Look around your house. From disposable water bottles to grocery bags, a lot of the products that we use on a daily basis are made out of plastic. Because of this, it may seem difficult to cut back on your plastic usage without severely disrupting your lifestyle, but that’s simply not the case. Here are some ways you can reduce your plastic usage without affecting your quality of life:
Buy in bulk.
Manufacturers tend to use a lot of plastic in product packaging, which means every item you buy could come wrapped in some form of plastic. You can’t exactly stop buying groceries, so how can you avoid wasting so much plastic? Buy in bulk! If you were to buy a pack of 12 toilet paper rolls, you would be left with less plastic than if you were to buy 12 rolls individually. Keep this in mind next time you do your grocery shopping to reduce your overall plastic usage.
Choose cans or glass.
Are you craving a refreshing soft drink? If so, reach for a can or glass bottle instead of a plastic bottle. Aluminum and glass can easily be recycled, but some municipal recycling centers only process certain types of plastics. Play it safe by always reaching for an aluminum can or glass bottle when you have a choice.
Buy high quality razors.
Instead of stocking up on plastic disposable razors that have to be tossed after one or two uses, buy a model with a replaceable blade. Although you will have to spend a bit more upfront to buy one of these higher quality models, it’s worth it to cut back on your overall plastic usage.
Store your food wisely.
How do you pack up your food when you’re taking lunch to work or putting away leftovers after a big dinner? You may not even realize it, but the process of packing up food is a huge waste of plastic. Many people use Ziploc bags, saran wrap, and plastic containers to store their food. To save plastic, toss the plastic baggies and cling wrap and stick to washable glass containers.
Squeeze your own juice.
Juice may be good for your body, but buying it in a plastic bottle is not good for the environment. Next time you’re at the grocery store, buy fresh fruits and vegetables and skip the processed juices. Use the fresh fruits and vegetables to make your own juices so you don’t have to rely on the kind that comes in plastic bottles.
Avoid plastic utensils.
It may be tempting to buy plastic utensils so you don’t have to clean up after dinner, but fight the urge so you don’t create more plastic waste. If you order dinner out from a restaurant, make sure to ask that they do not include plastic utensils with your food as well.
Reuse fruit containers.
Do you buy produce at a local farmers’ market? If so, save the plastic containers that are used to package berries, and bring them back the next time you go shopping. Most farmers’ markets are more than happy to refill the existing plastic containers with berries instead of making you take a brand new one home.
With these tips, you can significantly cut back on how much plastic you use without making any drastic changes to the way you live your life!
