This is Earth Day Special #1 for the month of April. Even though “Earth Day” is only celebrated on one day in April, you can celebrate and help the Earth year-round with some relatively simple changes to your everyday life. This series features some simple steps you can easily take to reduce pollution, improve the planet, and maybe even save money.

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10 Simple Ways to Reduce Plastic in Your Everyday Life

Plastic Waste Impact on the Environment

Without a doubt, plastic drastically changed our world for better AND for worse. It radically changed the medical field with lightweight equipment, medicine storage, and even things like hearing aids. On the other hand, it can kill animals, leach chemicals, and clog our streams.

Here are some of the environmental impacts of plastic:

Plastic groups together in large floating islands. Nicknamed the  “Great Pacific Garbage Patch”, this floating plastic island was twice the size of Texas. (Source)

Marine animals are eating plastic because it tastes like food. (Source)

Plastics can entangle animals or even cause gastrointestinal blockage. (Source)

Plastics can break down but break down into carcinogenic byproducts. (Source)

As the smallest marine animals eat it then are eaten by bigger animals and move up the food chaine, it brings the toxic components of plastic into our food. (Source)

Key Ways to Avoid Plastic Pollution

Thankfully, there are a lot of ways you can reduce plastic waste. It’s our responsibility to reduce plastic use where possible by making smart choices.

1) Bring resusable bags to grocery store.
You can find grocery bags nearly everywhere but smaller reusable produce bags are a little harder to find. I think the largest stumbling block, that I also struggle with, is purchasing meat. Traditional butcher shops sell meat wrapped in butcher paper, thereby reducing waste by avoiding styrofoam trays and plastic wrap. If you are getting your meat from a regular chain grocery store, they’re less likely to use the butcher paper. One option is to bring your own glass or tin container and ask the butcher to “tare” the container before they put the meat in it. That just means the weight of the container won’t count towards your purchase. Or you could purchase the large silicone bags used for sous vide, a cooking technique. Lastly, you could just dedicate one of your reusable (and washable) grocery bags to meat and just be sure to clean it.

2) Pack leftovers or bring your lunch to work in glass containers.

It’s safer to reheat your meal in glass. Extra bonus, glass does well in the dishwasher! I use glass containers for lunch like these. It fits a protein, veggie, and starch perfectly. Also try eco-friendly lunchware. 

3) Keep a set of silverware with you or keep a set at work.

Don’t be shy to tell the attendant you don’t need silverware, plastic bag, or straws and don’t be afraid to keep an ECOstainless Spork in you car.

4) Pack snacks into snack bags for your day.

I use these adorable bags made by Bumkins. They are even machine washable! I just turn them instead out and throw them in with whatever load is running. They are great for the kids too. Keep the snacks in the original container until you are ready to take them with you though. These bags are strong enough for traveling but are not completely air-tight so your items could go stale if you are using them for more than a day or two. They hold a surprising amount of goldfish. put convenience stores items in your purse instead of in a plastic bag.

5) Say no to straws.

Over 500 million straws are used in the United States daily (source)!  You can purchase a strong reusable plastic straw or, better yet, a reusable steel straw.

6) Use a reusable water bottle or coffee.

This is the one I use but I switched out the top for a flip lid like this. There are so many options nowadays from thin and tall to small and short, they will emet all of your hydration needs. Most coffee places are open to using your mug just ask. Try to keep it clean. Lots of water fountains are outfitted to fit reusable bottles. Some even have counters on them to show how many plastic bottles have been avoided by use of that fountain.

7) Compost your food waste.

By reducing the amount of waste you add to your garbage bags, you’ll need less of them. In an ideal world, we could have no garbage but we’re striving for improvement not perfection here.

8) If you must buy disposable containers for your event, etc., buy compostable items.

Because sometimes the last thing you want to do when hosting 50 people, is wash 5 million dishes. Even napkins, forks, bowls, and plates are now available in compostable forms.

9) Wrap leftover food in non-plastic options like beeswax sheets or silicone Food Huggers.

These are waterproof and limit airflow so your items stay fresh. Instead of pre-packaged snacks at the store, make homemade granola bars or energy bites and wrap them in beeswax sheets.

10) Bring mason jars to the bulk bins.

Mason jars are great storage containers and fit in the dishwasher! You won’t have to worry about transferring the contents into another container when you get home. You could use some adorable chalkboard reusable labels. If you use those, don’t run the jars in the dishwasher.

If you’re interested in reducing your waste, check out this book:

The Zero Waste Solution
from Chelsea Green Publishing, a publishing company focused on sustainable living.