conscious choices: rethink plastic

Plastic waste is an issue that has been affected by fast-paced urban lifestyles. A large percentage of everything from food to products use some sort of plastic packaging, which is discarded. This has been created by a huge demand for convenience and affordability, sometimes at the risk of harming the environment but by bringing awareness to how we manage plastic waste is essential for a healthier and sustainable planet.

Billions of tons of plastic waste is created every year and the way we produce and manage our rubbish is causing an issue for the environment. Today’s throwaway use of plastic among consumers is contributing to health problems for all living creatures that live in the cities, the countryside and the oceans. The use of single-use plastic does not fully degenerate and is either eaten by marine life and sea birds or they become tangled within it.

Bringing greater awareness is pivotal for companies, brands and ourselves to be a part of the shift away from unnecessary use of plastic. Maybe you’re not ready to break up with plastic altogether and cutting it out can seem difficult in our modern lives but here are some super easy ways to make a big difference in reducing the amount of disposable plastic in your life.

Tips to Reduce your Plastic Footprint

• Say no to or try to reduce the use of plastic bags when shopping.
• Use reusable bags made from natural fibres that are eco-friendly, such as bags made from jute, cotton or hemp.
• Say no to or try to reduce the use of nonbiodegradable packaging.
• Try to buy fresh produce from local greengrocers, markets or farms.
• Try not to buy plastic bottles. Get a water filter system or a water filter jug to improve the quality of water at home/work and use eco-friendly alternatives such as glass, stainless steel, ceramic and plant-based bottles to carry water.
• Say no to or try to reduce the use of plastic straws. Use these alternatives instead from bamboo, papaya leaf stems, glass, stainless steel or paper but better still, use no straw at all.
• Try and choose products that are packed in boxes instead of plastic containers.
• Switch to buying biodegradable and compostable garbage bags.
• Try and store food in glass containers rather than plastic. It’s much easier to re-heat glass containers without worrying about chemicals from plastic leaching into food.
• Look out for zero-waste stores that encourage customers to bring reusable containers.
• Our mission is to share our knowledge and campaign for a healthier world, always trying to lead by example.

Azada was created on the principles of sustainability and our love for the environment. When we began in 2009 it was already clear that our business needed to operate in a way that gave back to the environment and society. From being EU vegetarian & vegan certified, donating 1% of our revenue to environmental and social causes, and sourcing organic ingredients, we have recently removed all plastics from our olive oil bottles. Our labels are also eco-friendly, which means that our bottles are 100% recyclable and compostable. We are proud to announce that we are the first company in Spain to use them and amongst the first in Europe. By buying a range of our delicious organic olive oils, you are helping us to change the world for a positive future one bottle at a time.