Single-use plastics are everywhere. To avoid them, consider everything from rethinking your bathroom products to understanding where your Christmas decorations will end up.

 Many high profile plastic polluters have already been banned from Irish shelves. On the back of the European Union’s Single Use Plastics Directive, you can no longer buy single-use plastic cotton bud sticks, cutlery, plates, stirrers, chopsticks, straws and expanded polystyrene used as beverage and food containers.

Considering the 10 most commonly found single-use plastic items represent 70 per cent of all marine litter in the European Union, that’s good news. But more can be done.

In fact in Ireland, every person generates the equivalent of 5,500 single-use coffee cups in single-use plastics each year. Irish Water clears approximately 2,000 sewage blockages every month, with three quarters caused by items such as wet wipes and sanitary products being flushed down the toilet.

To tackle these issues, wet wipes, sanitary items and tobacco products, among others, are now labelled to European standards telling consumers how to dispose of them. It follows the ban on microbeads in rinse-off personal care items in 2019.

To further reduce single-use plastics, from July 2024 beverage containers (bottles, cartons) up to three litres in size will be banned unless their cap is attached to the main part of the container. Then from January 2025, single-use PET bottles á la Lucozade or Coke will have to contain a minimum of 25 per cent recycled plastic, and from January 2030 a minimum of 30 per cent.

There is also legislation in place, and due to come into force, to make producers of packaging cover the costs of litter clean up. However, it’s not clear as yet how this will be calculated.

Of course we as consumers need to reduce our usage too, and recycle more.

To coax us to recycle the bottles we do buy, the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications plans to introduce a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for plastic bottles and aluminium cans. It should come into force towards the end of 2022, but again there has been no agreement over the amount you’ll get for every bottle you return.

But hopefully these are steps that will reduce the amount of single-use plastics that end up in the environment. And smaller steps are needed too.

Jessica Hickie, programme manager for the Environment Agency’s plastics and sustainability team, says: “Small actions will add up, so I’d urge you to look for one simple change you can make that will reduce your reliance on avoidable plastic.

"If we are all kinder to our planet, we can help protect the environment from further harm caused by plastic pollution and leave it in a better place for future generations.”

Here, Hickie shares ways to reduce your plastic use this festive season. Pick one, or a few, and go from there.

REDUCING PLASTIC AT HOME

1>> Baking your own bread can cut down on your use of soft plastics. Bread bags and other soft plastics such as crisp packets don’t often get collected by local councils and so end up in your garbage bin. But some supermarkets such as Lidl are now starting to offer this service. Terracycle and Walkers currently have a free crisp packets recycling scheme operating across Ireland; check out terracycle.com for a location near you.

2>> Ditch the wet wipes, and switch to using a cotton flannel which can be hygienically washed and reused. Even if a wipe says it is flushable, it is better for our marine environment if you place it in the bin instead.

3>> Swap the endless plastic bottles in your bathroom for shampoo and conditioner soap bars, which are eco-friendly and plastic free – or look at refill options.

4>> If you have a floor mop which uses single use wipes, switch to one with reusable cotton pads.

5>> When it’s time to replace your toothbrush, try switching to one made from bamboo (electric ones are available now too).

6>> Ditch single use plastic razors for a reusable one. Some brands are offering a subscription (and recycling) service which can be delivered to your door.

7>> Switch to plastic free menstrual products or a reusable mooncup.

OUTSIDE THE HOME

8>> Keep a set of reusable cutlery in your bag (another use for those takeaway cartons!) or your work desk so you do not have to use disposable ones.

9>> Chewing gum is made from plastic – switch to plastic free gum and always dispose in a waste bin.

10>> Avoid using plastic condiment sachets – if you have room in your bag, consider bringing your own condiments in small, reusable, glass jars or plastic containers.

11>> If you are eating in a café either opt for a plate or bring your own reusable food containers for canteen staff to place your food in. This can help eliminate the use of Styrofoam takeaway boxes, which are not commonly recycled and are harmful to the environment.

THIS CHRISTMAS...

12>> Give experience gifts rather than physical gifts.

13>> If you want to bring some sparkle to your festivities, use energy efficient fairy lights, and reusable tealights in pretty jam jars, rather than glitter, which can be a harmful microplastic that ends up polluting our oceans. Avoid sequins too.

14>> Avoid using plastic balloons and balloon sticks – instead make your own decorations such as bunting and paper chains from recyclable materials, or buy durable ones you will be able to reuse and store them away carefully for next time.

TOP TIP

15>> Start a conversation with a friend or family member about plastic pollution. Lend and borrow items amongst friends, neighbours, family and local community groups. Find out if your local area has a ‘repairs cafe’ so you can make do and mend items.

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