REDUCE PLASTIC
Tips to
Use Less Plastic
Check out these easy ways you can start reducing your waste in
your every day life!
Did you know that of the 30 million tons of plastic waste generated in the US in 2009, only 7 percent was recovered for recycling? Here are 17 ways to reduce your plastic waste:
Did you know that of the 30 million tons of plastic waste generated in the US in 2009, only 7 percent was recovered for recycling? Here are 17 ways to reduce your plastic waste:
1. Stop
using plastic straws, even in restaurants. If a straw is a must, purchase a
reusable stainless steel or glass straw'
2. Use a
reusable produce bag. A single plastic bag can take 1,000 years to degrade.
Purchase or make your own reusable produce bag and be sure to wash them
often!
3. Give up
gum. Gum is made of a synthetic rubber, aka plastic.
4. Buy
boxes instead of bottles. Often, products like laundry
5. Purchase food, like cereal, pasta, and rice from bulk bins and detergent come in
cardboard which is more easily recycled than plastic.fill a reusable bag or
container. You save money and unnecessary packaging.
6. Reuse
containers for storing leftovers or shopping in bulk.
7. Use a
reusable bottle or mug for your beverages, even when ordering from a to-go shop
8. Bring
your own container for take-out or your restaurant doggy-bag since many
restaurants use Styrofoam.
9. Use
matches instead of disposable plastic lighters or invest in a refillable metal
lighter.
10.
Avoid buying frozen foods because their packaging is mostly
plastic. Even those that appear to be cardboard are coated in a thin layer ofplastic. Plus you'll be eating fewer processed foods!
11.
Don't use plasticware at home and be sure to request restaurants
do not pack them in your take-out box.
12.
Ask your local grocer to take your plastic containers (for
berries, tomatoes, etc.) back. If you shop at a farmers market they can refill
it for you.
13.
The EPA estimates that 7.6 billion pounds of disposable diapers
are discarded in the US each year. Use cloth diapers to reduce your baby's
carbon footprint and save money.
14.
Make fresh squeezed juice or eat fruit instead of buying juice
in plastic bottles. It's healthier and better for the environment.
15.
Make your own cleaning products that will be less toxic and
eliminate the need for multiple plastic bottles of cleaner.
16.
Pack your lunch in reusable containers and bags. Also, opt for
fresh fruits and veggies and bulk items instead of products that come in single
serving cups.
17.
Use a razor with replaceable blades instead of a disposable
razor
WHAT'S SO BAD ABOUT PLASTIC BAGS?
Plastic bags are not biodegradable. They fly off thrash piles, garbage trucks, and landfills, and then clog storm water infrastructure, float down waterways, and spoil the landscape. If all goes well, they end up in proper landfills where they may take 1,000 years or more to break down into ever smaller particles that continue to pollute the soil and water.
Plastic bags also pose a serious danger to birds and marine mammals that often mistake them for food. Floating plastic bags regularly fool sea turtles into thinking they are one of their favorite prey, jellyfish. Thousands of animals die each year after swallowing or choking on discarded plastic bags. This mistaken identity issue is apparently a problem even for camels in the Middle East!
Plastic bags exposed to sunlight for long enough do undergo physical breakdown. Ultra-violet rays turn the plastic brittle, breaking it into ever smaller pieces. The small fragments then mix with soil, lake sediments, are picked up by streams, or end up contributing to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and other oceanic trash deposits.
Finally, producing plastic bags, transporting them to stores, and bringing the used ones to landfills and recycling facilities require millions of gallons of petroleum, a non-renewable resource which can arguably be better used for more beneficial activities like transportation or heating.
STOP USING PLASTIC BAGS
Some businesses have stopped offering their customers plastic bags, and many communities are considering a ban on plastic bags - San Francisco was one of the first cities to do that in 2007. Some countries are experimenting with solutions like mandatory deposits, purchasing fees, and outright bans. Various grocery store chains now have policies to minimize use, including requesting a small fee to clients who would like plastic bags to be provided to them.
THE PLASTIC INDUSTRY RESPONDS
As with most environmental issues, the plastic bag problem is not as simple as it seems. Plastic industry groups like to remind us that compared to the paper bag alternative, plastic bags are light, have low transportation costs, and require comparatively little (non-renewable) resources to make, while generating less waste. They also are completely recyclable, provided your community has access to the right facilities. Their contribution to landfills is actually fairly small, and by the industry's estimate, 60%
Plastic bags are not biodegradable. They fly off thrash piles, garbage trucks, and landfills, and then clog storm water infrastructure, float down waterways, and spoil the landscape. If all goes well, they end up in proper landfills where they may take 1,000 years or more to break down into ever smaller particles that continue to pollute the soil and water.
Plastic bags also pose a serious danger to birds and marine mammals that often mistake them for food. Floating plastic bags regularly fool sea turtles into thinking they are one of their favorite prey, jellyfish. Thousands of animals die each year after swallowing or choking on discarded plastic bags. This mistaken identity issue is apparently a problem even for camels in the Middle East!
Plastic bags exposed to sunlight for long enough do undergo physical breakdown. Ultra-violet rays turn the plastic brittle, breaking it into ever smaller pieces. The small fragments then mix with soil, lake sediments, are picked up by streams, or end up contributing to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and other oceanic trash deposits.
Finally, producing plastic bags, transporting them to stores, and bringing the used ones to landfills and recycling facilities require millions of gallons of petroleum, a non-renewable resource which can arguably be better used for more beneficial activities like transportation or heating.
STOP USING PLASTIC BAGS
Some businesses have stopped offering their customers plastic bags, and many communities are considering a ban on plastic bags - San Francisco was one of the first cities to do that in 2007. Some countries are experimenting with solutions like mandatory deposits, purchasing fees, and outright bans. Various grocery store chains now have policies to minimize use, including requesting a small fee to clients who would like plastic bags to be provided to them.
THE PLASTIC INDUSTRY RESPONDS
As with most environmental issues, the plastic bag problem is not as simple as it seems. Plastic industry groups like to remind us that compared to the paper bag alternative, plastic bags are light, have low transportation costs, and require comparatively little (non-renewable) resources to make, while generating less waste. They also are completely recyclable, provided your community has access to the right facilities. Their contribution to landfills is actually fairly small, and by the industry's estimate, 60%
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