Whether you are at home or exploring the world, cutting plastic use is easy. The fear of our beautiful world suffocating and dying out is from our ignorant behaviors, and now is the time to make changes and become aware of our actions.
Do not expect to turn into a hippie with a compost bin in your yard and a mason jar filled with your trash for the year. Those are not realistic expectations. However, I can suggest a few methods to reduce plastic usage without trying to hard.
What Can You Do?
Making small changes to your daily routine will help you stay committed to being more eco-friendly without disrupting your lifestyle. I am guilty of it too, but trying too hard at something makes me want to quit faster and go back to my comfortable (and environmentally harmful) habits. But I want to show you how you can make a big difference by making these changes to your behaviors. Even the smallest of changes to your daily routine can make a large difference, as long as you do them consistently.
Make The Change:
This is not a sponsored post.
1) Reusable Bags: Throughout the years, I have collected so many reusable bags. Some were giveaways from fairs or "prizes" for reaching a certain amount on my shopping trips or wrappings from presents. Now, each time I go shopping, I am a walking billboard for hundreds of companies. Yet, each one of these bags can save 170 plastic bags!
Do not worry if you forget to bring your bags on a grocery shopping trip. It happens. To help you remember, try to put the bags in your car trunk after you unpack your groceries, or store them in plain sight around your shopping list.
2) Reusable Straws: Around my house, I only use a straw for one thing: cold mixed drinks. I love my pina coladas and daiquiris serves with a colorful straw sticking out of them, so I can sip without getting a nose full of ice. Yet, as I chug it down, the taste does not change because of the straw. Therefore, making the switch to a reusable straw is almost an unconscious decision. Once you make the small investment into reusable straws, you do not have to think about what you are sticking into your drink again.
Making the switch is not expensive. You can get a pack of 14 straws that will last years for roughly $8-15. I made the change to thick, silicone straws because they do not conduct heat and are also easy to clean between uses. With each straw, you are saving roughly 540 plastic straws.
When you opt to dine out, make the conscious choice not to use a straw in your drink. Many restaurants are making this change to become eco-friendly as well.
3) Bamboo Toothbrushes: This was a recent change for me and I love it. A plastic toothbrush contributes to an incredible amount of waste each year. Since we brush our teeth every day and (should) replace toothbrush every three to four months, this is a great opportunity for us to make a simple switch. Think about it, although a toothbrush is small, each person throwing out 2 toothbrushes a year really adds up.
Bamboo is a fast growing material and has sustainable harvesting methods. Bamboo can grow up to 4 feet in a day! Also, these toothbrushes are biodegradable! You will have no waste when you swap out this toothbrush for another one.
Switching does not come at a cost. You can get a pack of 10-20 bamboo toothbrushes for around $1 per brush.
I recommend Amorus 10 Pack Bamboo Toothbrushes because the packaging is also 100% biodegradable and the bristles are soft. When I made the switch, I was afraid that the BPA free bristles would hurt my gums, but they are incredibly soft.
4) Glass or Stainless Steel Water Bottles: Just one reusable water bottle can save roughly 170 plastic water bottles from ending up in our landfills... or worse, our oceans. They are easy to clean and refill, which makes them a super easy way to cut plastic use.
As a water drinker, I try to drink as much as possible during my work day. When I put my lunch in the break room each morning, I fill up my water bottle to have with me at my desk. With each refill, I am not only helping the environment, but also my body.
5) Cloth Towels: They are easy to find and cheap! Not only do they come in cute designs, but one cloth can save roughly 7,300 paper towels from being used. After use, just toss them in with you laundry.
By making theses simple changes, we can all cut back on your plastic use and save our beautiful Earth.
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Do you have any other suggestions?
