Nobody Panic - How to Live Without Plastic

Episode Date: June 12, 2018

Stevie and Tessa get behind the planet and explore the easiest ways to try and live a plastic-free life.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/nobodypanic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello, I'm Carriad. I'm Sarah. And we are the Weirdo's Book Club podcast. We are doing a very special live show as part of the London Podcast Festival. The date is Thursday, 11th of September. The date is 7pm and our special guest is the brilliant Alan Davies. Tickets from kingsplace. It's coming to London. True on Saturday the 13th of September. At the London Podcast Festival. The rumours are true. Saturday the 13th of September at King's Place. Oh, that sounds like a date to me, Harriet. And welcome to Nobody Panic. I'm panicking about plastic. This week we are talking about plastics and how to, I guess, get them out of your life, although you can't because they're everywhere. But I guess how to reduce them in your world because they are harming the world.

Yes, real bad. We'd be wanting to do this one for a while and now it feels like we've got on the Attenborough Bandwagon, but I feel like Attenborough got on our bandwagon. Yeah, he's always actually doing things that I'm doing. but he's constantly just like following me around. Yeah, and then making it more famous than you. And then you're like, but it was my idea, so stop it.

And I think I can trace it back to the time that I said, I should get, I should stop using so much plastics in my garden. And he was there? Well, we said once about not using straws anymore on the podcast. And next minute, Vivian Westwood, right? That was actually the thrust of my point. So I was the end of that. That's your only fact.

Don't use straw. I like that it's called, the campaign was called the final straw, though. That is good. Whereas mine was, I think, stop using straws when you don't need to. because your mouth's close enough to the drink as it is. Oh yeah, yours was, you don't need it to come up a small tunnel. Yes. That was yours.

Now, we all know that plastics are bad. Well, you'd like to hear about my plastic journey? Oh, yes. Before we do some facts, this is your journey, please. Well, I got myself heavily invested in plastics, reading an article, and it was about how there is a six to one plastic to plankton ratio in the Pacific Ocean. Because I was like, well, just get them out. Just sieve it out.

Yeah, you can't. enormous thing. Imagine how big the sieve would have to be. The sieve is too... What are you saying? Imagine how big your sieve would have to be? No, how small. Yeah, big sieve, but tiny things.

Because the holes are as small as water. Holes are as small as water. So I was like, it's fine, just scoop out. Just scoop it out, I was just shouting. Then where do you put it? Burn it. You can't. That's the thing you can't burn plastic.

Exactly. So every suggestion I was coming up with, I was like, oh, this is insanity. And then I would just go around reading people, this magazine article, being like, are you aware of this? And then... Everyone was like, yes.

Yeah, and I don't care. And I was like, I think we have to care because it was the size of averse country, this plastic island. And in my mind, when I imagine plastic island, I imagine it like a big rubbish heap, you know, but actually it's like completely on the surface so there's literally nothing they can do.

Oh, God. They found that there was actually plastic in the fish that we're eating. Oh, yeah. Because the poor fish is covered in plastic. I remember my plastic journey was when I was in primary school, And someone said, the teacher said about plastics and said, like, it takes hundreds of years to break down, hundreds and hundreds of years. And I said, well, where does it go then? And they said, well, they don't know.

And I was like, so it just stays in the earth. And then there was this, like, silence while everyone in the class was like suddenly realizing that the normity. And I was like, I wish I hadn't burst the bubble for everyone so soon. No, I think it's important. It's important. It's important. Get the bleakness of humanity in early. They need to know.

And then David Attenborough was there at the window listening in. They're being like, ha-ha! What's that kid saying? That's good stuff. I'll base my entire show around it. Yes, my whole career. Because apparently we are producing 300 million tonnes of plastic every year.

Half of that is for single use. Yeah. So we never used again. We make our body weight, Humanities collective body weight more than so, more than humanity's collective body weight in single-use plastic every year.

So we could make like a plastic world? Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah. And then we could, like, operate them, like puppets. If we wanted to. Yes, we found a solution. Let's make the world's biggest puppet show. What adult thing have you done this week?

Oh, well, mine's are really backdated, but I've got to get it out. Yeah, do. It's in the past, but I haven't had a chance to say it because on the day we were walking to the podcast to tell people about it, they wouldn't let us make a podcast anymore. Mine is that I ran the marathon. Tess is applauding herself. As she should.

No shame. Absolutely, no shame. Yeah, I ran the marathon It was absolutely dreadful And And yeah But had you trained No, as we all know

I hadn't trained at all If you listen back to the That had changed because Just to make listeners aware Tezah had said that she'd trained A fair bit I was in like yeah I'm trained

I had trained a bit There we go But I had not run Anywhere near the correct amount of Right Because I thought you'd run half before. Yeah, yeah, I said that to you. Right, this is what I'm trying to...

I went around telling people that I told, which was about six people, that I had done more than I had, to appease them. Yes, just so we weren't so concerned about her. And it worked, because I was like, well, she said at her, she's written, she's run at half. She's run a half. She's been absolutely fine. If I'd have known that you hadn't have done.

