Parting with plastic: the summer edition Campaigning Posted by Hannah Jones 1 minute read 8 August 2019 Read our blog Over the last few months, we’ve been calling on companies to take responsibility for the plastic waste mountains their products are creating in poorer communities. But we can take action in our own lives too by reducing our plastic use. When we do, we’re valuing what God has given us, showing that we want to live in a less wasteful world and loving our global neighbours. Join us by taking the Plastic Pledge to give up one single-use plastic item for 40 days (or more!). Every single-use plastic item we save is one less thing in a landfill site, ocean or incinerator – or one less thing shipped overseas for another country to dispose of. With summer in full swing, if you’re hosting a BBQ or organising a picnic with family and friends, here are our top five tips to make it waste-free: Ditch single-use dinnerware! Swap the plastic cutlery and paper plates for bamboo sets or compostable cutlery. Better still, ask people to bring their own dishes from home. Thirsty? Quench your thirst with reusable bottles and coffee cups. We suggest steel or glass options as these are longer-lasting and easily recyclable. Bring home-made food. Picnic stalwarts such as sausage rolls, scotch eggs and pasta from the supermarket are all packaged in single-use plastic. Why not challenge each other and get creative with some home-made alternatives? Buy loose ingredients and whip up something delicious! Wrap it up with beeswax. Keep your sandwiches safe with beeswax wraps, instead of using clingfilm or foil. If you’ve got fruit or nuts, place them in reusable containers (stainless steel or compostable are best). Don’t leave the leftovers. Divvy out the extra food and take it home. If you have food waste you need to get rid of, check out the options for composting. We would love to know what impact our Plastic Pledge has had. Please let us know by emailing campaigns@tearfund.org, or by sharing your top tip and a photo on social media, using #PlasticPledge @TearfundAct. Posted by Hannah Jones Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Hannah Jones Share on Facebook Share on Twitter READ MORE LIKE THIS Continue Reading People power versus plastic pollutionManufacturing giant Unilever has agreed to halve the amount of new plastics they use by 2025. The announcement follows Tearfund’s 2019 Rubbish… Posted on 16 Oct 2019 by Ben Cohen Continue Reading Why talking about the weather should no longer be ‘small talk’We are living in the midst of a climate emergency. According to NASA, the world’s top five warmest years on record have occurred since 2014. It’s likely 2019 will be added to this list. Posted on 29 Jul 2019 by Andrew Horton Continue Reading Switching on the world and turning up the potentialFlick a switch, and your kitchen is flooded with light. At the press of a button your living room fills with music. You only need to turn a dial and your house begins to warm up. So many of us only think about energy when it doesn’t work, or when we are faced with a larger bill than usual. Yet energy can do way more than light up our homes and keep us warm. Posted on 4 Oct 2018 by Emily Owen