7 easy ways to reduce plastic around the yard
A report by the World Wildlife Fund in 2019 suggested that only 24% of plastic waste is recycled. So if recycling isn’t always possible, what can we do, as equestrians, to reduce our plastic consumption? We’ve picked out 7 small changes that you can make around the yard and beyond…
-
Fix your thirst!
When you’re on the go, heading to the yard or off competing, carry a reusable coffee cup and water bottle. Catering stands at shows are usually more than willing to fill your own cup or bottle with their liquid refreshments.
-
Switch the sponge
Did you know that the majority of sponges are made from plastic? Once you’ve finished using one for bathing, tack-cleaning or eye-wiping and chuck it in the bin, that sponge hangs around for 100 more years! Instead choose a sponge that is biodegradable, or better still compostible, like our Scrubbies, so that it can head straight to the muck heap when you’re finished with it.
-
Plastic-free packaging
Over 67% of plastic consumed in the UK every year is packaging. If you’re reducing your carbon footprint by ordering your equestrian products online, try to pick a brand that has made an effort to reduce or even eliminate plastic from its packaging. Quite often you’ll find this information in their ‘About Us’ section, or you can always drop them a DM to check.
Our packaging is now plastic free!
-
Reuse your tubs
Have you ever added up the number of supplement tubs that you throw away each year? Scary, isn’t it, as some are still made from non-recyclable plastic. Plenty of supplement brands are now considering the alternatives – delivering refills in paper bags, for example, so shop around and look to switch if you can. If that’s not an option, think about using the tubs are storage containers for your lorry or tack room.
-
Reuse your spray bottles
Once you’ve used something up, can you repurpose the bottle? Give them a good rinse to ensure there is no residue left and find them a new home. We love taking ours home and using them to make room sprays with water and essential oils. If you’re feeling adventurous, you could even try making your own fly repellent!
-
Plastic alternatives
There are now so many great horsecare products that come in non-plastic containers. You can now buy everything from wound care to mane and tail conditioner in aluminium tins, which are fully recyclable. Don’t be afraid to experiment and look at the smaller brands that you may not have heard of before. Quite often these brands are doing so much more to be sustainable and producing truly innovative, effective products that will blow you away!
We highly recommend checking out Mother Bee, Topline Naturals and EQ Wax who all sell in aluminium tins.
-
Go zero-waste
This can be pretty difficult in the equestrian world, but times are-a-changing! This year we released our new Shampoo Bar for horses, which has very little packaging (just a recycled paper band with the instructions). Not only is there zero-waste once you’ve finished the bar, customer feedback has revealed that it is easier to use and delivers better results than bottled shampoo.
Reducing your plastic waste as an equestrian can feel like an enormous task! If you’re feeling overwhelmed, start small, pick one thing from the list above and go from there. Plastic pollution is a huge problem around the world, so if we all take responsibility for our own plastic consumption together, we can make a difference!
Check out our full plastic-free range here.