Shout out to Ellie Blake, who wrote to us to say, I was, you know, when we said to the marathon podcast, and we were like, oh my God, imagine if anyone's listening while running the marathon. Oh, my God. She listened while running the marathon. Oh, that's so great. On a loop. I sweated from places I didn't know I could sweat from.

Yeah. And I had to sacrifice my time. We all did. We all did, babe. We didn't get that sub four. I was planning on. Yeah, what of an incredible goal that was having run a 10K a month earlier. That I, yeah, did it get 10K, set off, thought,

probably could smash sub four, I reckon. A small part of me. She beat Katie Price, though. I did be Katie Price. So she stopped at the 10K mark. She stopped at 10K and went for a boozy lunch. Yeah. And I'd also like to do a shout out to my good friend Stevie

who made for me a thing that just said good luck in the marathon, an audio file that I put into my... I thought you meant the banner. I was like, it was an absolute pile of shit, I couldn't get it up. No, your banner was also great. She was there, found me. I was there alone all day trying to find her. I saw her so far in and I pointed to her.

Obviously it was Stevie. I don't know who I thought it was. Then I had enough time to unfold my huge banner and wave it around at her while she walked. over to me. It was like 18 miles in. We were some distance in. You did so well.

And then I just pointed to myself and I said, is it me? I don't think you actually, if you think you said words, you didn't, you went, I just pointed it. I don't know what I was trying to say. I think I was saying,

are you here for me? I think that was what you're saying. And then I said, no, obviously. And then you just know, and you pointed to yourself and then we both cried. It was such an emotional day. Anyway, if you heard the marathon podcast,

I talked about, about how I'm obsessed with when I run hearing the voices of the Olympic commentators talking about me and how good I am. And pretty much anything I do, I'm like, here she goes, hanging a curtain, this young athlete, so good at that curtain like that. And Stevie made that for me.

And I burst in tears. Oh, did you? Yeah. I basically did an Olympic commentary that she could listen to halfway through that was like, here she goes. All she has to do is finish. She doesn't have to win.

Or she has to do this finish. And she was like, it's unbelievable that this young woman is so, good at running that all she has to do is finish. No, no, it was because you'd already completed four of the games beforehand. Oh yes, she made an Olympic games for me. You'd won that. You'd also won the cycling, and you'd also won the swimming.

So you'd got so many points that you didn't even have to... You only had to finish them at them. Anyway, absolutely crying. Beaming and crying. Great. Thank you so much. Any time. Thank you. You'll never ever have to do it again. As ever, mine is so much less interesting, so we'll just snap through. Well, that's probably my biggest one I'll ever do.

Maybe. My biggest adult thing I'll ever do. No, I think. biggest one to date, not one you'll ever do. Thanks, babe. I have, I'd say, seven pieces of jewelry. I don't really wear jewelry. You're here to sell them? I'm here to sell them, would anyone like?

Like a tinker. I get very, I used to wear it all the time. I used to wear like necklaces and chokers and also, and now I don't wear anything. And I got my nose pierced and then it got infected immediately, so I can't wear that. I can't be bothered with earrings. I just think they look, I don't know,

they just always fall out. Anyway, so I've got seven pieces of jewelry. and I still, the other day, a friend of mine was like, you just keep your jewelry all over the flat. It's like, well, my earrings are on the clock. And then my other earring in that pair is obviously by the shoe. You do know where they are.

I know where they are, but it means that when I'm getting ready, I'm like, okay, I have to go through all seven being like, no, that was the one in that basket, and that was the one they keeping the hat. And so I've just got a tin, I just put it all in. And I think being an adult is about real, Tom's covered his face. He can't believe that's my adult thing.

I'm telling you, that is probably the most adult thing of it for all week. I've got a tin to put my like shit in and I kept losing. I think that's wonderful. What's the problem here? Tom's losing his mind here.

I thought this story was going to lead to like you went and got them all cleaned or insured or valued. We come from different times. I got mine from new looks, mate. As if we have anything worth insuring. And it all built up to it, I got a tin. Look.

It was underwhelming, but isn't adulthood underwhelming? Isn't adulthood underwhelming? Sometimes adulthood is getting a tin, sometimes it's running the marathon. I'd say, that's the spectrum. And that's the spectrum, baby. We're all doing our best. We're all doing it. And sometimes that best is you've bought a tin.

But it's still your best. But sometimes your best is living a plastic free life. Now, I think living a plastic free life. What now? Sorry, just nice link. At least it wasn't a plastic tin. Thank you. It was.

It wasn't actually. It was a single-use plastic. pot. Had yogurt in it. Now they're all stuck together with yogget. Not. It was a tin. So gross. So awful. I would do that. But at least if you used your single-use yogurt pot now as a jewellery, it's having it's second life. So it's not a single use anymore. No, it's not. But it's not. But yes. But well-ed, you got a tin-tin. A tin-tin. I find that the moments I started to try and get rid of plastics or just try and be a little bit more aware. And I realize

it's like the more you do it, the anxiety gets worse about it. Right, yeah, yeah, yeah. Because the more you do it, the more you realize that you can't do it. Yes. So then you have to like make this kind of peace with yourself that you're just going to do the best you can. And I want that to be running through the whole podcast episode. Just make your peace, baby. You're trying.

