How can we help people use less plastic?
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Leafy
Make it easier.
18 May 2026
The short answer
People use less plastic when the better option is obvious, affordable, nearby and not annoying. Behaviour change starts with friction.
13:05Exactly. Lectures bounce off. A bag by the door works.
13:07Less plastic needs systems, not finger-wagging.
What actually helps
Put reuse where decisions happen: shopping bags by the exit, refill bottles in work bags, caddy liners beside the food-waste caddy.
13:14Make the bad habit slightly harder and the good habit slightly easier. That is not glamorous. It is effective.
13:20Clear rules help too. If local recycling or food-waste guidance is confusing, people guess. Guessing is where contamination starts.
13:27Start small
Pick one routine this week. Food waste is a good one because the bin is already judging you from the corner.
13:34Use the council bin checker or the quiz if you want a quick next step without reading a manifesto.
13:40
