Olivia McGeever, 128 TCCS

Plastic is  e v e r y w h e r e.

It’s encasing our water, our food, and it’s even woven in the micro fibers of our clothes. 300 million tons of plastic are produced every year, which is equivalent to the weight of ALL adults on the planet. Half of the plastic produced is single-use, which includes items like straws, beverage containers & lids, lightweight bags, and coffee capsules. Think about how long you use any of the items on this list, probably only 5-15 minutes. Terrifyingly, only 23% of that is actually recycled, so after 15 minutes of use, it ends up in landfills, incinerators, or our oceans. Our plastic consuming habits have been normalized due to the luxury of convenience yet we are consuming at a rate that is unsustainable and causing irreversible damage to our environment and its finite resources.

Change is EASY & POSSIBLE. It simply takes awareness and a little preparation to avoid using plastic.

Recognizing the plastic in your life is the first step and adopting small alternatives into your routine can truly help change the world!

SHOPPING BAGS

What to do: Say no to Plastic bags! Bring reusable bags when you do any kind of shopping. Bring smaller bags and jars for bulk items.

Why: Plastic bags are wasteful and go straight to the landfill, releasing chemicals as it takes 10-20 years to break down.

Learn more: Where to Shop, What’s So Bad About Plastic Bags?, Bye Bye Plastic Bags, Bag The Ban

WATER BOTTLE

What to do: Use a reusable water bottle or a glass jar!

Why: Bottled water is not typically recycled, and ends up in our oceans or landfills. It takes 6 liters of water to make a 1 liter water bottle.

Learn more: Plastic Pollution, Ban The Bottle

TO GO FOOD

What to do: Swap your Tupperware and styrofoam for Glass jars or stainless steel food containers. Bring your own utensils from home or have a travel pair.

Why: They’re safer and portable, a little preparation goes a long way to help keep our planet safe.

Buy here: Life Without Plastic

TOOTHBRUSH

What to do: Swap your plastic brush for a compostable bamboo brush!

Why: Plastic brushes are non-recyclable, ending up in landfills or our oceans.

Buy here: Brush With Bamboo

SKIP THE STRAW

What to do: Say no or bring your own bamboo or stainless steel straw.

Why: Straws are wasteful and end up in landfills and oceans, easily hurting marine life. Straws are not necessary devices, and can be avoided by simply asking your server for no straw.

Buy here: Bamboo Straws