ACTIONS
So you're committed to becoming plastic free. You're keen to reduce the amount of plastic in your yoga practice and in your daily life ... but what to do about it ?
Just as in our asana practice, the determination to make a commitment is an important value. A firm commitment to be conscious, in our yoga practice and in our daily lives, of what we are using and to be actively reducing our usage or consumption of plastic products.
There's no avoiding the reality that plastic can, and does, make our lives easier but that shouldn't be reason enough to continue polluting and killing the planet. A yoga practice can be difficult and we often meet internal resistance, either physical or mental. Sometimes it feels like it might be easier to not practice but we persist and thereby meet the challenges our practice presents us with and so we benefit from our practice - just at it will be with practicing to be Plastic Free.
PLEASE DON'T...
Throw away your current plastic mat - it exists and will always exist (because it's made of plastic) so please use it until it's worn out and then replace with a plastic free yoga mat.
Wash your clothes as often - not only will they last longer but because most clothing contains synthetic fibres (plastic fibres) micro-plastic particles shed during each wash and end up in the rivers and streams. Here's an interesting article on the extent that micro-plastics are raining down on cities
PLEASE DO ...
Use a metal or ceramic water bottle - this should be a given for everyone, there's absolutely no justifiable reason to buy water in plastic bottles.
Use a cloth or paper bag for all your shopping - surely another easy one for everyone to commit to.
Choose glass containers over plastic every time - glass is actually recycled whilst plastic isn't really recycled very much at all.
Buy boxes rather than plastic bottles - detergent in cardboard boxes because cardboard is easily recycled.
Opt out of packaged items - choose fruit and vegetables that aren't bagged. Take the exact quantity you need and there's no need for a plastic bag.
There's so many more ideas to implement - no more disposable razors, no more disposable diapers, grouping items to reduce packaging when shopping online etc but the most important element is being conscious of making plastic free choices whenever we can.