Make your peace, baby. That is what Tesla wants. Just make your peace, baby. Baby. The fact that you're in. And baby today. Who am I? exciting.

The sun's gone to my head. Yeah, yeah. What we'll try and do is interspers tip with... Make a piece, baby. Make a piece, baby. And then a positive thing that a big corporation is doing. Oh, great.

I hope you've brought those because I don't have any. Yeah, I have, right. That's a really bold suggestion. That's bold. You'll know some of the top of your head, come on. Riff a couple of those. Just be like, oh, somebody's...

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed, but maybe the big boys have got it under control. Yes, absolutely. Yes. It's always really heartening when you see somebody making a positive step, a big corporation.

You know, how small it is as well. Yeah. The most significant thing I did which was to get a reusable water bottle which is like a glass one. Well done. A BKR one, now they are quite expensive so I'd say there are other ones available

but BKR ones are great because they're plastic and they've got like a thing over the top so when you drop them they're fine. Oh, that sounds right up your alley. I don't like metal ones. I don't like the metal ones either. I think it tastes of,

taste a weird. Taste the metal. I think the metal ones taste like you're in a sort of camping expedition or something. And it's not cleaned. It feels like it's not cleaned properly. And you feel like you're in the army,

but in the olden days. Yeah. And not in like a fun way. Not in a fun way. And you're like, this is the bad army. Because there's a lot of good stuff going on in the army and the older. Glass feels like I can just taste water.

I would say on the thing being expensive that consider this to be a lovely, you know, treat to like go and research them all, spend some money on it, get one that you absolutely love. Because actually I've broke the handle on my BKR one because I threw it down the sales at Nando's. In the process of picking my colour,

I'm going to buy a new one, which is going to be the same one. So they're like 30 quid. Yeah, and I think invest in that and be like, oh, I've got this, I really like this one. Because I bought a bottle of water every day beforehand. So that's like, what, a month. That's bonkers. It's bonkers, yeah.

Like pretty much every day I'd get a bottle of stuff. Right. Not from the shops. Sure. Who else from the plastic water bottle seller? Yeah. If you were ever anywhere in an office or anywhere that had free water. Yes, free water.

Okay. Now I've got this nice water bottle that does look nice. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And it's nice drink from. And people say, ooh. Everyone goes, nice water bottle where you get that from? Like, it's BKR. It's really cool.

And it is really cool. The concept of buying a plastic water bottle to me, it's such an alien concept to me now getting a plastic water bottle. It feels so like, oh, get off your high horse. No, it's not high horse. I'm saying once you make a change like that, you literally can't go back specifically with the plastic bottle. My big one of those is, remember,

when we all got burnt when you danced too much in clubs because of the cigarettes. Right, yeah, exactly. It's like, what the hat? From what? From a hat moves. Yeah, you know, we were like, you know, you're dancing was so good, you sat on fire. No, you know, that was dancing in nightclubs.

And now the idea to me of somebody, of going into a nightclub and it's smelling of cigarettes. And getting burnt by fire. Every day, every day you got. No, without fail, you got burnt. Yeah. You can't go back from that. That blows my mind that we did that.

And so I think we are so many things like that. universally moving. Yeah, and I think it's just like that you think, anything that you think is part of your life and is like, I can't change that,

that's how everything is. Yeah. No, you will, you'll adjust real quick. You'll adjust. We are so adaptable as people. A quick shout out to the inventor of plastics.

Oh my God. Should we shout them out? Well, he's dead. Good. Boo. He invented Bakerite. Okay. And just, you know,

good to have him here in 1907. And it was the very first... What? What? 1997. No, no, you haven't thought that through. But that's what... It sounded like you said.

Well, think again what it might have been. 1987? 1907. Right, okay. But literally, I have no idea. No, you're absolutely right. You're absolutely right. So 1907, the first invention of it.

And then it's obviously used like heavily in the military. And even though we're real down on plastics, it has revolutionized medicine. Okay. And so even if you're thinking, God damn it, why have we got these? It's because this plastic water bottle is an offshoot of how easy... It's a remedy for colds. Yeah. Yeah.

like how useful plastic was in other areas. And then they were like, well, this is good stuff. Well, I imagine, yeah, well, I think a lot of the stuff now in the world is just smacks of people going, like, about 100 years ago, going, this is great! And just not thinking ahead at all. No, because why would you? They weren't really to know that it was never going to break down.

But then with the, I feel like the moment they were like, oh, this is not breaking down. Yeah, yeah, yeah. They should have like, let's go back to the way it was. Let's regroup there. Yeah, yeah. But now it's, now we're too far gone. Yeah, you're absolutely right.

Somebody did need to have piped up more. Yeah, I think so. Shall we, like, go through some tips? Yes. And then maybe you can honk the alarm for, like, we need some good news. Absolutely, yes. If we're feeling like it's a bit too preaching. Yeah.

