Plastic-Less Lifestyle

In today’s world, it can be extremely hard to find things that don’t have plastic in them. From everyday use to shopping, we have pin pointed things that can make a difference one small step at a time.

· Use reusable grocery bags when shopping. According to the article, 25 Reasons to Use Reusable Grocery bags on reusethisbag.com, if every person in New York City used one less grocery bag, it would cut waste by 5 million pounds and save $250,000 in disposal costs. The average reusable bag has a lifespan equal to that of more than 700 disposable plastic bags. Forgot your reusable bag at home? Go for a paper bag instead.

Use reusable bags to lower the amount of plastic or paper used.

· Reusable water bottles and to-go coffee mugs. Think of how many bottles of water you or someone you know drinks daily. We are supposed to drink at least four bottles a day. Multiply that by 365 (days a year) times 327 million (people in the U.S.). The number is HUGE! Imagine how much the coffee mug would save for those caffeine addicts!

· Reusable straws. I’m sure we all saw that video with the turtle and a plastic straw stuck up its nose. I personally almost cried! Straws, like many other plastics, need to be substituted. They have so many options like paper, metal, silicone, collapsible. The list goes on. So, when you go get a milkshake, skip the plastic straw and keep a reusable one with you.

· To-go utensils. Bring your lunch to work or school? I know it seems so easy to just grab a plastic fork and toss it after but think of how many times you bring that to lunch a day. Reusable Tupperware, utensils and thermoses are much better on the environment.

· Use bar soap, shampoo bars, conditioner bars and any other shower product you can think of in solid form. Solid form of all the things you use in the shower can save so much plastic each year. They can also be just as beneficial as regular liquid soap, and last longer than a bottle of shampoo. It is a great way to be eco-friendly and save your pretty pennies. (Bonus. You can bring all of your solid shower items on a plane with you no matter the size. Can’t say that about liquid soap.)

· When you’re grocery shopping, aim for products in boxes, cans, or paper. Some boxed items have plastic packaging inside so, try shaking the box and listen to see if there isn’t a plastic bag inside. If people stop buying from companies that have a lot of plastic in their packaging, they will eventually either get the hint and hopefully change it.

· Buy in bulk. The more you buy, the less packaging there is—which means less waste and more product. Sounds like a win-win.

· Literally anything else.While we use plastic a lot in the world, some people have noticed and invented things that can replace plastic for anything k-cups, saran wrap replacements, cupcake liners and more! Just think of the plastic things you use and look up a substitute for it.

Plastic bags are common in the ocean and turtles consume them thinking they're jellyfish.

We all need to work together in order to kill the plastic trend, so take a day and see what plastic things you regularly use, and then go on the hunt to find a reusable version. Not only is it environmentally friendly, but it will also be friendly on your wallet!