PLASTIC FREE JULY IN THE COMMUNITY

Edited By Delfina Rainoldi

Community can encompass many aspects of our lives, which is why our guest interviewee Shelli chose to explore how to go plastic free within the gym. Since in recent months we have been able to return to these wonderful community spaces.

Shelli has great insight into the gym community as she is now an F45 trainer (WOW) and was a former circus artist and gymnast (double WOW)!

Tell us about yourself?

Hey! My name is Shelli and I’m a personal trainer at F45. Something that always makes people smile when I talk about myself, is that I used to be a former circus artist and gymnast

What has inspired you to go plastic free when possible?

I always opt to try plastic free alternatives, when possible, especially when I’m out and about. Ultimately, my goal is to help the environment and I feel like choosing plastic alternatives is my way of contributing towards the benefit of the planet. Plastic pollution is totally out of control – as we all know – so by changing some of my daily habits I feel like I’ve played my part as best as I can.

What challenges do you find when looking for sustainable alternatives?

In terms of challenges, I’d say the expense of some alternatives out there. However, you MUST see it as an investment, because ultimately that’s what it is! You’re not only contributing to positive change but also investing in products that will last longer due to their higher quality (depending on what they are).

What is your alternative to plastic?

CanO Water is obviously my go-to alternative whilst at the gym – I am super glad that F45 stock it! Not only are they a great way to hydrate but they also keep the water nice and cool. I feel totally guilt free when I forget to bring my flask to sessions. In terms of flasks, I have a cool CanO Water one, which also keeps my water icy cold.

CanO Tips in the community:

You may be one person in a large community, but you can have a lot of power in the say of how and what can be changed, especially if people with similar values come together!!

Write to your local MP – although this may seem time consuming and unbeneficial, this could actually have a much larger impact than you may think! If everyone who had a bone to pick about their local government did this, then I am sure many more things would change!
Get involved in litter picking in your community through your local council
You don’t need to go through a government office to litter pick, in fact you can go plogging, what is this you ask? This is the latest Scandi craze which combines jogging and litter picking to combat plastic pollution!
Support local business who are trying to make a change in this waste-driven society! For example, many coffee shops give you a discount if you take your personal coffee cup when buying coffee
Say no to unnecessary freebies!
Join groups and organisations who have the same goal as you in order to spread more awareness! Working in bigger groups can make a bigger impact than working alone

Ultimately, plastic free July isn’t about being perfectly plastic free, but rather about finding ways to improve our surrounding environment through small changes in our lives or by learning/taking new things on and sharing them with our community, whether it be loved ones, acquaintances or strangers. Having an impact on your community will be close to impossible as a lone ranger, but slowly getting facts and stats across to individuals all over your community will create a domino effect. Starting with these steps in the home, school, workplace and gym will definitely get the ball rolling in the right direction!