Like, I don't want to preach. No, I feel like everybody knows how bad it is. I feel like everybody's watched Blue Planet. Everybody's seen the whale trying eating a bucket. Everybody's seen the pictures of, here they come, and I'm going to do two more. The dead birds with their stomach's entirely full of plastic bottle tops and lighters. and the seahorse carrying around a little cue tip. I don't want to live anymore.

It's unbearable. I don't want to live anymore. And I think we know. So we're not going to do any more hub and drink. No. No, no, it's coming back up. Stop using plastic straws. So I think we just know it's bad, yeah.

Great. Go ahead. Plastic straws, I'd say one of the easiest sounding things to do, putting it in practice, incredibly difficult. Especially when you're on holiday. And you go, like now in London town, lots of pubs have stopped doing it. I don't know what it's like for the rest of the UK, but now if you just go,

so they've had to make it my thing, like, can I have a vulcan soda lime and no straw please? Because otherwise they go, why? Or they go, what? Whereas if you, they like put it together if you say save the world, then what else could you be talking about?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But then you get people being like really weird, people putting it in anyway, and then going, oh, and then taking it out and throwing it in the bin, you're like, oh my God, I think that's worse. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Now I didn't even get to use it.

Yeah, that's stupid. If it's coming in your, if it's already arrived in your drink, don't take it out and leave it on the bar because it hasn't even lived its life. It hasn't lived its life. It didn't even get it single use. No, it's a non-use plastic. Who am I?

What have I lived for? So now you've made the straw upset, essentially, that I was saying. Yeah, so you just have to like make sure that you just tack it on to every drinks order. It's one of those things you just have to be consistently and quietly persistent about. Yes. And consistent about it as well. And I think it has to be one of those things, but just like pick your battles. Like, don't upset people.

Don't punch anyone. Don't punch. that's what I'm just as from my experience absolutely they don't think that's overreaction yeah they don't respond well like just don't be don't if someone's bought your drink lovely if it happens to have a straw in it you know it's there don't don't be the person who's like

well this has got a straw in it because it's very boring yeah just like just do your best in your own quiet way and I think if you work in a bar or you have any way to be any influence in it or even if you just regularly go to a pub that you were in a lot and you say to them hey guys would you consider not having your straws on the bar thing so that people

had to actively ask for them. So there do need to be straws available. Number one, those straws can be biodegradable but still feel like a strong plastic one because those paper straws are... No, those NAF like red and white things. They're like, they look fun and then they disintegrate immediately in your mouth. Then you've eaten paper. And then you've eaten some

paper and you're like, I couldn't be more sad. So there is, it is possible. It costs obviously slightly more money but it is very possible and achievable to buy yourself biodegradable but substantial straws. Yeah. People talk about having those silver I don't know, pure silver, but like metal, stainless steel straws that sort of clipped together and they're sort of what doctors use.

Yeah. And so, like, yeah, doctors have them and so that is something. For their patients. Just to suck them up. Famously, doctors have metal straws. Yeah, but like, so that's something that you can get involved with. Do you best and tell as many people as you can in a polite and quiet way. Yeah, absolutely. Very quiet. That's the crucial thing. Smiling a lot with your eyes.

The shopping bag thing is something that I think is my biggest crusade because I can't. seem to remember to do it. Yes. I never have a bag in my bag. Ever. I have a backpack. So I often like, I'm jangling around with cans and grapes and things.

It's like, just, yeah, everything. Carrying them all home. Yeah, carrying some classic man home and then you get home and it's all bruised because it's in your backpack. But it's so easy as to put a plastic bag in your bag. It's because I think there's a lot of like,

oh, I think I'll go to Tesco rather than I've planned to go to Tesco. Yeah, so I think what you need to do is have it in your, Because then of course, even if you're like, oh my God, that time I had a plastic bag or whatever in your bag ready. It happened once in 2017. Exactly. You didn't then, once you unpacked, you were so thrilled with yourself. You didn't then put that bag. I threw the bag into the ether.

Exactly. You didn't then put it back into your bag. And so I think it just needs to be one of those things. You don't need the house out your keys or your wallet. Or if you do your like, that was an error. So you just need to add it to your keys, wallet, tote bag. This is the things that go in my backpack every day. Yes.

And that just needs to be a part of your, I've got my Mac charger. I've got all my things, I've got my headphones, I've got my tote back. Like, that's the list. That's your thing. Okay. So maybe write it down on a poster note, stick it on the back of the door when you leave the house. Yeah. And then even if you don't, you know, because you will chance upon going to the shops. That's going to be, I hope that that's my adult thing for next week that I did it.

I believe in you. I hope so. I just, it's so hard. Also, another thing that I found out is that chewing gum. I didn't even think about that. Chewing gum is plastic. Oh, God. So chewing gum is something that I never buy.

And when someone goes, what's out of some chewing gum, I always. I always say yes. So I think it's like a very easy thing to give up. Because it's like, unless you're listening, you're like, oh my God, I love chewing gum. Fine, you love chewing gum. Pick something to cut out that you don't love and will be sad about.

Yeah, I think a good idea is anything that's already on the cusp, the cusp for you, like maybe a sugar thing that you want to cut out or chewing gum or for me, those multi-massive sharing bags of popcorn. I'm sure. Sweet and salty together in one. I mean, that's the greatest. I know, but it's in, A, It's obviously a dreadful thing to eat by yourself in one sitting.

