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Plastic is prevalent in our everyday lives; it’s almost impossible to escape. That said, there are definitely some steps you can take to mitigate your plastic use while at the same time not disrupting your day-to-day life. No one is asking you to sell your house and live among the trees, but there are definitely a few things on this list you can keep in mind while going about your daily routines. While the damage to Mother Earth is already done, we can definitely try to slow or stop future pollution and destruction. Here are ten ways to reduce plastic use and go greener.
Avoid Single-Use Plastics at the Grocery Store
This one seems like a no-brainer until you actually sit down and consider the amount of single-use plastic in our daily lives. From the obvious plastic bags at the store to less thought-of items like plastic food containers and bags for deli meats. Here’s a quick list of common single-use plastics at the grocery store and how to avoid them.
Plastic Bag Alternatives
While a ton of states in America and countries around the world have taken steps to ban plastic bags or dissuade people from using them, they’re still prevalent in lots of places. If you haven’t already, you should be reusing plastic bags and saving them rather than throwing them out. A better option is to start using those cloth or recycled grocery bags available at many stores. They often cost around a dollar and can last years if you don’t abuse them.
If I forget mine and I haven’t bought a lot of stuff, I’ll carry it all out to my car in my hands rather than take a plastic bag. You might have to walk a little slower while you juggle your groceries, but you’ll avoid using a plastic bag.
Avoid Prepackaged Fruits and Vegetables
It seems like everything comes in plastic or styrofoam these days. While those prepackaged cut-up fruits seem like a good idea, they’re actually more expensive than the fruit itself and take no time at all to do at home. Try and buy your fruits and vegetables without plastic at the store or head to a farmer’s market. You’ll support a local farmer and reduce plastic use.
Bring Your Own Containers for Deli Meats and Cheeses
Almost every grocery store puts their sliced deli meats in those plastic Ziploc bags, and while you could reuse them, they’re often not strong enough to hold up to more than a few uses. Instead, try and bring your own containers or reusable bags to store your deli orders. Most places have butcher’s paper that they’d be happy to wrap your items up in too.
Avoid Plastic Packaged Products and Purchase Boxed Products Instead
While this isn’t something you can do with every liquid you purchase, a lot of products are available boxed instead of in plastic. Plastic milk jugs are iconic, but they sell paper-boxed milk that is the same exact thing, just in biodegradable packaging. Orange juice is another great example of a product that can either be purchased in plastic or boxed form. You might not be able to do this for every product, but keep it in mind while you’re at the store.
You can also apply this to other products packaged in plastic, like pasta or cereals. Pasta is often sold in cardboard boxes and doesn’t need to be purchased in a plastic bag. Cereals are often in cardboard boxes but have a plastic bag inside containing the cereal. Some stores have started offering fill stations for products like cereal, nuts, and other items. Bringing your own container is a great way to save on plastic.
Avoid Using Single-Use Cutlery
Single-use cutlery is commonly offered at fast food restaurants, cafes, and other places where washing customer cutlery isn’t an option. Instead of using plastic cutlery, keep a fork, knife, or spoon in your bag. You can easily wipe it clean with a napkin when you’re done and wash it at home. There are a number of options available on Amazon for those that wish to take this route. Most of them combine it all into one easy-to-use piece of cutlery, helping you reduce plastic use.
Use a Reusable Water Bottle or Coffee Cup
This one is great for improving your health, too. Well, the reusable water bottle is; coffee as a healthy daily habit is up in the air still. Anyways, reusable water bottles are all the rage, and it seems like there’s a new company with some revolutionary design every week. Don’t buy into it and just find yourself one that you like and will use. If you don’t use it, that defeats the purpose.
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The same goes for coffee cups. Those plastic lids aren’t exactly breaking down in landfills. If you drink a cup of coffee every day, that is 365 lids entering a landfill or the environment every year– not to mention the cup itself if it’s not paper. Instead, purchase a thermos or another hot liquid beverage holder and use that.
This also forces you to make coffee at home, which is extremely cheap compared to buying that cup of Starbucks or Dunkin every morning. It should go without saying, but please, for the love of god, do not use K-cups. Even the maker of those disposable coffee cups has recognized what a horrible idea they were for the environment. If you use K-cups, cutting them out of your life will save your wallet hundreds of dollars and reduce plastic use.
Refill Laundry Detergent Bottles
We all want clean clothes, but there’s that big plastic bottle that we have to throw out whenever we finish it. You can still use it, but find a place near you that allows you to fill up containers with detergent and pay for the amount you’ve taken. This is often cheaper than buying a brand new container anyways, and you get to reduce plastic use. Win-win for everyone!
Avoid Products With Plastic Microbeads
While it’s not as prevalent anymore, they still exist in products around the world. There were bans in the USA and other countries regarding their use in cosmetic products, but you can still find them in other things. There’s a great site called Beat The Microbead that you can use to check if any of your products have plastic microbeads. They make it so easy that you can just download their app and scan things around your house. Make note of what has plastic and choose not to buy it the next time you’re at the store.
Use Matches or a Refillable Lighter Instead of a Disposable
Even if you’re not a smoker, you probably have some plastic lighter laying around your house. Instead of purchasing another one when it eventually goes empty, pick up a box of matches. Gas stations sometimes give them away for free, but if not, you can easily buy a box at the store for a few dollars. The wood will degrade over time, and the boxes are almost always made of paper.
You could also opt to purchase a Zippo and refill it with new fuel when it runs low. Zippos last decades, and you can get one with custom designs to fit your personality or likes. There are more brands than just Zippo on the market, take a look around, and you’d be surprised at what you can find.
It doesn’t fully answer the problem of plastic and pollution since trees have to be cut down to make them, but it’s definitely better for the environment than millions of plastic lighters in a landfill. If you’re a smoker, this is an easy way to reduce plastic use and save yourself from tossing tens of lighters a year.
Use Rechargeable Batteries
Batteries are easily the most misused item in a house. When they’re dead, you’re supposed to dispose of them properly, but every year millions upon millions of batteries make their way to landfills. It’s easier for people to just throw them in the trash with the rest of their garbage than recycle them or take them to the proper disposal facility.
If you don’t want to bother with taking a small container of double AAs to your local recycling center but still need batteries, purchase some rechargeable ones. They’ve come a long way since they were first introduced and are just as good as any old single-use battery. Rechargeable batteries are definitely an easy way to reduce plastic use and save the environment from more toxins.
Avoid Disposable Razors
We’ve all probably purchased a pack of those blue or pink disposable razors. Besides the quality, they’re also terrible for the environment. If you can, you should purchase a straight razor or a metal razor that allows you to change out the blade. These razors often give a better shave than their disposable counterparts, and you reduce plastic use.
Avoid Using Cling Film (Saran Wrap, Plastic Wrap, etc.)
While saving leftovers is a great way to reduce food waste, you’re better off using tinfoil to cover it or a reusable container to keep it fresh. Whether you call it cling film, saran wrap, or plastic wrap, it doesn’t break down over time in a landfill. It’s not a lot of plastic, but any plastic is enough to be damaging to the environment. Switching to an alternative is an easy way to reduce plastic use and go green.
Do Not Use Products With Glitter
Unless you know for a fact that the product uses biodegradable glitter, avoid it. Most glitter is made from a combination of aluminum and a plastic called polyethylene terephthalate (PET). This stuff is a nightmare for the oceans– and your home. Today, there are a variety of biodegradable glitters available made from eucalyptus tree extract and cellulose.
