Who are the Plastic Challengers 2014?
Elspeth Owens, Richmond
"My name is Elspeth Owens. I am a barrister at an environmental charity in London, with a love of the sea, the great outdoors, and great food :) I am a Sea Champion and am taking the full Plastic Challenge by trying to give up single-use plastics for the whole of Lent. I will be writing about my progress on the Plastic Challenge blog."
Agatha Ioannou, North London
Why am I taking part?
Plastic debris in the marine environment is a highly topical and controversial subject matter in which I have a lot of research experience. I currently work for the Sustainable Restaurant Association and believe it is our responsibility to take care of the environment in which we work and live and recycle as much as possible to reduce waste sent to landfill. Giving up plastic is a great challenge and one that is not going to be easy, but will be a great way to find environmentally friendly alternatives and try and live as plastic free as possible, whilst raising awareness.
What am I giving up?
I will attempt to live as plastic free as possible for the first week, and find alternatives for as many things as possible (obviously working in an office I can never be 100% plastic free as phones, computers I will have to use). But thereafter I will just give up buying anything in plastic packaging and continue to use plastic toiletries I already have e.g. toothpaste, shampoo, make-up etc.
I have tried to be as plastic free as possible in my day to day shopping etc. I cannot manage 100% commitment because some of the stuff my family normally uses is almost impossible to find in a totally plastic free way. However as far as possible I have already committed to reduce plastic to a bare minimum and am always looking at new natural alternatives. This is the best I can do at the moment. I would love it if there was a way to meet up with other plastic refuseniks at various stages of their journey, in London, to share tips and ideas. All the best with your challenge!
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