Bok was not too bad. No, it is. I eat too many of it. Okay. And secondly, it's got that foil lining inside that can't be broken down. I didn't know that. I know, right? They're like, oh, good.

So try and combine a thing you're already trying to give up with now an environmental cause on top of that and try and cut those out. That's good. So maybe if you're addicted to chewing gum, then maybe trying to use this to give it up. But basically, essentially, if you're not asked about it, then it can go.

Yeah, if you're not asked about it, it can go. And I think... And maybe then like a couple of things that you're a bit asked about. Yes. So two non-assed... Two butt cheeks. Two butt cheeks and something you are asked about.

Your whole butt. That makes no sense. And your hand. I am quite asked about my butt cheeks. Yeah, I am too. I don't know why I thought that. That's a bad example. It was because you're like two things

that are asked about. It's like two separate butt cheeks. Because if you do get yourself, online and start reading people's my plastic free journey and like how I... Don't do that. Don't do it. You will feel like a monster? You will. And also... Also, they wear crap stuff.

And they're all from like the moonshye valley and they all want to talk about going to the bulk market together. And I read one. Fine, great. Where's the bulk market I'd like to go? There isn't one anywhere near me. Yeah, this woman is like so like... And it's been fine. We're not being mean to other people.

But I am just being a bit mean. Yeah. But she uses plain tapioca flour as a face powder. I mean, because makeup is obviously comes in a plastic things and hair ties is like this one's so easy. Next line. I've continued to just collect ones I find on the street. Come on.

Right. I just, I don't think we should be telling people that hard and that fast. No. And I think we, that is a lovely aim. Yes. When society helps us to do that. Yes. Great.

Great. I don't think I want to pick things up off the floor and put them in my hair. I think the three easiest ones are for shores. Water bottle, plastic bag, straws. Those are your classic three. Your holy triumvir. You've got it. So the next down, I think in the secondary group category,

might be the bulk market going to get your things from the market. I don't think, because I don't know where these markets are. There's one about four miles from my house. I'm not going there for my... But is there a fruit and vegetable market near you? No. Is there any food? In which case, if it's not for me...

That's the thing. It's not for me. But I do do online shopping with bagless online shopping. Fantastic. But also you want to, you know, your sweet potatoes still come in a thing, don't they? It's so unnecessary. It's so unnecessary. I think if we all start writing in to Tesco zone.

Oh, there's a little note that you can put on the delivery thing. Oh, yes. Maybe just put on there like, just try. Let's all try it. And your next online delivery, just put, can I have no transparent bags on my veg either, please? Can all my fruits and vegetables be loose? Great. He'll be rolling around.

It'll be a nightmare. Everything will be bruised. But like you've made an effort. And if you, I wrote into Tesco's, like I was sort of 45 years old. Or four. Disgruntled from, no, because I was disgruntled. You and you write letters when you're four. You're right, yeah, exactly.

You're absolutely right. Disgruntled from Tumberidge Wells, who said, why is this, why are these sweet potatoes in two things of plastic? Oh, were they? This is, they had like a styrofoam bottom and then plastic. It's just stupid that. So unnecessary. Because they used to have acacados and like that.

used to be loose and I was like, this is, it's not like, I'm just complaining about something that's always been, you've added this. And so Iceland now are introducing plastic-free aisles. Oh, great. Yeah, Sweden are getting into it. Sweden are always getting into it. Sweden are always. Well done, Sweden. And so I think the movement is there.

And so if enough people write in, you know, about the sweet potato movement, we can all, we can make a change. Yeah, little things like that do absolutely help. Yes. Are you ready for a big company positive? Oh, my God, please. National Geographic. Their May issue was probably an image that you've seen,

which is an iceberg and the bottom of the iceberg is a plastic bag. Oh, yeah. Very depressing that. Very depressing. Very arresting image. And from May, when they arrive on your door, if you're a National Geographic subscriber, they're now in a paper wrapper instead of a plastic wrapper. So the trees are being fucked up.

Yeah, fuck the trees. No, they are. We're pretty good of recyclable paper. Yeah, we're pretty good at that. I think so. And so just a tiny step from National Geographic. you know, preaching what they teach. Teach.

Practicing what they preach. Reaping what they sew. Reeking what they sew. Preaching what they teach. Everything. Everything. Okay. So, one thing I'm really struggling with at the moment.

Yes, please. Is cling film. Oh, gosh, yes, nightmare. I'm going to buy some alternatives to cling film. There's basically like, there's these cool, like, little things that you can pop onto fruit, are avocados. You know when you have like half an avocado? Oh, yeah.

Well, I have to cling film that. I don't. They're all just ruin. They're just ruin. in. So they're destroyed. You can pop a little plastic, a multi-use plastic thing over it that kind of almost like is like a suction cup. Oh yes, yes.

