Why I had to ditch my iPhone

Hayley's a Google girl now. Picture: Getty

I severed a relationship two weeks ago and I’m finding it hard. Like any end to a relationship, it does get easier as time goes on but oh how I’ve been looking at others with an updated iPhone and pining for that iMessage. I just want to speak to Siri or even just see the home screen again but deep down I know that I’ve done the right thing.

I was due an upgrade three years ago and held off in the hope of getting a good update – but that hasn’t quite worked out.

When enquiring about this well overdue upgrade I was offered a step up to a 7 for an extra £20 but I thought the point of an upgrade was a better phone for the same price. Then I got offered an 8 for an extra £40.

Gasping in horror, I was told how the handsets are now worth around £1000 and that’s why there is such a jump in price.

With two grabby little boys’ hands to contend with I decided I wasn’t going to be paying £70 a month for a phone with a handset worth a grand and instead opted for Android on the new Google phone.

I’m still finding it strange and the amount of people who ask what I prefer, it reminds me of the whole tomato sauce/brown sauce question.

I wont lie. My ancient iPhone 6 still sits in my top drawer, like the unused iPad with 14,000 pictures on it that I struggle to put anywhere.

But for now the new phone’s excellent camera is getting well used to help me get over my Apple break-up.

Delighted to return to deposit scheme

I’m excited to be working with Zero Waste Scotland again on the deposit return scheme.

Recycling plastic is something that I get a gold badge in and really only ever buy single use plastic as an absolute last resort.

I’ll give you an example – there were no wooden pegs in the supermarket the other day and I had to buy plastic and it’s kept me awake at night – I kid you not! Even the thought of the plastic bag they came in makes me crawl with guilt at what I’ve done.

They’ll get used until there is no life left in them, then recycled, not tossed away.

You might think I’m overreacting but it all adds up and all counts towards the horrifying plastic nation that we’ve become.

Just a few days ago news broke that Thailand’s “sweetheart” dugong had died with plastic in its stomach. The orphaned dugong named Marium, who became an internet star after being rescued in Thailand in April, died of an infection caused by ingesting plastic.

We’re rotting the earth and stopping and reversing the situation is paramount.

I’m proud to support Zero Waste Scotland’s deposit scheme and can’t wait to film with them to explain to people about how the scheme works.

It’s going to really change how we do things in Scotland and I believe that we’re going to be leading the way in recycling and hopefully the rest of the UK will follow in our footsteps.

Why I had to ditch my iPhone – Hayley Matthews