Futuring Orange’s Kate Hook has been on the lookout for plastic-free shopping options as part of her role on Orange City Council’s environmental sustainability committee and has shared her tips for avoiding bringing extra plastic into the household.

Ms Hook has been taking snap-lock containers to M&J Butchery in Moulder Street where owner Michael Borg puts the meat straight in, taring the weight of the container so the consumer only pays for weight of the meat. 

Mr Borg said he normally went through six rolls of thin plastic bags a week and it had been a simple transition to cater for the customers who wanted to cut their consumption. 

“We just got back from Thailand [where] 20 kilometres out to sea, there’s an island of plastic,” he said.

Ms Hook said Harris Farm’s milk stand allowed customers to fill their own glass bottles, which they could then recycle and she chooses to sterilise them at home and refill them.

With Baker’s Delight stocking whole loaves and slicing on-premises, she said she could either take re-used plastic bread bags or cloth ones, avoiding the extra packaging. 

She said bread bags were also useful for fruit and vegetables, while Scoop Wholefoods sold rice, legumes and cereals in paper and refillable glass.

Ms Hook said some cleaning products, including Ecostore, used sugarcane starch bottles, while the Grocer and Co Organics sold toilet paper, tissues and paper towel free of plastic. 

She also recommended finding out which plastic bottles and containers could be refunded at the Return and Earn facility. 

Her efforts have cut down her rubbish volumes by two thirds, but she also said it was important for the environment.

“Plastic doesn’t go away, it doesn’t break down, it doesn’t degrade – even if you recycle it, it’s here forever,” she said. 

“But it’s not about beating yourself up, it’s about learning and finding solutions.”

Fellow committee member Annella Powell will trial it next month, saying she was apprehensive at first but wanted to make a difference. 

“Manufacturers don’t know we want them to come back to more sustainable models,” she said. 

Others who want to take the challenge can like the Plastic Free July Orange NSW page on Facebook for other tips.

Do you know of anywhere else you can buy items free from plastic bags or packaging? Email us here.