Midge Ryan started @plasticfreephd to document her zero-waste journey, now she’s sharing her secrets with us
Midge is an eco-conscious student who runs a plastic-free Instagram account documenting the trials and tribulations of going plastic-free. She created her account last year to share her journey and top tips with others.
Although the number of plastic-free accounts already out there made her hesitant, she soon
Midge is also pretty clever – she’s studying for a Phd at the University of East Anglia researching the importance of pollinators for soft fruit production (that’s bees to you and me). We decided to pick her brain for her top tips and thoughts on the plastic-free movement.
How have your studies have affected your views on plastic, the planet and sustainability?
A: My master’s degree was all about sustainable agriculture, so it brought to light all the current issues with agricultural practices and their negative impacts on the natural environment. These range from soil erosion and pollution of waterways with
Q: You’ve been on some cool travels. Where have you been and how has this affected your decisions and awareness as a consumer?
A: My undergraduate dissertation was centred on coral reef health in Thailand. While data collecting I volunteered with a marine conservation group and we participated in beach and reef cleanups. The locals viewed plastic pollution as tomorrow’s problem and the boat tour owners would leave the rubbish from that day’s tour on the beach at the end of the day. This of course would end up being washed out to sea. They seemed to have no concern over the effect of plastic pollution on their business in the future as long as they could fill a boat tour tomorrow.
We have the luxury in the developed world of widespread waste management schemes that we don’t always use to the best of our abilities. Spending time in Thailand made me appreciate how easy we have it in the UK. We have weekly bin collections and recycling centers that make it really easy to dispose of waste properly.
Although the plastic pollution problem should be being tackled from the top by governments and large companies, we also have the power to influence their decisions through voting with our money and changing our consumer habits. Reducing our plastic waste within the UK means less will be exported to other countries where they are struggling to manage the waste stream and it’s ending up in the ocean.
Q: Have you been involved in any activism, campaigning or community work?
A: I recently took part in a beach clean in Cromer, Norfolk with Surfers Against Sewage and the UEA Environmental Science and Healthy Planet societies. We found a surprising amount of plastic on a seemingly pristine beach, the majority of it was micro plastics and small pieces of polystyrene.
Every piece of plastic you pick up and dispose of properly is one less piece that could be swallowed by marine mammals, birds and fish. Although it feels like a small action in the never ending sea of plastic pollution, (pardon the pun) it raises awareness of plastic pollution.
Beach cleans also make you more aware of the kind of plastics that end up in the sea and they motivate you to try and do more to reduce your own plastic waste. They also allow you to meet people with the same passion for reducing their environmental impact. Surfers Against Sewage list all of their beach cleans on their website and also provide information and support for people who want to start their own beach clean at their local beach. Doing a mini beach clean whenever you visit a beach by picking up at least 3 pieces of plastic as part of ‘Take 3 for the Sea’ can also contribute to the ripple effect of beach cleans.
Q: What are your top tips for someone who’s already got the water bottle, coffee cup and straws to take their next step in living a more plastic-free lifestyle?
A: The biggest areas in the home for plastic waste are food, clothing and toiletries. Try to buy clothing made of natural fibres to reduce the amount of microplastics entering the water system every time you do a wash. You can also buy a guppybag which can be used to trap all the plastic fibers shed by the synthetic clothes you already own.
To reduce plastic waste in your food shop, the first thing to do is to only buy loose fruit and veg, most supermarkets have at least some of their fruit and veg loose and many are increasing the variety of loose produce. Bring your own bags instead of using the plastic ones provided, reusable produce bags are now widely available or if you can sew you can easily make your own bags from an old t-shirt.
You can also try some DIYs for toothpaste, mouthwash,
Q: Can you recommend any other instagram accounts where people can get information?
A: There are so many great ones out there but @sustainably_vegan, @practicallyzerowaste, @lowimpactmovement, @shelbizleee, @thegirlgonegreen are a few to get started with.
