For most people, using some kind of disposable plastic is just a part of their daily life. However, because plastic takes so long to break down in an organic environment, it’s wise for the planet if you can all find some alternative so that we can have less plastic waste bogging down the earth around us.
To help you in doing this, here are three ways you can reduce your personal use of disposable plastics.
Don’t Buy Items In Plastic Containers
One thing you should try to get into the habit of is to not bring any more plastic into your home. To accomplish this, you should try to purchase products that are packaged in some kind of other material rather than a plastic container.
According to the Green Education Foundation, things like laundry detergent are often sold in cardboard boxes as well as plastic containers, which means making the switch is easy. Additionally, you can begin to purchase things like pasta, rice, cereals, and other items that you’d ordinarily buy in a plastic bag or other container through a bulk bin so that you can use your own reusable bag or container as opposed to a plastic bag. While this will require a little more planning on your part, it will be well worth it to not be using and then throwing away so many plastic products.
Rethink Your Takeout Options
Another way many people wind up bringing plastic into their homes is through takeout containers.
To address this issue, Julie Compton, a contributor to NBC News, suggests that you ask if the restaurant you’re getting your food from has any non-plastic options for packaging your food for takeout. This is an option for many restaurants, so it doesn’t hurt to ask. And if you come to find that a restaurant that you love doesn’t have non-plastic options, you can also ask if they’ll let you bring your own container to package the food so that they don’t have to use any plastic with your order.
Stop With Plastic Storage
As for the plastic that you likely already have within your home, Kristin Hartke, a contributor to NPR.org, shares that the best place to start is to begin investing in non-plastic storage options to replace any plastic storage that you currently have. Especially if you’re using things like resealable plastic sandwich bags or plastic wraps, you can easily find reusable options for these that will hold the same purpose for you without creating unnecessary plastic waste. Plus, after the initial investment, you could wind up saving yourself a lot of money as well.
If you’re wanting to reduce the amount of disposable plastic that you use on a regular basis, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you find some ways to accomplish this goal.
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