food website, in an article about reducing food waste. It suggested taking photos of your fridge and food cupboard contents before you go shopping, to remind yourself of what you already have. This is particularly useful for foods that don’t have a long shelf life.

Avoid peat

Peatlands are endangered habitats that absorb greenhouse gases and support plants and animals that can’t survive elsewhere. It makes no sense to destroy them just so people can use peat in the garden. Public concern about peat loss led to government action: in 2011 the UK government set voluntary targets to phase out peat use in gardens by 2020 and by the professional horticulture industry by 2030.

Since 2012, however, progress on ending peat use has stalled. Peat consumption has been rising despite government targets to phase it out.

When you are buying compost, make sure that it really is peat free – even if it costs a bit more.

Sign to stop deforestation

Have a look at Greenpeace’s website. They have started an important petition to try to get Tesco and other mainstream supermarkets to stop buying meat that is linked to the deforestation on rain forests.

A plastic-free business

One of our HCF members has a friend who has started an online business selling plastic-free products. Do have a look: https://www.lifeunplastic.co.uk/

Avoid acrylic

Following on from last week about washing clothes, recent research from Plymouth University has shown that pure acrylic clothing releases the most microfibres compared to other fabrics. Researchers found that an average washing load could release approximately 14,000 fibres from polyester-cotton blend fabric, 500,000 fibres from polyester and 730,000 from acrylic.

It appears from this research that avoiding acrylic is good but if it is washed, it is best to wash the clothes in a special bag to catch the fibres.

(For those interested, acrylic is a plastic made from acetylene (from oil) and cyanide. These react to make acrylonitrile, an extremely poisonous liquid linked to birth defects. Acrylonitrile is then polymerised to make acrylic. Cotton, on the other hand, is grown in a field – although there are environmental concerns around cotton.)

Prevent the release of microfibres during washing

Did you know that a normal washing machine wash can release a massive 700,000 microfibres of synthetic material?

Here are 8 easy ways to reduce microfibre pollution:

  • Wash less
  • Fill your machine
  • Wash at 30 degrees
  • Ditch the tumbledryer
  • Choose natural fibres
  • Avoid microfibre cleaning cloths
  • Avoid using the delicate wash
  • Investigate microfibre capture. There are special bags on the market that you can use to contain synthetic clothes in a washing machine and stop microfibres leaving the washing machine.
WATCh out for plastic in teabags

Are you aware that some tea bags actually contain plastic? Several tea bag brands use polypropolene, a sealing plastic, to keep their bags from falling apart. This plastic is not recyclable or biodegradable. There is also research that has found that tea bags contain plastic release millions of microbits when used to make a nice cup of tea.

Tea bags from these manufacturers contain plastic:

  • ❗️PG Tips
  • ❗️Tetley
  • ❗️Twinings ‘heat-sealed’ and ‘string and tag’ ranges
  • ❗️Yorkshire Tea
  • ❗️Lidl own brand

 These do not:

  • ✅ Abel & Cole
  • ✅ Clipper
  • ✅ Co-op own brand 99
  • ✅ Pukka Herbs
  • ✅ Teapigs
  • ✅ Twinings pyramid range
  • ✅ Waitrose Duchy range

This information came from an article written in July 2019.

calculate and adjust your carbon footprint

You can calculate your carbon footprint by doing the survey at https://footprint.wwf.org.uk/#/. It offers lots of suggestions of how we can reduce our carbon footprint further. 

support your local greengrocer

Your local greengrocer usually sells fruit and veg loose and often uses paper bags in place of plastic. You also have the bonus of supporting a local business.

only flush when it’s really needed

Only flush toilets if really needed. The Australians have a characteristically down-to-earth maxim for this: “if it’s yellow, that’s mellow. If it’s brown, flush it down.”