Plastic-free 30

Day by day

1. 1Spot the plasticLook around your kitchen for single-use plastic: packets, bottles, cling film, straws. Write down the ones you use most.
2. 2A cloth bag everywhereKeep a folded cloth bag in your bag, on your scooter and in the car, and use it today.
3. 3No straws, no plastic spoonsSay no to straws and plastic cutlery when you order food or drinks.
4. 4Loose vegetablesBuy vegetables and fruit loose, straight into your cloth bag.
5. 5A home-made snackSwap one packaged snack for something made at home.
6. 6Your own bottleCarry your own water bottle all day and refill it instead of buying one.
7. 7Week one checkLook back at your list from day 1. Which plastic have you already cut?
8. 8A steel tiffinCarry lunch in a steel tiffin or box instead of foil or plastic.
9. 9Chai without a plastic cupHave your chai in a kulhad, a glass or your own cup, not a plastic or paper cup.
10. 10Takeaway in your own boxWhen you buy takeaway, take your own container or ask for no plastic bag.
11. 11Milk packetsRinse milk packets, cut them only at a corner, and keep them dry for recycling.
12. 12Fewer small packsBuy rice, dal or spices loose or in bigger packs instead of many small sachets.
13. 13No sachetsChoose a bottle or a refill instead of single-use sachets of shampoo or ketchup.
14. 14Week two checkLook at the plastic in your dustbin today. Is there less than in week one?
15. 15A bathroom swapSwap one bathroom item: a bamboo toothbrush, a soap bar instead of liquid soap, or a refill pack.
16. 16Cover food without plasticUse a plate, a cloth or a steel box instead of cling film to cover food.
17. 17Repair, don’t replaceFix one thing (a bucket, a chappal, a bag) instead of buying new plastic.
18. 18A plastic-free celebrationPlan your next birthday or puja without plastic plates, cups or balloons.
19. 19Talk to your shopkeeperAsk your sabziwala or kirana shop to put things straight into your bag.
20. 20Keep dry waste cleanKeep clean, dry plastic separate so it can be recycled, and give it to your waste collector.
21. 21Week three checkWhich swaps have become habits? Write them down.
22. 22Lighter online ordersNext time you order online, combine items into fewer deliveries and choose plastic-free packing if offered.
23. 23Filter, not bottlesIf you buy bottled water at home, look at a filter or refillable cans instead.
24. 24Bring it to work or schoolStart one plastic-free habit at your office or school: a steel glass, a shared cloth bag.
25. 25Pick up fivePick up five pieces of plastic litter from your street or park and put them in the right bin.
26. 26Make a cloth bagTurn an old T-shirt, saree or pillow cover into a cloth bag.
27. 27Share a swapTell three friends about one plastic-free swap that worked for you.
28. 28Week four checkLook at your dustbin plastic again. How much less than on day 1?
29. 29Ready for travelPack a bottle, a steel cup, cutlery and a cloth bag for your next trip.
30. 30Your plastic-free promiseChoose the three swaps you’ll keep for good, and take the Earth pledge.