Single use? Singly useless

During June, I participated in 30 Days Wild, a month long challenge, where the Wildlife Trusts asked folk to make nature part of their lives and carry out a random act of wildlife each day. Some of the daily highlights were featured on Imperfect & Tense, but I mainly posted to the 30 Days Wild Facebook page, as time was often limited.

For the current month, I have signed up to a very different challenge, Plastic Free July, in an attempt to wean myself off single use plastic items. Opting to forgo the Top 4 offenders (coffee cups, carrier bags, drinking straws and water bottles) seemed the best choice for me, as I can't imagine trying to shop in a supermarket and avoiding plastic altogether. Whilst I don't use drinking straws (25% of the way there already!), I do occasionally opt for one of those waxed cups with a throwaway plastic lid, we still have the odd plastic bag lying around and, to my eternal shame, I'm a bit of a 500ml water bottle fiend.

So the way ahead is clear... no more sly coffees on the go, bags for life at all times and no more single use 500ml plastic bottles.

Meet my new best friend...

And... no more sandwich bags in my lunch box, either.

Mind you, I have a colleague who doesn't even have clingfilm or paper towels in her kitchen. That is proper hardcore.