Opinion by Katie Berry & Erich Hetzel, The Royal Gazette, July 14, 2022

Cup Match is back in all its pre-Covid glory and the excitement is tangible. Somerset or St George’s, win or lose, each and every one of us is ready to celebrate and enjoy the holiday.

Beyond Plastic Bermuda has been hard at work researching how Bermuda can reduce its plastic footprint for the benefit of our island, our environment, our children and our children’s children.

Creating new, plastic-free habits can be difficult, especially when all we want to do is relax and have fun. That’s why Beyond Plastic is here to help.

Here are some ideas for a plastic-free Cup Match:

• Invest in reusable cups, glasses, plates, bowls and utensils instead of buying single-use items. For the beach, boat or poolside, these can be made of a hard, unbreakable plastic. As long as it is washable and reusable, it’s better for the environment

• Use refillable drink containers rather than single-use bottles. You can do that either for small water bottles or five gallons of swizzle

• Forgot your reusable drinks bottle? Try to buy a glass or canned drink instead of one in a plastic bottle. Plastic cannot be recycled, in spite of what the label may say

• Do not use plastic straws. If they try to give you a plastic straw at the bar, say “No, thank you”. If you love a straw, invest in a reusable one. Some come in their own bags for easy storage.

• Invest in your own reusable cutlery set. Stainless steel or bamboo are best. Buy one that comes in its own container so you can slip it into your handbag or pocket to wash later and use again

• Invest in a reusable shopping bag that can be folded away. These come so compact they can even fit into a pocket. Then, when you’re picking up a large takeout order or some Cup Match swag, you can say “no” to the plastic carrier bag

Read more here: https://www.royalgazette.com/opinion-writer/opinion/article/20220714/have-a-reusable-cup-match/