Plastic items in the world’s waters will outnumber the fish by the year 2050 if changes aren’t made. In fact, there are currently trash islands in the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean. This problem will only multiply if the world continues to rely on single-use plastics. We need to reduce the use of plastic.
Fortunately, there are steps every person can take to reduce the use of plastic and small changes do make a difference over time. This is especially true when a number of people make similar changes. The following are a few that every citizen can implement with ease.
Reuse Your Straw
Plastic straws are being banned in certain parts of the country, but this does not mean you have to do without a straw. Reusable straws are now available for sale and can be taken everywhere you go. View these straws at flewidfriendly.com and you’ll quickly see why so many are making the switch to this great product.
The move to eliminate disposable straws is becoming more widespread, as they harm animals and create needless pollution, so make the switch today. You’ll be glad you did when the disposable ones are no longer available anywhere you go, as you’ll be prepared.
Purchase a Water Cup
Get rid of plastic water bottles for good. Invest in a reusable water cup and see how quickly the savings add up. The planet benefits when you make this move, as plastic water bottles use a massive amount of fossil fuels to produce. In 2017, Forbes reported men and women across the globe bought more than one million water bottles each minute. Sadly, 91 percent are never recycled.
By switching to a reusable cup, you can quit contributing to the overwhelming problem of single-use plastics in landfills. The same is true of coffee cups. Buy a reusable coffee cup instead of making use of Styrofoam cups. Doing so isn’t as difficult as many imagine and can make a huge difference in terms of what lies in a landfill for years to come.
Buy From the Farmer’s Market
People often head to the local farmer’s market to get fresh produce. What they don’t take into account is how doing so benefits the environment. Locally grown produce means the items don’t have to be transported long distances, which saves on gas and reduces pollution.
Furthermore, shoppers can bring their own bags and request the produce not be wrapped to save additional plastic. This doesn’t even take into account the health benefits of buying local, such as being able to obtain organic products and knowing where the food comes from or how long it has been since it was harvested.
Reusable Shopping Bags
When going to the store, take along reusable shopping bags. Why rely on the plastic or paper bags offered at stores when you have stronger versions available at home? Americans currently use more than 100 million plastic grocery bags each year, and this needs to stop.
These reusable bags may be made of a variety of materials, often recycled products. When you use them, you help the planet in a variety of ways. If buying these bags is something you wish to avoid, make some yourself using old t-shirts or take apart an old sweater and knit or crochet a bag from the resulting yarn.
Choose Clothing Carefully
Did you know certain materials used in clothing are made from plastic? For instance, nylon clothing contains plastic, and the same is true of polyester. Each time these pieces are washed, they release plastic fibers that make their way into the oceans.
Buy clothes made from natural materials to avoid this issue. This includes cotton, silk, and wool among others. Today, clothing manufacturers are branching out and using bamboo, industrial hemp, and Tencel, which is a product made from natural cellulose wood pulp. Another benefit of Tencel is that it is fully biodegradable.
Compost
Make your own compost and save plastic trash bags. Food waste placed in trash bags makes up a large part of the material found in landfills today. The majority of food scraps can be composted and should be to avoid excess material in landfills.
Other materials may also be composted, so be sure to learn what you can recycle this way. Composting offers numerous other benefits as well, such as providing a healthy additive for any garden and avoiding the need for a fertilizer that must be transported to the store. Fortunately, composting is much easier than many people imagine, so learn more about this valuable skill today.
Quit Smoking
The filters found on cigarettes are made of plastic, and the same is true of disposable lighters. Once the cigarette has been extinguished, the filter remains behind. This is why streets must be swept regularly, and the filters may also make their way into the oceans where they don’t disintegrate.
By quitting this habit, you can improve your health and reduce the use of plastic. Imagine the money you will save as well, and you’ll see why it’s time to get rid of the cigarettes for good.
Buy Toiletries in Glass Jars
Men and women often don’t realize they can purchase toiletries in glass containers as opposed to plastic ones. For example, deodorant may be purchased in a glass jar. Of course, there’s always the option of making many of these items at home, so you can use whatever containers you have on hand rather than throwing them in the landfill.
If making your own items doesn’t appeal to you, make the switch to solid products whenever possible. For example, quit using a body wash that comes in plastic containers and goes back to bar soap. Bar soap is typically packaged in the paper which can easily be recycled or disposed of in a variety of other ways that won’t take up space in the landfill.
Small steps can go a long way to reduce the use of plastic. Make one change today. Once you see how doing so impacts your life, you’ll want to begin making other changes as well. Every step helps the planet so keep pushing forward. Future generations will thank you for your efforts.
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Girl on Fire
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