We live in a plastic world, anywhere you go, plastic is omnipresent. Too bad of an issue that in less than 10 years, it is predicted that the ocean will be comprised of 250 million metric tons plastics and our landfills, a staggering 8.3 billion tons by 2050! Add the global warming as a result of deforestation (read the root cause here), mother earth is nearing extinction. Wish it was that easy to migrate to another planet but granted there is life outside earth, I’m sure poor earthlings will face deportation from our neighboring planet due to one reason: we don’t know how to respect and preserve our own. While there is no 100% plastic-free lifestyle, you and I can do something truly valuable. Remember, little steps lead to bigger strides. Here are some steps I have undertaken so far:
Bring own shopping bags. Hawaii officially banned plastic bags last year but oddly enough, there are some delinquent retailers and shops that still distribute (or even sell) plastic bags. Stop buying these because if there is no demand, there’s no supply. At my local Target, you get $0.05 per shopping bag that you bring.
Switch plastic containers to zero-waste products. I already stopped buying liquid soaps and switched to bars. Likewise, I favor shampoo and conditioner that are either come in bars or have recyclable packaging. There’s this shop not too far from me that sell locally made soaps and that has been my go-to now. I preserve the planet, I also support local business.
Bring own utensils (spoon/fork, including straw). I know we all do our share but this tweet from user india nailed it. In reference to her tweet below, I also would like to add that fish is high in mercury and if you’re unaware yet, fish consumes microplastics which in turn get ingested by humans.
so y’all will stop using straws to save fish but won’t stop eating fish to save fish
— india 👽 Ⓥ (@mileskaane) July 26, 2018
Don’t buy water in plastic bottles, use and bring your own water. If you are not doing it yet, I highly encourage that you do. If you are concerned with safety in drinking tap water, you may want to consider using filter. It comes in different types and sizes but this one I discovered from Zero Water is relatively affordable (starts at $25). It has a 5-stage filter compared to standard 2-filter which removes up to 99% of total dissolved solids, akin to drinking purified water from a bottle.
Recycle, upcycle, re-use. Exercise your creativity and try to find new uses for your existing plastic containers. For example, I use plastic jars to store my jewelry supplies and findings.
I hope you found my simple reminders helpful… all for the good of our one and only mother earth.
I ask for paper at the grocery store and then I use those bags to recycle in my bin. I save up envelopes, flyers, newspapers etc and put them in the bag. I like to do as much as possible but we both know that most people are too lazy to take extra steps to live plastic free. Something has to motivate them to begin doing so.
I’m happy to read this. Hope more people start to be conscious of their own plastic consumption
Love that you mention upcycling! I love finding cool ways to repurpose things. One other thing that I’m shocked has never really caught on here in the USA is bidets. I have 2 in my home and they cut down on the amount of toilet paper you have to buy and they are just so nice to use!
Yes to up cycling, there are always way to repurpose
Great ideas! I bring 1 cloth bag with me when shopping retail. I like that Hawaii has gone plastic free. With all the smart people around, one would think that bio-degradable plastic bags would be created?
Right? That would be a great invention
Plastics are a huge problem. I thought all plastics were recyclable, but turns out there are not all recyclable. I found a website that tells us in Massachusetts what can be recycled and what can’t: a little disappointing actually. I think MA is banning styrofoam, and that would be fantastic. The stores around here stopped using plastic bags a while ago. I try to stop using plastic bags at the grocery store for produce, but they don’t have paper bags for things like grapes or cherries yet. There are more alternatives, but still not enough. Great post!
That’s true. There has to be a way to use non-plastic from produce. Yes, we all do our share. I pick up trash that people ignore even if it’s in front of them
I’m really trying to cut down on my plastic use. I only use reusable bottles now, and am trying my best to ask for no straw and use the metal ones I keep at home!
Happy to read this
When we were in Northern California, there was a ban on plastic bags, and we always kept reusable bags in the car. Now that we’re back in Arizona, I still bring those bags with me to the grocery store, and I get so many strange looks from people at checkout. Some of my bags are at the end of their lifespan so you just reminded me to get some more ordered.