On the last day of my Single-Use Plastics challenge, Michael Conlon, co-owner of Gerardo’s chippy in West Belfast told me: “If we can do our small bit here in Poleglass then anyone can do their bit across Northern Ireland.”
And from Sunday to Thursday this week, that was a common theme I encountered: Small changes that can collectively make a big difference.
When I was asked by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful to go without Single-Use Plastics for five days I was probably like a lot of people in that I didn’t really know much about it.
I always put my own convenience ahead of everything else and I found out this week that those convenience choices were probably the biggest mistake I was making - but they were also the easiest to rectify.
If you were following my diary on Instagram , you’ll know that on Sunday I went for a quick shop around a normal store.
It was quite shocking how Single-Use Plastics seemed to be in, well, everything. But by taking a little time I was able to sort myself out for the day with loose fruit, bread, a sandwich from the deli, and a few other bits. I avoided any multi-packs of water too, which I tended to buy without thinking before.
It wasn’t easy, though. Some things just seemed unavoidable: Milk, instant coffee, meats from the fridge or freezer, frozen pizzas. That highlighted just how much of a challenge there is in general.
Very early on in the week I was contacted by loads of people involved in doing brilliant things to reduce Single-Use Plastics use.
On Monday I met Chris McCallum for a coffee at Eastside Visitor’s Centre in East Belfast.
Along with his friend Lucy Hillen, they have created Covet - a reusable coffee cup that’s now being stocked across 14 locations in Belfast and beyond.
A few days later I met Teal from Do Your Bit NI who runs sustainable stalls at markets across Northern Ireland.
Over a coffee at Cafe Cuan (yes I did have my Covet cup), she told me about how growing up in Canada where ‘scoop shops’ are a common thing, encouraged her to try and offer solutions over here.
She also gifted me a bamboo toothbrush, metal straw and a wooden spork - essential kit.
As a treat to myself (any excuse), I then met Michael Conlon from Gerardo’s chippy on Thursday evening.
He spoke of the challenges they face. Like every small business their first priority has to be keeping things afloat. But in 2021, Single-Use Plastic plates, cutlery, straws, balloon sticks, cotton buds and polystyrene will be banned in the UK. Already one step ahead, Gerardo's have introduced card instead of polystyrene, wooden cutlery, got rid of plastic bags and are making small changes over time.
Our readers also got involved by sharing their tips for reducing their plastic footprint via #TacklingPlasticNI
As for myself, I didn’t do too badly.
Like I said above - some things felt unavoidable. But where I made changes was in areas that I was probably being stupid in before. And they all felt simple and effective.
I didn’t touch plastic water bottles, or any convenience food like my (beloved) ready meals or packaged sandwiches. I avoided takeaway coffees and brought my reusable one. And I’ve created a mental note that wasn’t there before that should make me think twice when buying anything in the future.
These all felt like simple changes, but importantly, ones that are easy to stick to.
From the people I spoke to and from what I learned myself, it was clear that even by starting small, if individuals make changes then collectively it will have a really positive impact on a wider scale.
I was struck by two things - just how bad the problem is but also how simple it is to make changes. I plan to stick with many of the basics, using my Covet cup and not picking up silly waste like water bottles or packaged sandwich when there are easy alternatives available.
If we all make similar changes, then things will continue to move forward in a positive direction.
Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and Belfast Live have established a partnership to highlight the problem of Single-Use Plastics and what we can do to reduce their damage on our environment.
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