This post was most recently updated on February 2nd, 2021
Climate change and plastic pollution are becoming widely known. Here are some simple ways you can reduce your plastic usage and consumption at home, try these zero waste tips today.
Please read: This information is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to treat, diagnose or prevent any disease. We encourage you to make your own health care decisions in partnership with a qualified health care professional.
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Our plastic usage is destroying our world. Plastic is killing our birds and our marine life, and our usage of it is affecting our hormones, our weight, and it is in our blood and the blood of our children. Going plastic free is our only long term option.
Plastic Facts
- Over the last ten years we have produced more plastic than during the whole of the last century.
- Annually approximately 500 billion plastic bags are used worldwide. This means that more than one million bags are used every minute. Just stop and think about that. A MILLION bags. Per MINUTE.
- 93 percent of Americans age six or older test positive for BPA – BPA is a chemical in plastic that is widely used to harden it.
- Most plastics, of course, do not biodegrade so plastic trash lasts for a long time possibly forever.
We are creating huge amounts of everlasting rubbish.
Unfortunately plastic is also everywhere in our day to day life. It is in our clothes, on our food, around our newspapers, in our technologies, it is everywhere you look.
You hear the inspiring stories of people going totally plastic free and think ‘I couldn’t possibly manage that.’
Maybe today you cannot be totally plastic free, not right now, that is OK. However, what you can do is strive for LESS plastic usage.
Once you get into the swing of it, you will find more and more ways to reduce your daily plastic usage and it becomes a way of life. For today, right now, here are 5 things that you can do to reduce the amount of plastic waste you are creating.
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5 Things You Can do Today to Reduce your Plastic Usage
Carry re-usable bags with you.
Have some as carry-bags and some to get your produce in. Come on folks it ain’t that tricky. Stash one in your bag, one in your dash compartment, or even just on the backseat of the car – or the floor, I ain’t fussy, just take them with you. I bought 10 of
I bought 10 of these canvas ones, they are great – I can just throw them in the washing machine when they are grubby. Heck, you could even dye them funky colours if you like *mental note buy myself some funky(plastic-free) dye*.
Get a metal drink bottle.
While you are at it, get the kids one each too. They don’t have to be pricey – Kmart had them on clearance for $1.50 last season. Whatever you do, don’t buy a plastic bottle of water while you are out and about.
If you forget your bottle and cannot find free water somewhere, get a glass bottle of water. Yes, you have to pay more for glass. Consider it a punishment for forgetting your metal bottle, maybe you will remember to bring it next time!
Take your own cup to get coffee.
Those single use so-called ‘paper’ cups are lined in plastic. Just don’t do it.
Swap back to bar soap.
Wrapped in paper. Or not wrapped at all. Better yet, find some locally made, natural bar soap and use it. Your skin will thank you! If you desperately need to smell like a rose covered pomegranate, a scent that only your liquid soap comes in, buy it in bulk by filling a re-used pump bottle from your local bulk store. You can even get shampoo bars!
Buy a Bamboo Toothbrush.
Yes, the bristles are still nylon, but do you know what? It has a heck of a lot less plastic in it than the one you are using. And it cleans you teeth just as well. And they are pretty cheap. And made from renewable bamboo timber.
When you are finished you can snip off the bristles and just bang the stick into the ground to decompose. You could even use it to mark some of your seeds in the garden first if you like.
Ladies – a bonus tip
Order yourself a menstrual cup. Now. Go on. I will wait right here while you do so. You will thank me for it. Why? So many reasons. Read here for some more info about them.
So there you go – 5 things you can do RIGHT NOW to reduce your plastic usage. There are so so many more things that you can do to go plastic free in your household. But do me a favour and just start with these 5 today. Right now. Yes it might cost you a little outlay. But isn’t our planet worth it? And our health?
Our legacy we are leaving (or destroying) for our grandchildren relies on our actions today. So go on. Do it.
Feeling guilty yet…?
Tell me, how do you reduce your plastic usage in your house?
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