5 Easy Ways To Reduce Plastic At Home

8/14/2019

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Culture Story: 5 Easy Ways To Reduce Plastic At Home

Our use of plastic is killing the planet. That is why it is very important to know how to get rid of plastic from home. Keep reading to take care of the Earth!

Have you ever stopped to think about how much plastic you use every day? On average, we each use 53 kilograms of plastic a year and generate a collective total of more than 300 million tonnes of plastic waste.

Culture Story: pollution plastic bags bottles ocean sea nature danger environment — shutterstock

However, it is in our power to control it and reduce plastic on our planet, just follow these useful and simple tips.

#1 Target packaging and single-use plastic first

Culture Story: single-use plastic packaging pollution plastic bags bottles ocean sea nature danger environment — shutterstock

Single-use plastic is the biggest part of the problem since that’s what forms most of the plastic pollution. It includes plastic forks and knives, shopping bags, water bottles, plastic straws and etc. Try not to use these, choose reusable dishes and cutlery.

#2 Bring a reusable grocery bag

Culture Story: reusable grocery bag single-use plastic packaging pollution plastic bags bottles ocean sea nature danger environment — shutterstock

One reusable bag needs to be used over 100 times before it is better for the environment than single-use plastic bags. However, it is worth it. Plastic bags take up a lot of room and often clutter your household. If you take home 5 grocery bags worth of food a week, that comes out to 260 bags a year.

#3 Do not use plastic straws

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Plastic straws are real threat for the World Ocean. In the U.S., 500 million straws are used every day. That’s a lot of straws! They are often mistaken as food by sea creatures such as birds, turtles and fish, which can often lead to suffocation and death. The best thing to do is avoid straws completely. If you need one, use a paper straw or a reusable streel straw.

#4 Сhoose a glass container

Culture Story: pollution plastic containers bags bottles ocean sea nature danger environment — shutterstock

There are plenty of plastic containers almost every kitchen of the world. However, they are dangerous for people’s health. The more it’s heated and cooled, the more chemicals in that container begin to break down. And when they start to break down, they break down into the food inside. As a result, detrimental and expensive health issues can arise. That is why choose a glass container that you can use over and over again. Try wrapping your sandwich in pieces of fabric too.

#5 Get rid of microplastics as well

Much of the plastic that’s polluting the oceans is microplastics, tiny chunks that are next to impossible to filter out. These plastics can come from bigger items breaking down, but they are also commonly added to consumer products like face wash and toothpaste. These little beads are intended to be exfoliators. However, many wastewater treatment facilities aren’t able to stop them.

Culture Story: microplastics pollution plastic bags bottles ocean sea nature danger environment — shutterstock

Hope these tips will help you to become more ecofriendly!

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What are your thoughts on this subject?

23 Comments

Danny Lynch

Why can juices and water come in waxed milk cartons. We should get back to going to the butcher and having fresh meat wrapped in paper. Above all stop packaging with styrofoam. The use of Biodegradable plastics must be expanded and utilized no matter the cost. People have to be forced to go green through marketing and legislation. Mother Earth and Father Sky ...forever!

Joy Holbrook

Supermarkets in Australia make you pay 15c per plastic shopping bag. Everyone I know uses fabric bags or recycles the plastic bags, literally until they fall to bits.

David Holmes

I have been using the same fabric shopping bags for years. They are also easier to carry than the supermarket plastic bags. I also have a wheeled bag and walk to the 30 minutes to the supermarket. (lucky to live that close and have a choice of two a few minutes apart)

Eve

We have curbside pickup for most of our recycling and anything they don't pick up I take them to the recycling depot. Our grocery stores no longer provide plastic bags but most provide reuseable cloth bags or paper bogs. I love it...my parents were adults during WW II and learned that recycling and reusing were the only to survive the shortages. Now we are in another war...cleaning up and protecting our Earth.

Cecilia Jorge Greene

In Panama supermarkets don’t give plastic bags anymore. You have to bring your own reusable bags.

robinelmendorf

I filter all my water, and use my own bags and recycle everyday.

kittykay

Caroline Weis, Tupperware still exists. In Australia people have Tupperware parties all the time.

Julie Allen

Chriss Crockford, I have never bought water in a bottle.

Louis Michael Durocher,

There was a very horrible and sad accident that happen in Montreal,Canada; This lady went shopping for baby clothing, when she returned home after a few hours ,the baby sitter told her that her little girl ( 1 month old) was sleeping,so she tanked and paid the girl,after,she went into her babies room with the plastic in which the store had put the child's clothes,all exited about her purchase she took them out of the bag,and started taking of the different tags,as he was doing that,she had folded the big plastic bag on the foot of the crib,she was nearly finished when the phone rang,as she rushed out of the room to answer the phone so the ringing would not wake up her baby; she inadvertently swoop up the bag right on the baby face,while she was on the phone,the child suffocated on the bag and died...When she went back into the room,she looked into the crib to see her baby,in horror ,she realized that the little girl was not breathing, she pick up the infant and tried mouth to mouth resuscitation, to no avail...with the baby I her arm she rushed to call 911...to late..the little 1 month old was D.O.A. I know all these facts,because she was my patient for 7 months...Ridden by guilt and totally devastted, she eventually,did the unthinkable...I will never forget this WOMAN, and the very cruel way to learn a life lesson...And since this case made headlines,it also made legislature ,to create laws for the protection of kids in general. As Bob Dylan wrote"' HOW MANY DEATHS WILL IT TAKE BEFORE PEOPLE KNOW""

Louis Michael Durocher,

We as a community here in Quebec,Canada...we practice very strictrecycling laws,and every household as to recycle,we compost and give to food bankswhat we don't use...There is a deposit on all bottles,even plastic ones,alcohol,wine etc...Every little bit counts...

Caroline Weis

Years ago when I was still in school my mother used to pack my lunch in Tupperware containers. They seemed to be the best at keeping my sandwich and slice of pie or cake edible and not dried out like wax paper did. Don't know what happened to those Tupperware containers as I've not seenbthem in years. When I go to the grocery I have reusable bags, two that I bought and about four that were sent to me from some charities I support. They come in handy for carrying my griceries., but I still reuse some plastic bags.

Steve Cisowski

Maybe don't litter!!!

Ian Swindale

I do some of what is recommended but I know it is insufficient. As my school report used to say with regular monotony "could do better".

Cheryl McMeekin

I will definitely try to start using more glad containers

kathy kitanne humphrey

Wrapping or covering food in fabric is not as effective as using wax paper. Cheap and effective. Maybe not for as long as plastic. Managing portions carefully might reduce storage necessity.