Plastic usage does have its convenience, but has a ton of disadvantages as well. Therefore, leading a plastic free life as of now is not possible but mitigating its usage in everyday life certainly is. Here is a rundown on some ways that can help you bring down the use of plastic in your life.
Avoid using straw
If you quite often go out to eat and drink and you use straw every time the waiter offers you one, stop it right away. Avoid using straw or buy the reusable one made of stainless steel for you. It is a small gesture with a big impact that it leaves on the surroundings and the planet as a whole. Not only it would reduce the amount of plastic in landfill sites but would save marine life as well.
Use reusable coffee cups instead of disposable cups
Disposable coffee cups seem right if you think convenience. The very next moment if you think green, you will at once start considering disposable coffee cups guilty. Those coffee cups are lined with polyethylene, a plastic resin.
They are recyclable but a very few places have the capacity to recycle them, thus, they end up in landfill sites polluting the environment for long. In addition to the cups, lids and stirrers add on to the pollution. So, by carrying your own reusable mug along to your favorite coffee shop, you can bring down your plastic use.
Reusable cloth over disposable diapers
With a small baby at home, you can end up trashing a many diapers in a day. On the other hand, by using eco-friendly options, you can reduce your plastic usage. You can grab some reusable cloth diapers or pick some from the wide range of eco-friendly diapers on the market. Doing so, you will be able to reduce carbon footprint of your innocent little one. Even women can go green with their eco-friendly pads and tampons on their periods.
Ditch plastic food storage
If you have been using plastic bags, plastic containers and wraps since long for packing food, it is time you ditch this habit. This habit is not just unhealthy for you and your kid for plastic contains a many harmful chemicals, but is unfit from the environment’s point of view as well. Instead, use sandwich wrap placemats, stainless steel lunch boxes and zipper sandwich bags for carrying food around. For storing food at home, you can use steel latching containers, glass storage with stainless lids, mason jars, collapsible silicon storage and silicon storage bags.
Say no to disposable water bottles
Unless there is no other option left, never go for bottled water. Instead, make carrying a reusable water bottle everyday a habit. Used plastic water bottles contribute big time to the landfill sites, so it is a good idea to avoid using them.
Reusable shopping bags
In terms of garbage, plastic shopping bags are omnipresent. Billions and trillions of plastic bags are used and then thrown into trash every day. To reduce this devastating cycle, some countries have already banned their usage and some have started charging for them. As a result, now shoppers prefer carrying their reusable shopping bags, which is a tremendous idea from the environmental point of view. You also make it a point to carry your own eco-friendly bag and ditch disposable plastic bags completely.
Use and dispose electronics responsibly
Discarded electronics form a large portion of plastic waste. Therefore, try repairing your television, computer, cell phone, fax machine and more before discarding them. If an electronic actually becomes useless for you, make sure that you take them to e-waste facilities and not just throw them just about anywhere.
It is quite easy to reduce one’s plastic usage. Doing so, one can save environment from the negative effect of this hazardous material.