4 Ways to Use Less Plastic
It’s 2020 y’all. Climate change is real. And while your individual choices won’t fix the world overnight, they will still have an impact. Plus, there’s power in numbers. I’ve made a conscious decision this year to reduce my plastic use. I’m not perfect - sometimes I’ll forget my grocery bags at home and I’ll use the straws provided at restaurants - but change doesn’t happen through a few perfect people. The world is not counting on you to be perfect. It takes several imperfect people moving towards the same goal. Whether you want to reduce your plastic use to help the climate, reduce your carbon footprint, leave a better world for your children, or simply because it’s a healthier choice, I’ve come up with a few easy changes to integrate into your life.
“It’s a collective endeavor, it’s collective accountability and it may not be too late.”
Drink Coffee at Home
My first tip will not only help reduce your plastic use, but also save you money, and that is to make your coffee or tea at home. And if you have a Keurig, use the reusable K-cups. Even if you only got a to-go coffee three times a week at an average price of $4.50, that’s over $700 a year that you would spend on coffee that you could have made at home! That’s 156 cups that you will end up throwing away every year. My husband and I buy whole beans and grind them at home, that way we always have fresh coffee grounds. We also invested in a milk frother, and honestly, our homemade lattes are better and cheaper than most any we can get at a coffee shop. If you really love your to-go coffees, most coffee shops now sell reusable tumblers and even give you discounts when you use them in store.
Reusable Straws
Another tip when drinking out is to get a reusable travel straw. I’ve noticed that at a lot of sit-down restaurants now, you have to ask for a straw. Instead of asking for a paper-wrapped plastic straw, you can use these instead. They’re soft, compact, washable, and reusable. For use at home, I’ve also bought some metal straws and bamboo straws (thick smoothie-friendly).
Silicone Storage Bags
Another tip is to replace your plastic zip-lock bags with reusable silicone bags. Stasher is the OG brand (I believe) but the thing that turned me off from them in the beginning was the price. These bags are anywhere from $10 to $20 per bag. I thought I would be smart and buy a cheaper set off Amazon. 10 for $10, not a bad deal. HOWEVER, unlike Stasher, these bags are not dishwasher safe, and the zippers on most of mine stopped working after 4-5 washes. I got some Stasher bags for Christmas, and after seeing the drastic difference in quality, we’ve decided to switch over. Now, like I said earlier, these bags are expensive. I know not everyone can or wants to go out and and drop a ton of money on a set of reusable bags. The way we are slowly integrating these into our life is by buying 1 bag every other grocery trip or so. But Lily, Zip-locks are only $5 for 28 bags. Yes, at the beginning, switching over will be a little more expensive, but in the long run, you’re using less plastic and $5 still adds up over time. We only use disposable plastic bags to store and marinate raw meat now.
Reusable Produce and Grocery Bags
Now, there are products in the grocery store that it’s almost impossible to avoid excess plastic and packaging, but when I can, I use these reusable mesh produce bags. Pretty self-explanatory, if I’m picking fresh produce - potatoes, onions, apples, etc., I use these instead of the plastic bags provided at the grocery stores. I’ve accumulated several bags that I use for groceries over the years; I have an insulated bag, but any tote bag will work as well. Amazon has some great options for reusable sets. Plus, I’m pretty sure some grocery stores give small discounts for using your own bags too.
Bonus: Reusable Makeup Remover Pads
This is a bonus tip and it’s not specifically related to plastic, but it does help reduce waste. Anyone who wears makeup needs to take it off. (And if you’re not, you should be!)
Instead of using cotton pads, cotton balls, or makeup wipes, which you throw away after one use (and usually need more than one to get the job done), invest in reusable, washable bamboo cotton rounds. These work with traditional liquid makeup remover and micellar water. I only need to use one and it takes off all my makeup. Once you’ve used all of them, you can throw them into the mesh bag they include, throw them in the wash on a normal cycle, and use them all over again.
Well there you have it. These are just a few ways I’m trying to reduce my plastic use this year. And like I said, I’m not doing all of these perfectly. You also don’t have to do everything I’m doing, and maybe you’re doing something I’m not. What are ways you are trying to reduce the waste in your life? It doesn’t have to be specifically plastic-related. Leave a comment below! I’d love to open up a conversation about this topic!
“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
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