How to Break Up with Plastic: A Conscious Guide for Beginners
Challenge yourself this month by joining the campaign to break up with plastic for Plastic Free July! Plastic is the biggest pollutant we interact with on a daily basis. Although living on the go seems nice, the Earth and other ecosystems have to deal with the aftermath. Disposable cups, prepackaged fruits, and veggies, plastic bags, and straws are only some of the ways plastic weasels its way into your life.
Plastic takes 500-1,000 years to break down, which is horrible for the environment and your overall health. On average, one person throws away 185 pounds of plastic a year. That's tons of plastic left to sit in landfills or get lost at sea. Actually, plastic makes up 90% of the trash currently polluting the world's oceans. Yep, getting rid of plastic is extremely difficult, despite how often you might kick it out. The most efficient way to get the message across is to reduce your interaction with it as much as possible. If you're finally ready to move on from your toxic relationship, here are some fool-proof ways to successfully break up with plastic:
1. New Filter, Who Dis?
Move on to bigger and better things:
Using disposable water bottles is one common form of plastic pollution and wasteful consumption. In fact, 38 billion plastic water bottles are trashed each year, so help combat that by getting a filter! Water filtration is the easiest way to cut down your plastic intake. One filtration system is the equivalent of replacing 300 water bottles per month... PER MONTH. Not only does it help the Earth, but it's better for you and your wallet in the long run. Instead of purchasing two to three cases of bottled water, you can buy one filtration system for less than twenty-five dollars and an eight-dollar replacement filter once every two or three months. You'd be reducing your footprint and protecting yourself from over 70 water contaminants.
2. Avoid Mutual Friends
Ditch the friends that want to "help" you guys work things out:
As mentioned before, you are in a toxic relationship. It doesn't help that plastic takes on many forms. Pre-packaged fruits/veggies are yet another way you encounter plastic on the regular. Reserve organic cloth bags specifically for produce and bread. You can find produce and bread bags for reasonable prices, but you can skip out on purchasing them by making or bringing your own.
Some other ways to dodge plastic's pesky friends is by asking for "no lid" and "no straw" at the coffee shop, avoiding pre-packaged snacks, and bringing your own containers/utensils with you to take out and dine-in restaurants. If you absolutely can't refrain from entertaining these little buggers, recycle them after use and look to recycled plastic for future interactions.
3. Date Other Materials
Explore the dating pool:
Bamboo and hemp are some other viable options. Take a few minutes to learn more about them and their benefits. Bamboo is an extremely renewable resource. It is the fastest-growing plant and extremely useful. Every bit of the plant can be utilized to make cooking utensils, textiles and apparel, furniture, and more. Hemp is another extremely durable and useful plant. It not only promotes healthy soil but also reduces overall air pollution. Hemp is a natural pest repellant, which makes it safe to wear and consume. You can purchase a set of metal straws to avoid getting sucked into the disposable living trap, whether you're at home and at coffee shops or restaurants. Purchase a set of stainless steel straws and a straw cleaner here or here for under fifteen dollars. Admit it, metal straws are cuter with a smoothie anyways.
4. Once You Go Reusable, Don’t Go Back
Kick it to the curb and keep it moving, honey:
Do not engage or go on a post-breakup snooping session. You need to block plastic from your life altogether. Put it on the do not call, do not disturb, and blocked users list to cover all your bases. Once you start finding out about plastic and its faults, flat out refuse to use it! Bring reusable containers and cups to accompany you on your daily activities and last-minute shopping excursions. Adopt some sturdy reusable bags, too. You can fill them up to the brim, leave them in your day bag or car for later use, and throw them in the washer for a quick refresh! Once you go reusable, stick with it. Don't be afraid to commit! You won't have to deal with bag taxes or the gut-wrenching guilt.
So take the pledge and give this challenge a try! For more eco-friendly alternatives, visit PlasticFreeJuly.org to see how you can live plastic-free. You'd be surprised how much easier life is without plastic! You'll ask yourself why you stuck around for so long, and you'll see how much brighter the future is without it.