Reducing Plastic Waste
Reducing the amount of plastic waste you generate doesn't have to be difficult. In fact, you can do any or all of the following:
• Always take your own shopping bags to the grocery store and use them for your groceries to avoid contributing to the 5 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags used around the world each year
• Stop buying bottled water altogether and keep a refillable bottle with you at all times
• When you’re offered a straw at a bar or restaurant, simply refuse one. If you really must drink out of one, invest in a reusable option instead
• Watch the ingredients on your consumer products, because many contain little beads of plastic that also end up in the oceans. Use biodegradable alternatives and avoid “polypropylene” or “polyethylene” products like the plague.
• If you’re raising an infant, make the switch from disposable diapers to washable, reusable cloth ones.
• Use jars or glass containers for food storage rather than plastic baggies, plastic wrap and other plastic storage containers.
• Shop in bulk to reduce the amount of plastic waste you generate in your kitchen
• Use reusable razors as opposed to disposable ones
• Choose cardboard over plastic bottles and bags
It remains to be seen whether these initiatives herald the beginning of the end of plastic, but even putting a dent into the billions of tons that human beings generate each year would mark the start of a more environmentally-sound planet. more