{"id":35290,"date":"2019-12-05T19:50:15","date_gmt":"2019-12-05T19:50:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thevoiceoflondon.co.uk\/?p=35290"},"modified":"2019-12-05T19:50:15","modified_gmt":"2019-12-05T19:50:15","slug":"living-plastic-free-for-a-week-on-a-student-budget","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/living-plastic-free-for-a-week-on-a-student-budget\/","title":{"rendered":"Living plastic-free for a week on a student budget"},"content":{"rendered":"

We’ve all seen the photos circulating social media and appearing in nature documentaries that show wildlife tied up in plastic bags, drinks holders, straws and netting. Plastic is a major problem in the modern world and it is slowly destroying the planet and the creatures that live in it.<\/p>\n

Looking at all of the products I use on a daily basis, I realised everything was packaged in plastic. I wanted to see whether I could keep up my regular routine but with no plastic involved and whether it was possible to do that on a student budget. So I decided to do a week plastic-free challenge.<\/p>\n

Watch the video below to see how I got on during my week:<\/p>\n

[youtube https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=a8gSir4MCaw]<\/p>\n

Below are the products I researched and the budgeting I did to use in my plastic-free week. Everything in bold I decided to buy. As you can see, I already owned a few of the products which was really promising \u2013 now I just had to make sure I was using them as part of my routine.<\/p>\n

———-<\/p>\n

SET BUDGET: \u00a375 a week<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Product<\/em><\/td>\nPlastic replacement<\/em><\/td>\nPrice<\/em><\/td>\nLink<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Toothbrush<\/strong><\/td>\nBamboo<\/strong><\/td>\n\u00a32.99 for 1<\/strong><\/td>\nhttps:\/\/amzn.to\/2NKHQBp<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Toothpaste<\/strong><\/td>\nNatural pot<\/strong><\/td>\n\u00a36.90<\/strong><\/td>\nhttps:\/\/amzn.to\/2qCHhBN<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cotton buds<\/strong><\/td>\nSilicon<\/strong><\/td>\n\u00a32.99<\/strong><\/td>\nhttps:\/\/amzn.to\/2rl8SHZ<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Shampoo<\/strong><\/td>\nBar<\/strong><\/td>\n\u00a34.97<\/strong><\/td>\nhttps:\/\/amzn.to\/2oRCtrw<\/a> (same as shower scrub bar)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Conditioner<\/strong><\/td>\nBar<\/strong><\/td>\n\u00a38.99<\/strong><\/td>\nhttps:\/\/amzn.to\/2rjfLti<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Shower gel<\/strong><\/td>\nBar<\/strong><\/td>\n\u00a34.97<\/strong><\/td>\nhttps:\/\/amzn.to\/2oRCtrw<\/a> (same as shampoo bar)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Exfoliating scrub<\/td>\nNatural pot<\/td>\n\u00a313.99<\/td>\nhttps:\/\/amzn.to\/2NC8Y6C<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Face wash<\/td>\nNatural pot<\/td>\n\u00a39.95<\/td>\nhttps:\/\/amzn.to\/2NZKKSN<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Moisturiser<\/td>\nNatural pot<\/td>\n\u00a39.95<\/td>\nhttps:\/\/amzn.to\/2NAx2a5<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hairbrush<\/td>\nCOULD NOT FIND<\/td>\nN\/A<\/td>\nN\/A<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Clingfilm<\/strong><\/td>\nBeeswax wrap<\/strong><\/td>\n\u00a310.86<\/strong><\/td>\nhttps:\/\/amzn.to\/36W5rYn<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Surface cleaner<\/td>\nCOULD NOT FIND<\/td>\nN\/A<\/td>\nN\/A<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Washing tabs<\/td>\nWashing bags<\/td>\nAlready own<\/td>\nN\/A<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Kitchen sponges<\/td>\nFibre sponges<\/td>\n\u00a35.99<\/td>\nhttps:\/\/amzn.to\/2qFZ0bv<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Teabags<\/td>\nGlue seal<\/td>\nAlready own<\/td>\nN\/A<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Coffee cups<\/td>\nReusable cup<\/td>\nAlready own<\/td>\nN\/A<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Straws<\/td>\nReusable straw<\/td>\nAlready own<\/td>\nN\/A<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bags<\/td>\nTote bags<\/td>\nAlready own<\/td>\nN\/A<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Food<\/strong><\/td>\nLoose produce<\/strong><\/td>\n\u00a320 weekly shop<\/strong><\/td>\nN\/A<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Deodorant<\/strong><\/td>\nStick<\/strong><\/td>\n\u00a38.99<\/strong><\/td>\nhttps:\/\/amzn.to\/34ZjLhh<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Body spray<\/td>\nCOULD NOT FIND<\/td>\nN\/A<\/td>\nN\/A<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Have to buy total: \u00a3106.57 \u2013 OVER BUDGET<\/p>\n

Bold buy: \u00a372.68<\/p>\n

———-<\/p>\n

Throughout the week, I found that most of the things that I thought would be difficult to adjust to (such as switching to the new hair products, remembering my coffee cup and water bottle, all the things that weren\u2019t in my regular routine) were really easy after the first couple of days and I was able to adjust quickly.<\/p>\n

However, the easy things like buying lunch at university or food shopping turned out to be a lot more difficult.<\/p>\n

In the supermarket I found that almost everything is wrapped in plastic. Yes, you can buy fresh loose fruit and vegetables, but you can\u2019t buy meat not wrapped in plastic \u2013 I even tried taking in a box for the meat counter but was told they weren\u2019t allowed to sell it that way.<\/p>\n

In the student shops and kiosks at university I found that plastic free options were limited to drinks cans and that was about it. You couldn\u2019t even use a reusable coffee cup at the machine because they don\u2019t fit.<\/p>\n