The Sustainable Series, Part I

I’m starting a new Plastic-Less Series on how to be more sustainable! A week ago, I decided to give up single-use plastic for 40 days. There’s been a movement around Oxford encouraging students to give up plastic for Lent. Seeing as I’ve been wanting to find ways of becoming more sustainable, I deciding it was a great option. This past summer, a friend and I challenged ourselves to give up plastic, but we gave up almost immediately after realizing how difficult it was. I think going in, I thought it would be easier, and my nonexistent planning made it impossible to follow through. This time, though, I was ready to take on the challenge. Now that I wasn’t going in blind, 40 days of no plastic sounded doable.  

That being said, it has certainly not been easy, even with the proper planning. So many things these days are packaged in plastic that it makes grocery shopping practically impossible. On my very first day, I made it through most of the day without using plastic, but that night I was out late and forced to eat at a food truck. Without even asking, the vendor stuck a plastic fork in my meal and made me break on the very first day!

On the second day, I had a recipe I wanted to make for dinner. I made a grocery list and headed to Tesco, but when I got there, I realized I wouldn’t be making the meal I had planned. Almost all the ingredients I needed were wrapped in plastic. I have to say, I’m quite surprised by the fact that almost all produce in the UK is already bagged. In the States, you are usually given the option to take those cellophane produce bags, which I used to hate because they are such a waste.

Now, I realize that at least US grocery stores give shoppers the option to not use the bags. Here, it’s impossible to avoid. I ended up returning to my room with half of the groceries I needed. My diet that day was limited by what I could and couldn’t buy, and I was concerned that this would last the whole 40 days.

Luckily, there are so many opportunities around Oxford to go plastic-free. Just a couple blocks away from me, the OxUnboxed opened their permanent location in the Oxford Hub on Clarendon Street. The organization sells things like oats, rice, and nuts that normally come in packaging. Customers bring their own containers and can fill up on all the essentials without the single-use containers. On my third day of no plastic, I headed there with a bunch of recycled glass jars to stock up.

While there, I had a great conversation with the girl running the counter. She was able to suggest a handful of other options in Oxford that offer plastic-free shopping. She recommended Lush for plastic free soap, the Botley Road Waitrose, which has an entire plastic free section, and the East Oxford Market on Cowley Road on Saturdays.

Though I haven’t yet run out of soaps, Lush is a great option for when I do. There is also a new sustainable shop, also on Clarendon, called Nourish. Nourish sells lots of reusable products. They also have the option for customers to fill their own containers with laundry detergent and soaps. I have also been told there is a soap shop in the Covered Market where you can buy shampoo bars.

All of these resources are incredibly helpful and make it possible to maintain my ban on plastic. Searching for non-plastic options has made grocery shopping a bit more fun. It is always a quest to find what I need. Usually, I am able to find a plastic-free option eventually. That being said, halfway through the 40 days, I will be going back to the states. I am not sure what resources are in my hometown. It will be interesting to readjust to this lifestyle in another location. Additionally, depending on how these 40 days go, I would love to try to give up plastic long term, or at least minimize my consumption of it as much as possible. In the future, I will have to look into resources near Trinity’s campus. Follow my Plastic-Less Series for more tips, ideas, and updates on how to live a more sustainable lifestyle.