Posts by Brian

New Year, New You.

New Year’s Resolutions are the perfect opportunity to start making changes or reevaluating life choices. Now is the time to sit down and prepare a list of important life changes and we here at EcoStraws have decided to give you a bit of help.

It is impossible to avoid plastic entirely, but there are ways to reduce the amount of plastic in your life. By making simple changes, you will become conscious of the unnecessary single-use plastic surrounding us and choking our planet.

Here’s our top 10 tips!

1. Stop buying bottled water. Carry a reusable bottle with you. Shops, hotels and even airports have begun installing water fountains where you can refill for free. See our EcoBottles here.
2. Replace your plastic grocery bags with reusable ones. As a handy tip, I always have a canvas bag or two in the car & one in my handbag. They can be rolled up and taken anywhere so you never need to buy a plastic bag.
3. Ditch the disposable cup. There are a variety of reusable coffee cups on the market & most coffee outlets now offer a discount when you bring your own. The EcoCup is particularly handy as it collapses to a 2″disc and can be carried in your pocket or handbag.
4. Pack your own lunch (and your kids) in reusable containers. Make sure to choose good quality BPA free boxes and if you really need to wrap your sandwich choose paper bags or even paper towels instead of cling film.
5. Refuse plastic straws and cutlery when you visit fast-food outlets. Ask for wooden cutlery if you really need disposable and carry a reusable straw with you. We can highly recommend the EcoStraw, as can our customers!
6. In the supermarket, avoid convenience foods and choose fruit and vegetables that are not pre-wrapped. Lightweight & breathable mesh bags are perfect for your fresh produce and can be used for their storage too! Check out our Reusable Produce Bags.
7. Swap your toothbrush for an eco-friendly alternative in 2019. There are lots of different options available including bamboo and beech wood with nylon or hair bristles. A plastic toothbrush can take up to 1,000 years to decompose and that is simply terrifying.
8. Switch to safety razors. Plastic razors are used a maximum of 6 or 7 times before being thrown away and spending the next 100 years in landfill. Safety razor blades will give you several shaves and once disposed of properly can be recycled as they’re stainless steel. They’re cheaper too!
9. Microbeads: Microbeads are tiny pieces of plastic found in cleaning products, toothpastes, shower gels, face scrubs, detergents, cleansing agents, suncreams and many many more household products.There can be up to 100,000 microbeads in a facewash alone and as they are micro in size cannot be caught by filtration systems. Choose products without microbeads in your quest to go eco-friendly.
10. Chewing gum. Did you know that chewing gum is made from plastic? Yes plastic. The alternative here is to find eco-friendly alternatives in your healthfood store or simply stop chewing gum!

Be the change.

2019 was the year we realised our planet was drowning in plastic. Let’s make 2020 the year we make a conscious effort to reverse the tide.

We are EcoStraws; an Irish company with a passion for the planet.

EcoStraws.ie supply a complete range of eco-friendly reusable straws and 100% biodegradable disposable straws, as well as other associated products. Our stock of reusable eco-friendly straws include Stainless Steel, Glass, Bamboo and Silicone straws. Our biodegradable EcoStraws are available in Wheat, PLA, and Paper, and we even stock Edible Straws so you can have your straw and eat it too!

By choosing our products you are making a difference. By sharing our message you are helping to educate. EcoStraws/EcoCups help us to live in harmony with the natural world around us. Our ethos helps us to protect it from damage and destruction.

Why not join our mailing list right here –

Single Use Plastics

It’s daunting and may seem overwhelming, but it is possible. You can join a worldwide movement called ‘Plastic Free July’ and take the first steps to reducing your single use plastics now. Plastic Straws are the scourge of marine wildlife & the symbol of destruction we associate with our disposable lives. EcoStraws.ie helps you to Go Plastic Free with a range of reusable & sustainable products to replace single-use plastic. So what are you waiting for? Visit Ecostraws.ie now and say no to disposables for ever!

We are surrounded by plastic; we drive plastic cars & wear plastic clothes. Even the gum we chew is plastic.No one is suggesting that you eliminate plastic completely from your life, however a few simple changes to your daily routine can create a ripple of change. You may initially get a few funny looks at the supermarket when bringing your own containers for meat/fish but you may also influence others to follow suit. The satisfaction you feel when you use your own produce bags instead of plastic packaging on bananas (really??) and other fruits, far outweighs any sideways glances you may receive!

Be The Change

We are the consumers. It is up to us to lead the way and by refusing single use plastic items in our groceries, we put pressure on the suppliers to find an eco-friendly solution. By keeping track of the single-use plastics you avoid, you will begin to get a sense of achievement.

