Before I start, I should say that this post is the most interesting for Dutch people. Because, today, I want to share some more about ‘Het Plasticdieet‘ (the plastic diet)! As you might have read in my Weekly diary, I was a speaker at the kick-off event of ‘Het Plasticdieet’ and I am very excited about it! This event is very important in my opinion, that’s why I wanted to share it with you today!
What is ‘Het Plasticdieet’?
‘Het plasticdieet’ (the plastic diet) can be compared to Plastic Free July. It is a month organized by Opgemärkt to raise attention to the plastic problem, but even more important, to fix the plastic problem. During the month September you can join in and try to consume as little plastic as possible. The main focus is single-use plastic, since this is one of the (maybe even the biggest) biggest polluters. The goal is to make people aware of their plastic consumption and for them to see what changes they can make. This way you can try to live without plastic and see if it’s your thing (or partly your thing). In a way, it is an experiment, to see where your limits are when it comes to plastic consumption.
Why should I do it?
Ditching plastic might seem hard. I get a lot of messages about how people are inspired by me and have respect for my lifestyle (not to brag or anything). They always say it like it’s something special and hard. But it’s really not! I am not some sort of super hero with superpowers (such a disappointment, I know), just so you know! Living without plastic (or waste in general) is accessible for all of us! We are privileged, we forget that sometimes. We have everything we need, so why not try to do our best to do something for our lovely planet. Talking about me, I have money, I am healthy, I have great friends and family and follow an education. I. am. so. privileged. We can’t wait for anyone else to do it, because we are the ones who can make a change!
Not hard
As I was saying, living without plastic is not hard! It is not expensive (really, it has saved me money!). And through ‘Het Plasticdieet’ you can see what steps are possible for you, you’ll see that it’s really not difficult. It should be the standard in my opinion. The program works with spreadsheets every week to maintain your progress, to see how well you’re doing (because every step you make is a difference)! And, maybe the most important: it takes you on a plastic diet, step by step. A zero waste lifestyle can seem overwhelming and I get that. Seeing those bloggers with their 4 years of trash in one jar. Yes, it’s great! But it can’t be accomplished in one day. They did it the same way, step by step. How small each step may be.
‘Together we can change the world and make it a better place. It is in your hands to make a difference.’ – Nelson Mandela
How can you join?
I got to say: the whole project is in Dutch. So, if Dutch isn’t your strongest language I must disappoint you. But! Maybe you can learn haha. You can sign up and the website from ‘Het Plasticdieet’ and also follow the #plasticdieet on Instagram (they also have a Instagram account of course). You can sign up by e-mail and then you’ll get a weekly e-mail with your assignments for the week. The program has already started (yes, sorry, I am a little late, but not too late!), but you can still sign up! With the assignments come the spreadsheets, where you can fill in your progress to see how you’re doing.
Why I find ‘Het Plasticdieet’ so important?
It might seem a little weird to you, me talking about a month without plastic. I have to admit, I have signed up and follow the program. But, of course I do (or try to do) all these things all year round. So, for me it’s nothing new. But! It raises awareness to the plastic pollution problem! That is soooo important. These type of things get a lot of attention, especially from the media.
So, it’s not so much for people who already live plasticfree (like me), but it’s for people who don’t! Maybe they’ll see a social media post about it, or a newspaper article. Maybe they’ll sign up, and then they see that you can tackle this problem (instead of always complaining about it like I see people do, a lot). We have to take action! As I said, it’s an accessible way to see how easy (and rewarding!) a plastic free life can be. And by the program, people’ll feel like they’re making a change together. That matters, because the impact is way bigger!
Let’s lose some pounds, on the plastic diet!
Have you ever tried Het Plasticdieet (the plastic diet)?
Yours sincerely,
Romee