And that wraps around it. You can also get like eco-green bags that you can use again and again and again you can just stick in the dishwasher. There's reusable sandwich wrappers. And it makes me furious that this is not like a thing that we're all using. Yeah, yeah, yeah. They're all here. They're not that much. Like, it's not more expensive

because what Clinton films like two quid and then you buy it constantly. It's like what? Like three, four quid to get something that you will use again and again and again, you'll never have to buy again. Yes. I think that is a thing. We have to just pick one thing in your life that you've thought, gosh, I use too much cling film. Yeah. Constantly.

It doesn't have to be this massive overhaul. Yeah. Of everything. We're just giving like possibilities of different things. Here you're possibilities from the buffet. My possibility is your toothbrush. Oh, God. So if you have a toothbrush that you replace,

like however often you replace your toothbrushes. When it looks like, when it looks like, hello. It looks like it's shocked. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Exactly right. That time when you think, I'd be embarrassed for someone to come around now.

So whenever that time is, no judgment. So bamboo. You can get a bamboo toothbrush. Apparently they're amazing, and they come with like a really cool... There are various different companies because Google bamboo toothbrush. They're all there for you.

Oh, lovely. Google is that? Yeah. Oh, God. I also, my last thing was so Google that. So, we're both of being like, Google, I'll tell them. Basically, I don't know

which is the best for you personally. And I don't want to go about spouting alf about who's the best. Don't spout alf about it. I don't want to. So do your own, have your own research for God's sake. What you want us to do? I want me to have a look at the four or five

bamboo toothbrush companies and choose the best one. Yes, I think it's a very good thing to ask people. I would choose the one that has the rainbows for the bristles. Because I am a basic bitch. That's absolutely fine. I don't understand the term basic bitch. I don't know what it means.

Anyway, they look super cool. You get to tell everyone about... Basic bitches. Yeah. We look cool. No, you get to tell everyone about your bamboo toothbrush. Yeah, and then you don't feel bad for constantly throwing stuff away all the time. So definitely consider a toothbrush.

I can't wait to get mine. Oh, great. Another tip I saw, which is like, obviously. is, you know, if you're someone who buys a lot of lunches out or like on the go, you know, you'll get like a, often you'll get like a cardboard little papery thing, but then you'll have plastic forks and things. I used to work in a company that had only plastic cutlery for its employees in the office. And you're like, why aren't we using normal?

And then just pulling the dishwasher. Yeah. Taking your own cutlery places is sometimes a step too far because you're like, okay, now I feel like this woman who uses. And he picks up a flower instead of thing and picks up hair ties off the floor. And then tells people about it. Like, do it, fine.

We've all done it in an emergency. We have all done it. Those little bobby pin things as well on the gym changing. I'd be like, I imagine that's mine. It's not. We've all done it. Don't shout about it in your blog.

No, it's, that's the, yeah. And can be like, that's a way to live. It's not a way to live, woman. Yes. But I think even if you go out from your office, you go to your place, you get your meal that you're going to come back with and eat in the office.

Yeah, you use the cutlery from the office. Yeah, but you will still automatically pick up the cutlery on the way out and then be like, why have I done that? Yes. Or they'll already put the cutlery in there for you, whatever. So I think it's a bit like the straw thing being like, no cutlery. No cutlery. Yeah.

Just say no cutlery. No cutlery. And also, if you are working in an office that you have any sway over, if you're in any way, the office manager, for example, or you know who that is. Or you know who that is. Say, hey, could we remove, I've been working in a company that had plastic, It's a really questionable mime I just did but can anyone guess what it is?

I mean, it's the plastic cups pulling out from the bottom of the pile for the water dispenser. Oh and they're sort of clinging on and then when you take one, five drop them out and then you put four in the bin. They're clinging to each other because they don't want to come out.

They don't want to come out because they're like, but a yoli will lose me once! Yeah, and then sometimes you drink one and you're like, shall I just put it back in the top? It feels so weird. It's so weird. Anyway, so I've thought to myself oh I must tell, I must go and find whoever's in charge of this thing and say,

let's just not have the plastic cups anymore. Don't reorder them. Because then people will have to bring their own bottles. Yeah, exactly. But then I just thought it in my brain didn't actually go and find anyone. It happened. And I was like, I knew I was magic.

And that's the end of the story. And I keep going back to it, I'm magic. There's no cups. And then like, oh, right, off I go and find a mug. Well, the thing, it is annoying. These things are a bit annoying when you start doing them. But they're just about getting into a new habit.

Yeah, you get into it. And then it's okay. Yeah. Also, obviously, like, taking your own lunch and lunchboxes and stuff are really great, but that's, like, a whole other thing. Like, I'm sure I've managed to nail it recently. So, like, you know, we're not all perfect. Yes. But try and get lunchboxes. And support people, if they are making the choice. Who are made of plastic? For God's sake, you must. If you see, for example, Pratt to shout out to another big company, and think whatever you like about PrEP, but they are introducing 50p off the price of a coffee cup if you bring your own coffee cup.

Oh, yeah, I saw that. That's really great. whatever you like about Brett, you may not agree with them. I said that to someone. I was like, oh look, they're doing this thing. We should get like coffee cups. And it's like a, that's a bit lame though, isn't it? Right. It's like, oh wow, okay, but he has a reusable water bottle. Yeah, so he's really into.

