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Plastic is everywhere. It has become one of the easiest and cheapest forms of packaging and a wonderful way to make durable products. However, plastic has also become one of the largest sources of pollution. Especially in our oceans.
We don’t see the harm it is doing which is what makes it even worse.
100,000 marine creatures a year die from plastic entanglement and these are the ones found.
http://oceancrusaders.org/plastic-crusades/plastic-statistics/
Ditch Single-Use Plastic With These Products
Reusable Bags
Americans throw away 100 billion plastic bags annually. That’s about 307 bags per person!
https://www.worldwatch.org/node/5565
The simplest and easiest way to avoid using plastic bags is to carry your own reusable bag with you. Bring a few for grocery trips, keep one in your purse or car for those spur of the moment shopping trips.
Many places are now selling their own reusable bags for $1 each. My favourite reusable bags are from IKEA (they’re huge and super cheap) or this handy bag that you can throw in your purse.
Reusable Produce Bags
Avoid using those super-thin, crappy little plastic produce bags by carrying a few of these with you while grocery shopping. They’re light and they are see-through to make it easier for the cashier to ring you through.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BhZjQ6IgMu5/
Reusable Drinking Cup, mug, bottle
500 billion disposable cups are consumed every year.¹Americans alone throw away 25 billion styrofoam coffee cups every year. Styrofoam cannot be completely recycled. Most of the Styrofoam disposed of today will still be present in landfills 500 years from now.²
¹https://www.studyinaustralia.gov.au/news/global-shot-at-a-greener-coffee-cup, ²http://www.carryyourcup.org/get-the-facts
Pick up a latte or coffee on the way to work everyday? Try bringing your own reusable mug. You’ll probably get a discount and your drink will stay warmer longer!
Stainless Steel Straws
Half a billion straws are used in the world every day.
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-straws-on-request-20180116-story.html
Single use straws are a huge pollution culprit－and totally unnecessary! It’s easy enough to carry a reusable straw in a small wetbag (with some other reusable cutlery!) for those days when you just need that iced coffee.
Reusable Cutlery
Plastic forks, knives, spoons… do you save them to reuse? Probably not. So cut them out by carrying your own reusable kit. You can either buy a spork or a foldable bag with each of these utensils to make eating out a breeze.
These are just a few products that can make a massive difference to help reduce our waste. Plus, it’s so easy to implement these products into our everyday lives－all you have to do is consciously make the choice.