By making a few of the changes listed below I managed to avoid 45 pieces of single-use plastic in a week! Go me! Certainly, no one can do it all at once, just choose a few that seem doable and take it from there.

31 changes in 31 days                                      

1. Bring a reusable bag. I find these produce bags really handy as they can roll up and fit in a pocket or handbag.
2. Always have a reusable water bottle & refill from taps & water fountains. There are so many stainless steel options available now & great value to be had. Check out Narcissips and http://susanadams.ie/bottles/.
3. Ditch the fizzy drinks & improve your health as well as your bottom line. If you really crave fizz, why not invest in a Soda Stream which comes with reusable glass bottles.
4. Refuse plastic straws & choose instead a reusable straw from ecostraws.ie. There are different types to suit differing needs and all are dishwasher safe.
5. Buy fresh bread, which comes wrapper free or wrapped in paper. Yes, it can be more expensive but if you replace just 1 loaf per week to begin with, you cut out 52 plastic wrappers in a year!
6. If you like take-away coffee carry a reusable coffee cup. Although there are compostable alternatives available, would you believe it takes 5.6L of water to make a paper cup! Choose convenience with a collapsible EcoCup & you’ll never need a disposable cup again.
7. Shop at markets such as Limerick’s Milk Market. The veg is better quality & you are supporting local businesses.
8. Return containers for berries.
   

   Plastic Free Fruit

9. If you need to stick to the bigger retailers bring reusable produce bags for fruit & veg. Lidl & Aldi provide bins after the checkout so you can ditch the excess packaging. Without doubt it’s only a matter or time before more retailers follow suit. Remember you, the consumer, create the demand for change.
10. Avoid convenience foods.
11. Bring your own reusable containers for meat & fish.
12. Opt for take-away that uses cardboard packaging eg. Lana or Dominos
13. Choose an ice-cream cone rather than a cup. Smooch do amazing ice-cream cone options.
14. Don’t chew gum. Yep, chewing gum is mostly made from plastic.
15. Switch to washing powder. It generally comes in a large cardboard box which is recyclable. You can find lots of  eco-friendly detergents in Dargan Healthfoods Castletroy.
16. Likewise with dishwasher powder. Loose powder has no plastic wrapping!
17. Never use wipes. There are too many alternatives to list here but wipes are an unnecessary modern convenience/scourge. Check out Jackson Reece Baby Wipes on Earthmother.ie.
18. Treat yourself to a safety razor & blades. There’s a fabulous shop on Wickham St. Limerick called M Cahill & Son where you’ll find a range of options to suit all needs.
19. Order some toothpaste bits online. They come in little glass bottles & look really cool on your bathroom shelves!
    

    Plastic Free Toothpaste

20. While you’re at it, get yourself a bamboo toothbrush. They’re widely available from health food shops such as Eats of Eden.
21. Another simple bathroom change is to switch to bar soap and bar shampoo. Sunvale soap company in the Limerick Milk Market has a vast range available.
22. And check out the many alternative feminine hygiene options from reusable cotton pads to moon cups.
23. Need a hairbrush? A wooden one is just as good as a plastic one but will biodegrade faster.
24. Bring your own lunch to work in reusable containers.
25. Wrap sandwiches in kitchen roll or paper bags.
26. Make your own snacks such as protein balls & power bars. They’re healthier too! Check out http://www.naturalhealthstore.ie for a huge selection.
27. Browse vintage shops & second hand stores. You’ll be amazed at the quality available and at the prices. Spice Vintage is a gem of a store!
28. Give & request plastic-free gifts such as vouchers; take a friend to lunch or treat them to concert tickets.
29. When you do give gifts wrap them in paper & tie with string or reuse an old ribbon. It makes for unique & memorable presents. Check out https://www.lifewithoutthewrapping.com/
30. Order on-line & request zero plastic packaging with your purchase. Companies such as EcoStraws.ie strive to deliver products completely plastic free.
31. Switch to online statements. Most bank statements, phone bills & utilities come in envelopes with plastic windows. Online statements rid us of envelopes with windows!

Do it!

As you can see, none of the above suggestions are impossible. It may take some forward thinking & a little extra planning to achieve but Plastic Free July is attainable. It’s up to you to be the catalyst.

#gogreenin2019  #thinkoutsidethebox       #reduce

#zerowaste    #bethechange   #reuse

#sustainable living   #plasticfreelife   #plasticfreejuly