More than 5 trillion pieces of plastic are now floating in our oceans. Plastic doesn't biodegrade. Fish eat it, thinking it's food and it is now causing problems for our wildlife.
For decades, using single-use plastic items like straws, bags and coffee cups haven't really bothered us - but now people are starting to sit up and take notice, since the affect it is having on our planet and wildlife becomes increasingly obvious. You just need to watch this video of a turtle with a plastic straw stuck up its nose to put you off using straws forever.
It's so simple to change your habits. Stop buying plastic water bottles and buy a refillable bottle instead. Say no to plastic bags. Soon, you won't remember why you used those items in the first place.
Here are a few of my favourite reusable alternatives:
MIZU WATER BOTTLE
Price: £32
Mizu make really good-looking stainless steel water bottles. Buying water from a shop is a total waste of money. Save those pennies for more important things (like adventures) and refill this water bottle before you head out.
BEE ECO WRAPS
Price: £20 ($35 AUD) for a set of three
Say goodbye to cling film. Bee Eco Wraps make reusable food wraps in great designs to cover food and leftovers. They are made from organic cotton covered in beeswax and jojoba oil. Just use the warmth of your hands to mould the sheets to your bowl. You can wash and reuse them as many times as you like. Bee Eco Wraps are handmade in Australia but they do ship to the UK for just £5 P&P.
ENVIRONMENTAL BAMBOO TOOTHBRUSH
Price: £2.86 each from Greenshop
Plastic toothbrushes won't degrade in our lifetime - and we go through one every couple of months. I love these bamboo toothbrushes - they are 100 per cent biodegradable, even the bristles.
STAINLESS STEEL STRAW
Price: £4.99 for four on Amazon
I know, I know. Who is actually going to go round cafes and bars with their own straw? Sometimes it's easier to just politely refuse a straw. But I do like these stainless steel straws - some sets even come with a straw cleaning brush to get those fruit seeds out from inside.
REUSABLE BAG
Price: £4.50 from Paperchase
We all have dozens of these bags lying around our houses. Just take reusable bags to the supermarket and avoid bringing home plastic bags. It's already great to see that Britain's plastic bag use has dropped significantly since the 5p charge was brought in last October - around 83 per cent less plastic bags used.
REUSABLE COFFEE CUP
Price: £15 from KeepCup
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall launched his War On Waste campaign this month against takeaway coffee cups. Britain gets through 10,000 coffee cups every two minutes - and they aren't recyclable, despite what Costa and Starbucks tell us.
KeepCup made the world's first barista standard reusable coffee cups - which means they are exactly the same size as the ones they use in coffee shops. Take this to your coffee shop each morning and get them to fill it up instead of using one of theirs.