Plastic waste is a major issue in our world today. Worldwide, we produce approximately 400 million tons of plastic each year. That’s a hefty amount, and you don’t even want to know how much of that is thrown away and clogging up landfills (Hint: it is ¾ of it). The main problem with plastic in general is that it lasts forever. It doesn’t go away when you toss it in your trash can. Nearly all of the plastic ever produced in the world still exists somewhere in the biosphere, although it can’t always be seen by humans due to the fact that it is reduced to tiny particles in marine and land ecosystems. Plastic, by design, resists decay and that is the main problem! For my recycling people out there, I’m sorry to inform you that between 1950 and 2015, only 9 percent was recycled.
All of this plastic waste is super harmful to humans, wildlife, and the environment. We took the liberty of providing a list for you to refer to if you are looking for hacks to reduce your plastic usage. Every effort helps! Small actions have a bigger impact on the world than you think!
1.Bring your own shopping bag
According to Earthday.org, about one trillion single-use plastic bags are used annually across the world. That is almost 2 million bags used every minute. EEK! These thin and easily ripped bags can easily be replaced by reusable grocery bags. This is a very good idea, so much so that the government is even implementing policies to encourage more and more people to use reusable bags.
Skip the bottled water and invest in any reusable water bottle. A refillable bottle is more convenient and cutting out plastic water bottles is a super easy way to reduce plastic usage.
3.Update your food storage methods
Single-use storage containers, plastic wrap, and plastic baggies can easily be eliminated when it comes to storing your food and leftovers. Packing the kids lunch? Skip the snack baggies and put their food in reusable containers or a bento box. Instead of using several throw-away plastic zipper bags or wrapping sandwiches in saran wrap, packing food in boxes and containers eliminate all plastic waste! I invested in a few lunch containers with several compartments and I watched my plastic bag and saran wrap usage go down so much I can’t even remember the last time I had to buy the products! This method will save you money in the long-run, yay!
4.Don’t use beauty products with micro beads
When it comes to beauty products, especially skin care, plastics hide behind the word micro beads. Micro beads are intended to be exfoliates, but they are pretty much just micro plastics. Micro beads are polluting our oceans due to the fact that they are nearly impossible to filter out and wastewater treatment facilities are not able to stop them. When shopping for skin care, look for products with natural exfoliates and biodegradable alternatives.
5.Skip the straws
This single-use item is extremely unnecessary if we are being honest. Save the turtles.
6.Shop in bulk
In a majority of households, most of plastic waste is generated from the kitchen. Try buying products with less individual wrapping. Bulk products tend to use less packaging.
7.Buy farm fresh eggs in reusable paper containers.
8.Bring paper bags to the store to buy cereal in bulk.
9.Buy toilet paper that is wrapped in paper instead of plastic.
10.Try waste-free periods.
There are quite a few non-disposable options available to cut down on period waste. Options include DIY-with-pride reusable pads and a variety of menstrual cups, such as the Diva Cup. Both of these choices reduce the large amount of plastic that most pads and tampons are packaged in. It is completely understandable if you are not ready to make the switch from pads or tampons to one of these options, but maybe consider using brands that skip the plastic applicators.
11.Use cloth diapers
If you have a young one in the house, then you don’t need us to tell you how many diapers end up in the garbage after just one day. Consider putting your baby in cloth diapers to reduce all of that waste.
12.Skip plastic silverware
13.Use cloth napkins at dinner instead of paper ones.
Now in this case you are not directly using plastic, but you are reducing your overall waste and therefore saving plastic trash bags.
14.Don’t use plastic cutting boards
15.Buy glass or wood cutting boards as they will last longer and you won’t be using any plastic.
The ways to reduce your plastic usage are numerous. Making little efforts, such as bringing your reusable shopping bags to the store, make a big difference in the world. If everyone reduced their plastic usage just a little bit, there would be major change.
Plastic trash doesn’t go away, and it is a huge problem. In 1992, a shipping crate containing roughly 28,000 plastic “rubber duckies” was lost at sea somewhere between Hong Kong and the United States. Today, these plastic bath toys are found washing up on shore all over the world. What does this teach us? Plastic is surprisingly indestructible. After 27 years, these plastic products are still intact and circulating through our oceans. In order to take plastics out of our oceans, everyone needs to be mindful with their usage. A lot of people that I talk to seem to think that the world is doomed and that the plastic probe is irreversible. We here at Ellaquor disagree. We have more power than we let ourselves think, and we can make a change, and this time, for the better.
Let us know your favorite plastic saving hacks by commenting down below. Let’s get saving!