Today’s message is brought to you by the inspirational freeway billboard I passed this morning on my drive to work:
The only cure for litter is you.
What are you doing to protect the planet?
April 22nd is Earth Day and now is the perfect time to take a moment to think about the beautiful planet that we call home and ask yourself, what are you doing to help protect the earth? Although we only celebrate Earth Day once a year, we should be taking active measures every single day to reduce waste.
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How To Make a Change Today
You may have heard the term ‘Zero Waste’ recently in articles written by people who have begun to lead this lifestyle. Essentially the main focus of this movement is to literally live a life that creates zero waste by being extremely mindful in avoiding waste. It truly is a lifestyle makeover and it’s not for everyone. If you’re interested in learning more check out The Zero Waste International Alliance for information on how to live a Zero Waste life.
Not interested in living a Zero Waste life? Even if you’re not in a place to completely go the Zero Waste way I do think it’s important to find ways in your own life to recycle and reduce waste whenever possible.
#StopSingleUse #BeTheChange #UseLessPlastic
Have you ever stopped to think about how much plastic you use every day and whether or not it’s recyclable? I’ve read that around 90% of recyclable plastics don’t actually get recycled. Wait, what? That means only around 10% of recyclable plastics actually get recycled. That’s crazy, right?! Where does all that other plastic end up you might ask? Some of it ends up in landfills while a ton of it ends up in our oceans and in turn is harmful for the vast marine life that lives in the sea.
Clearly, you can see why it’s important to recycle plastic. If you want to make a greater impact you should strive to do whatever you can to reduce plastic waste in the first place rather than just concern yourself with recycling. One of the easiest ways to reduce plastic waste is by reducing the amount of single-use plastic items you consume.
Ways to reduce and eliminate waste:
1. Stop using plastic bags
- Refuse plastic (and paper) at the checkout counter and bring your own reusable shopping bags. Keep them in your trunk to ensure you won’t forget them at home.
- Invest in a set of washable and reusable plastic bag alternatives:
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- Reusable grocery bags
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- Reusable produce bags
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- Reusable ziplock/ sandwich bags
2. Reduce plastic packaging
- Buy fresh produce that doesn’t come in plastic packages. Bring your own reusable produce bags!
- Stop buying individually wrapped snacks. Buy the regular size and portion out snacks into reusable bags or containers.
- Choose food sold in cardboard packaging over plastic bags and bottles when presented the option.
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- Boxed water vs bottled water
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- Boxed pasta vs. bagged
- Buy milk in refillable glass containers at stores like Sprouts that sanitize and reuse the bottled.
- Amazon shoppers rejoice: some items can be ordered with ‘Frustration-Free Packaging’ which means less packaging waste!
- Ask your meat counter to wrap your purchase in butcher paper instead of plastic.
3. Avoid plastic water bottles
- Stop buying bottled water and start using a refillable bottle
- Consider buying a water filter for your kitchen tap
- Use convenient water filter pitchers for inside your fridge
- Use an at-home 5-gallon water system that collects and reuses (sanitized of course!) used bottles
4. Say no to plastic straws!
- Almost everywhere in California has banned plastic straws and a lot of businesses have come up with more environmentally friendly alternatives such as paper straws or cups that don’t need a straw. But if you do end up somewhere that still offers plastic straws, just say no thanks!
- Bring your own reusable steel straw.
5. Use coffee tumblers instead of to-go cups
- Bring your own coffee tumbler when you head to a coffee shop for coffee to-go.
- Ask for a mug instead of a throwaway cup when you’re enjoying coffee at a shop that offers that option.
- Choose food sold in cardboard packaging over plastic bags and bottles when presented the option.
6. Replace only what’s necessary
- Choose products that only need a small replacement vs replacing the whole thing. You’ll create less waste by using a razor with replaceable blades rather than using a disposable razor that replaces the entire product.
- Invest in quality products that you’ll keep for a long time vs. inexpensive products that need to be replaced often.
7. Try waste-free period products
- Give waste-free period products a chance
- Switch to non-plastic applicators. You’ll eliminate plastic from both the applicator and the wrap.
8. Consider cloth diapers instead of disposable
- Don’t get mad at me for this one! Think about how many diapers your baby goes through and think about how much of an impact you could have by using cloth diapers.
- Can’t commit to it? Here’s an idea; consider using cloth at home and disposable when you’re out of the house.
9. Buy a reusable makeup cleansing towel
- Instead of using disposable makeup remover wipes buy a reusable washable makeup remover cleansing towel. You’ll help the environment and save money!
10. DIY and make it at home
- Bake your own bread and muffins; you can make healthier options at home and you’ll eliminate the packaging waste!
- Make your own frozen popsicles in reusable silicone molds
- Make your own nut butter
11. Avoid disposable plates, containers and utensils
- Avoid takeout food (all those containers that aren’t recyclable!) when possible
- Say no to plastic utensils when you do get take-out
- As tempting as it is to not have to do the dishes, don’t use disposable plates when you can use regular plates!
12. Eliminate plastic from gift-wrapping and shipping
- Many gift-wrapping contains plastic so opt for paper-wrapping options instead
- Use recycled newsprint:
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- as a gift-wrap alternative
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- as your protective padding when shipping a package
13. Use coffee pots instead of single-use pods
- Brew yourself a pot of coffee at home instead of using single-use coffee pods; enjoy your caffeine, sans-guilt.
14. Make your bubbles at home
- Can’t say no to soda or sparkling water? Consider buying a soda stream for your house
15. Kick the gum habit
- Did you know that most gum has traces of plastic in it? So gross, right? If you must chew, check out cleaner alternative options.
16. Use matches instead of disposable lighters
- Disposable lighters are made with…. you guessed it, plastic! Use matches from a cardboard box instead of using a disposable plastic lighter. Not only are they better for the environment but they look classier on your table than a lighter does.
17. Reduce your subscription boxes
- Do you subscribe to boxes that send small sample sizes instead of regular sized products? Or do you consistently receive products you don’t like that end up in the trash? If eliminating all of your boxes doesn’t seem like an option, compare the boxes you do get to eliminate the ones you don’t really need.
- Donate unopened beauty and skincare products to local charitable organizations.
18. Buy less and buy better
- Each season buy a few high-quality key investment pieces instead of tons of low-quality fast fashion items. Over time you’ll build a curated closet that speaks to you and dare I say it – brings you joy.
- Did you Marie Kondo your closet? Don’t throw away clothing, shoes, handbags, and accessories that are in usable condition. You can try your hand at selling your stuff on Poshmark or save yourself time and donate it to an organization that donates money to a worthy cause.
- Do the research and buy from companies that offer sustainable products and products made from recycled materials.
19. Buy second-hand
- Buying second-hand products for your home can be a great way to save money and reduce waste.
Check out my Amazon recommendations:
How to get involved right now:
- Participate in organized cleanups
- Don’t litter!
- Pick up trash whenever you see it
- Remember to reduce single-use plastics whenever possible!
Care to share: What changes have you made to eliminate plastic waste?
Simple and Doable tips to reduce waste. Hope everyone follows the no-plastic rule. I recently blogged about things to teach our kids to help the environment. Please visit my blog when you get time, Thanks!
Great post. Thanks for the great tips. We should all apply these tips to our lives.
Yaaaassssss I love this post!!!! I am huge on Recycling! I try to get all my friends and family to be more earth friendly. It’s not a hard thing to do. Most people just don’t think to do it. I love finding new ways to help the environment. Thanks for this post! Sharing it now!
I support the advocacy in this article. I love the suggested ways, doable.