Ditch Plastic!
Plastics have become a significant part of our daily lives because of their convenience, efficiency, and ability to make our lives easier. However, our reliance on plastic products has led to an alarming amount of global plastic pollution.
Reducing our plastic waste requires changing our everyday habits, our mindsets, and how we view the use of plastics. Even small changes can make a big difference.
Facts about plastic waste:
- Single-use plastics have an average useful life of only 12-15 minutes but can take up to 500 years to disintegrate.
- Every year, 500 billion plastic bottles are produced globally.
- There are more than 150 million tons of plastic waste in the ocean.
- Approximately 2 million plastic bags are used every minute worldwide.
- Around the world, nearly a million plastic beverage bottles are sold every minute.
Tips to reduce plastic waste
- Use reusable bags: Bring your own bags when shopping, whether you go shopping for groceries or other items.
- Avoid single-use products: Avoid plastic straws, cutlery, and other disposable plastics whenever possible.
- Invest in a reusable water bottle: Instead of buying bottled water, use a refillable bottle.
- Choose products with less packaging: look for products with minimal or recyclable packaging.
- Buy in bulk: Buying in bulk can reduce the amount of packaging waste.
- Revamp your food storage: Opt for washable food-grade silicon bags instead of disposable Ziploc bags. Instead of plastic wrap, try beeswax wraps. Store your leftovers in glass jars or containers.
- Shop at local farmers’ markets and produce stands: These spots are a great way to buy fresh, local produce with minimal plastic packaging.
- Avoid plastic with your morning coffee: Bring your own beverage container when visiting coffee shops. Some coffee shops even offer incentives to customers for bringing their own cups!
- Ditch the disposable razor: Instead of tossing a plastic razor in the trash every few months, consider switching to a razor that allows you to replace your blades, such as a safety razor.
- Switch out your hair products: Instead of using a shampoo and conditioner that comes in a bottle and is watered down, try switching to a more concentrated bar that will last 3x as long!
- Recycle: Sometimes, it’s hard to avoid single-use plastics, but recycling your plastics according to your area’s recycling guidelines is an excellent way to reduce that waste. Contact a local farmer and offer up your empty produce containers for reuse if possible.
Participate in local clean-ups: Join a group or organize a clean-up in your area to help maintain the community’s beauty and keep trash, like single-use plastics, from piling up. Click here to learn about how to organize a clean-up in your area.