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Plastic Free July Update

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We have now passed the halfway mark of Plastic Free July! I have been thoroughly enjoying finding alternatives and seeing how little waste I have been producing, most days I don't put anything in the bin and my flatmates have been very aware of their rubbish too.

Here is our rubbish for the past 2 weeks: 
Mine & my BF's rubbish bin halfway through Plastic Free July.
The contents of our rubbish bin: 
  1. Daily contact lenses, the plastic cases are in a container and will be recycled
  2. The seals from the contact lenses
  3. The actual used contact lenses
  4. The packet from dried yeast used to make pizza dough, 
  5. 2 Minties wrappers which were purchased beforehand
  6. 2 plastic tags from veges
  7. A plastic seal from a small glass bottle
  8. A (cut open) tube of Lucas Paw Paw Ointment which I have been using for the past 2 years 
  9. A pill packet
  10. 1 broken rubber band
  11. Some plastic 'windows' from envelopes
  12. A small piece of tape from a secondhand purchase
  13. 1 small swing tag also from a secondhand purchase
  14. 2 staples
  15. Other random pieces of plastic which seem seem to appear where you weren't expecting them 

Not pictured are the items I have put in the recycling bin:
  1. 3L milk bottle (used for making cheese and yogurt)
  2. 2 broken plastic coat hangers
  3. The plastic wrap of a 12 pack of Earthcare toilet paper
  4. 1 plastic fork the BF accidentally got at the night market
  5. 1 plastic container the BF also got at the night market, which we are reusing.
All paper and fruit/vege scraps have been recycled or composted. 

Obviously the contact lenses are major contributor to our waste, unfortunately due to the nature of my partner's job he can't wear glasses everyday (he has to wear safety googles). He may be able to switch to weekly contacts but then he will need contact lens solution- so it's hard to say which has a bigger rubbish footprint.

There are still a few things I am yet to find plastic free and are am not having until I have found an alternative- (hard) cheese, pasta and corn chips. Unfortunately for me my favourite meal is nachos, so I am holding out for the plastic free version of this- when I succeed it will be extra yummy and rewarding :) 

I have definitely noticed a decrease in rubbish, mainly from food packaging, the cat food bag and chocolate wrappers. I am still eating chocolate, just being a bit more conscious of the packaging it comes in- I stick to paper and/or foil, usually Whittakers or Lindt- no Cadbury for me. Yesterday I turned down individually packaged chocolate which were offered to the myself and my colleagues (such willpower- I am a chocolate fiend!). 

Let's hope the next two weeks of PFJ go smoothly and I can finally have some grated cheese on my dinner! 

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