Most everything you buy for everyday use comes with plastic. Plastic makes up single-use products and is often not recycled but finding uses for previously used plastic containers can also be difficult. The primary source of plastic is from fossil fuels derived from fracking.
Rather than bore you with the scientific aspect of the creation of plastics, we will talk about some options you have to reduce your use of plastic products.
Skip the bottle
Lotion, body wash, shampoo, and conditioner all come in single use plastic containers. It is possible to make all of these products without the use of plastic containers. You can try making them yourself or check out my Etsy store. They even make zero waste toothpaste.
Rather than buying bottled water, invest in a reusable bottle and carry it with you. If you use a filtered water bottle, you will always have fresh water available to you.
(Re)use your bags
Bring reusable bags with you to the store so that you are not taking a plastic bag. Most stores sell reusable shopping bags. However, you can easily make your own with old tee shirts. Make sure you wash your bags so that bacteria do not build up and spread to your food.
Use green cleaning
In the Green Cleaning article we covered many ways to replace cleaners you use every day which have plastic bottles, many of which cannot be recycled because of the chemicals they contain.
Metal utensils
Think about investing in a set of metal utensils with a carry container for work. The set I purchased also came with metal chop sticks, straw, and even a scrubber for the straw.
Buy locally
When you shop at locally sourced markets less plastic is used because the fruit and vegetables do not have to be packaged for shipping. You also reduce your carbon footprint because the food is not being transported long distances.
Use Beeswax
I know a lot of vegans have an issue with beeswax. However, I believe there are two types of vegans: environmental vegans and PETA vegans (although since they have a beef, no pun intended, with beeswax they might as well be called PETAaI). I personally believe that the more natural something is, the better.
Beeswax makes an excellent wrapper and is a key ingredient in many products which do not require bottles. Beeswax wrapper is reusable and can replace your use of plastic wrap. Just make sure you do not use your beeswax wrapper on hot food/surfaces, because this will cause the beeswax to melt and it will no longer be reusable.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/grrlscientist/2018/04/23/five-ways-that-plastics-harm-the-environment-and-one-way-they-may-help/?sh=5e19659a67a0
If you make a purchase using any of the affiliate links listed above, I will make a small commission. However, it will not come at any additional cost to you.
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