I know, but he's like, yeah, but that's like a step too far, isn't it? You feel like, how can you fill up my coffee cup? I think we just have to start becoming those people. Yes, and you have to use that voice when you're filling it up. That's a thing not a lot of people know. Sorry, can you film Of coffee cup? You don't have to do that.

And like the water bottle thing, if you are a coffee fan, there are loads of really cool different types of coffee, you know, retractable coffee stuff. Oh, the coffee cups, yes. You know, to become a reusable coffee user. Yes, yes, yes, yes.

I don't know anything about it, so I'm struggling. No, that's the thing I'm just saying, again, like, I'm not naming brands because I haven't checked. I'm naming because I want people to be able to go and have a fun time exploring and it to be a fun. All the main kind of coffee house is like Starbucks

and Caféero do one as well. They have their own, like, version of that disposable coffee cup. But it looks important. It looks really cool. And that's a massive thing. Not getting disposable coffee because the lid on it as well.

Which often I don't want. No. The whole thing is insanity. And then sometimes you get like a little stirer and actually now I realise immediately that's because when you put sugar and you need to stir it. I was like, who needs to stir coffee guys?

Am I right? You do if you put sugar in it. Right. But we're all learning. Use your head. Put your finger in. Your finger in it. Number seven.

Burn yourself. Similarly with bringing your own coffee cup, you can also to any places that you go for lunch that are a buffet style. Great, great. I mean, always, always. Constantly, can't get away from buffet style lunches. Excuse me, the burrito place.

Is it because they do it for you? Yeah, yeah, sorry, I don't mean you. What's the word for, like, a serving hatch? That, I guess. Right, sure. So here we go again. You go to lunch at somewhere that they've served you and said, like, cheese, guacamole, guess what lunches?

A burrito. Correct. You can bring your own. box to them. Yes. Again, you're making a face because it sounds lame. I brought my own box.

Yeah, exactly. It's a super lame thing to do. I brought my own foil and wrap. And I'll do it with my own ingredients in front of you. Can't bring your own wrap, but you can bring your own box to... I just feel like they'd laugh at me.

I'd actually weirdly be embarrassed to do it because I feel like they... But no, I'm not saying it's the wrong thing. It's a great thing to do. I'm just saying how sad that I would feel embarrassed to bring my own box to a buffet. I think we all would. And I think we just have to...

start making those together. We are really getting into the meat of potatoes of the quite difficult things now rather than just like get rid of straws now like bring your own box to Chipotle. Yeah, but actually Chipotle and all the burrito places actually do that fantastic that is completely recyclable.

So forget the burritos, we're good, we're out. Oh my gosh, that entire tip, forget that. If you've ever had a lunch from someone I thought, God, how much look at this disposable? There's so much plastic and so much crap. And so then next time go again and be like, hello, would it be okay to... To put it in this please.

And then your ass will unclench when you leave the shop. Hopefully at some point. At some point, in the next two to three weeks later, you'll stop thinking about that time. You'll have to put in your own box. Everyone stared at you. That's the thing, like, not to harp on about my flower

for a face wash woman again, but like... Please do. She just keeps... I bet she brings her own box to everything. Oh, everything. And then to have, like, if we're going to a family gathering, we bring our own cutlery.

And I was like, oh, God. Hang on, so what's wrong with their cutlery? Exactly. If they're using plastic at the... Just in someone else's... So, arriving at, like, your next door's barbecue and, like, oh, we've actually brought our own caps.

place and you're like oh come on come on because they've already bought it so you're like well it's already there it's here now I mean that's not really just go against the whole premise of this podcast like well you're here it's you already got it so you might as well not try and find that line and wherever that line is for you and if you

you know but try not to and if that like if you're listening being like tapioca powder for it's amazing that's okay we're not saying that's wrong no that's wonderful but I think if you can do that then absolutely wonderful if you want to get in Luckily, we are now at a time when it is there for you to get in.

Yeah, yeah. It's kind of cool now, isn't it? It's so cool. If you want to say, if you want to Google square shampoo that comes in a block, like a piece of soap with no wrapping, and it's just like a block to use shampoo, that's available for you. If you want to have toothpaste that comes in a glass jar, that's available for you. I actually, I've inadvertently got a great tip that I've done. Fantastic. There's this soap called Marseille soap, which is made from olive oil.

It comes in like a paper. It comes in paper. It's like a massive block. It looks also really cool. It looks really cool. It looks like you stole it during the French resistance. Yes, you've gone back in time and then you've brought it back.

It's amazing. You're fleeing France with it. And you can use it, like, I've got very sensitive skin on my face, and I can use it as a face wash, and you can use it as a hand wash, and you can use it as a body wash. And it's still exactly the same size, and it's been about three months.

Only problem is smells a little bit like shit, but it doesn't leave any residue on your skin. You don't smell of anything. Right. So that's really nice. It doesn't smell like chip. It's like basically... It just smells like what you'd imagine

soap would actually be like before you put all the perfumes in it and stuff. I've got a couple more things. Absolutely. One is the toilet paper company, give a crap. Oh, yeah, but isn't toilet paper not plastic? Oh, doesn't come in plastic? Rappaging, rapaging.

