Standing on Greta Beach on Christmas Island, I expected to be surrounded by untouched natural beauty. Instead, I found myself confronted by something far less inspiring. As the waves lapped against the shore, each surge carried plastic pollution onto the beach. Further back from the water’s edge, a large pile of rubbish had accumulated.

This is a beach where turtles come to nest, and plastic pollution poses a real threat to these incredible creatures. I could only imagine the struggle a mother turtle faces to dig her nest on the beach. The hatchlings face an even greater challenge as they try to make their way to the ocean, becoming trapped, disoriented, or blocked by rubbish on the beach.

At the stairway entrance to Greta Beach, there are bags and signs inviting visitors to join the ongoing effort to clean the beach. Locals regularly volunteer their time to remove the rubbish, but I couldn’t help but feel like they are fighting a losing battle. It is heartbreaking. I left Greta Beach feeling like I needed to do something, even if it was only changing a few habits in my own home.

Why I Changed My Habits

Witnessing this firsthand made me reflect on my own habits, and inspired me to reduce my plastic consumption.

I have tried Plastic Free July before, and I was determined to change my habits. However, it quickly turned into overwhelm. The idea sounded simple enough, reduce single-use plastics. But looking around the supermarket shelves, the majority of items contain single-use plastic. How do I cut it out of my life? Where do I start? If I can’t do it perfectly, why do it at all? I felt like I had failed if I bought something wrapped in plastic, even when it was the only realistic option.

Eventually I stopped trying for perfection and focused on making realistic changes that I continue beyond Plastic Free July. As these habits became part of my routine, I found it easier to slowly introduce new ones.

The Small Changes That Actually Stuck

Here are the small things that actually stuck. They might not seem like much on their own, but together they have helped me reduce my plastic use without feeling overwhelmed.

• Swapping plastic wrap for beeswax wraps.
• Using a bamboo toothbrush instead of a plastic one.
• Taking reusable produce bags to the supermarket.
• Making my own cleaning spray.
• Carrying a reusable water bottle wherever I go.
• Bringing a reusable coffee cup for takeaway coffees.
• Picking up three pieces of rubbish whenever I’m at the beach through the Take Three for the Sea initiative.

I’ve realised that making a few sustainable swaps I can stick with is far more valuable than trying to be perfect and giving up altogether. As these habits become second nature, I can introduce other changes too. Small steps really add up over time.

If You Don’t Know Where To Start

You don’t need to change everything overnight. Pick one swap that feels achievable and build from there. If you’re looking for some great reusable products, these are a few of my favourite stores that I’ve personally used over the years.

Biome – My go to for beeswax wraps, produce bags and a reusable coffee cup.

Flora and Fauna – I purchase bamboo toothbrushes and shampoo bars here.

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If you’d like to see Greta Beach for yourself, I’ve shared a short Instagram reel from my visit. It is hard to capture the scale of plastic pollution in words alone.