Small Green Steps

Reducing single-use plastics in my daily routine is one of my top priorities. So, over the next week, I’ll be conducting a personal plastic audit. I’m looking to identify the biggest culprits in my weekly routine and find plastic-free or reusable alternatives to replace them.

What is a Plastic Audit?

A plastic audit is the process of tracking the amount and types of plastic you that you use. It gives you a clear picture of how much plastic you’re using and helps you realise the levels of waste that you generate on a daily basis.

How to Do a Plastic Audit

1. Choose your time frame, set a realistic period, start with a week.

2. Place a notebook by your household waste bin. Every time you throw away a plastic item, take note:
• Type of plastic
• Was it recyclable?
• Was it single use or reusable?
• Category: Kitchen, Bathroom, Cleaning, Care product, etc.

3. At the end of the week, review and analyse the results:
• What types of plastic you most commonly dispose?
• Are there any that you?
• What can you swap out or reduce?

4. For the most common plastic items that you waste, create a plan to replace and reduce plastic waste where possible.

I’ll check back with the results of my audit and some of the changes I’ll try and make!

Read more about plastic audits: https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/get-involved/what-you-can-do/bin-audit/