Yes. That's what I'm going on. You're like, fine, the toilet paper, fine. That was like a real realisation as I was saying it. But plastic, it's recyclable. It's, you know, they've just done everything. everything for you and it can be delivered to your house. It comes in like funky paper.

It comes in funky paper. It looks super cool. Give a crap. People are really into, so it's just about the beach. Like obviously if you, the water is obviously the main drawing thing on our planet. No, the beaches,

you don't have to look very hard to find just horrifying pictures of the beaches. Yeah. And things being washed up and how damaging it is. And so there are lots of people out there. There's one called Four Ocean number four. and you can buy a bracelet. You don't ever have to wear it.

It looks a bit naft. Sorry to shit on your idea. It's a recycled plastic bracelet, but buying one pays for somebody to clean a pound of rubbish off the beach. Oh, great. So there are so many people like that and people who are making flip-flops out of recycled plastic

and people who are doing fantastic things. And so there is a lot of sort of hope out there. And my last piece of hope is this beach in Mumbai. that used to be a turtle beach. It's now a plastic beach. And it was for 20 years so riddled with plastic that it was completely, the turtles couldn't come back. And when they tried, they died.

And then as a group effort, just the everyone, people went down, there was no one particularly in charge and volunteers just went down and cleaned it. And last year, the turtles came back. Oh, I'm so glad that was a happy ending. The turtles came home. The turtles came back.

Well, that's good. Let's end on hope. Yeah. That's the thing is like... Ew, and a sneeze. That's the thing is that has happened. It took them, I think, for three years. And the turtles came back. Like, it is...

Yes, it is... Changeable. We can fix this. There are people who are doing that. When you go for a walk with your dog, pick up five pieces of plastic. Yeah. Again, it feels like a hippie thing to do.

Be like, hey, I'm sort of into that. I think that's fine. I picked up five more pieces than... Even they're like, oh, five, what difference is that going to make? Yeah. It was five pieces less. You know? And that's...

feels um yeah that's also kind of because you're kind of on your own and your dog isn't going to be like why have you brought your own box to it to the buffet like no your dog doesn't care yeah exactly your dog you're depending your dog loves it's all about throw it how embarrassing it's it up fetch this microbead well i think hopefully we've got across the idea that there are things you can do and you can just pick and choose oh my god almost like a buffet pick and choose what you would like to do as a starting point that sounds the most easy easy for you and I guarantee that once you start doing those easy things, you'll then be like,

well, that's easy, what else could I do? Just like with life, you feel better if you're doing something about something rather than just impotently sitting there being like, well, there's one in, what is it, the ratio, one to four, one to six? Yeah, six to one. Six to one, Jesus Christ.

Plastic to plankton. Yeah. But even if we go down to, you know, five to one. That's better than six to one. It's better than six to one, right? And what's also nice is that sometimes the swapping out for your cool soap and having things in glass jars

instead of plastic and not using plastic lighters if you're a smoker going back to matches. Yeah. Like some of it is cool. Yeah. It looks nice having matches. Yeah. Have a pipe maybe.

Have a... For God's sake, get a pipe. Basically, that's the main message here. The main take-home is start smoking a pipe. Start smoking a pipe. But yes, if you have any ideas for like future podcast episodes or you have... Like, if you have some cool things that you've been doing to reduce your plastic waste that we haven't mentioned, and yeah, tweet us.

My personal Twitter is at CVM. The S is a 5. Mine is at Tessa Coates. And on Nobody Panic, Twitter is at Nobody PanicPot. And you can email us NobodyPanickpodcast at gmail.com. And also, please do subscribe and rate and review. We are so, like, I feel genuinely quite overwhelmed by how nice some of the reviews you put on are. It's been, thank you so much.

It's been, we were nervous about doing this all by ourselves. And we've been absolutely overwhelmed by you guys. It's been incredible. And our reviews are so lovely and heartening. and we really love making this for you and I just want to say hi to a girl called Phoebe who the day before the podcast launched

but she wasn't to know that recognised me in a crush the shop oh yes the smoothie shop where I was obviously buying a smoothie that wasn't on the menu having a small set to with it.

Absolutely every time you buy anything I was also crying and not wearing a bra and I was basically in my book pajamas I was having the most sort of like, oh, I'll just get this and like get through the day. And then this lovely voice was like, I'm so sorry, you, Tessa, from the podcast. And I was like, oh, my God. Not now. I was like, she was so beautiful and her hair was like so immaculate. And she had a silk scarf on. And like, she looks so put together. And of course a bra. And she was like, I just really wish you all the best with, you know, the new podcast. And I hope it

goes well. And I think you do an amazing thing. And, you know, and then she had to give me a hug the idea that I make a podcast about like how to be a grown-up and this I just could not have made you because we're not grown-ups could not have looked more of a state anyway so one say thank you so much Phoebe you were a shining light on a particularly dreadful day oh that's so nice and thank you so much to you all thank you so much and yeah we'll see you next week see you next week bye