5 Steps You Can Take to Eliminate Plastic in Your Life

We’re using more plastic than ever, and its negative impact on our environment is only getting worse. An estimated 14 billion pounds of trash, much of which is plastic, is dumped in our oceans every year. We need to take action before these environmental impacts become completely irreversible. Here are 5 easy steps you can take to eliminate plastic in your life, and help keep our planet safe:

1. Carry a reusable water bottle wherever you go.

In the United States alone, we use and dispose of 50 billion plastic water bottles each year. Even worse, only 23% of that plastic gets recycled. By carrying a refillable water bottle, you can help keep plastic out of landfills, off of our beautiful beaches, and away from the ocean and marine life. Plus, many reusable bottles are insulated, keeping your water ice-cold all day. It’s a win-win!

2. Bring your own reusable shopping bags.

Carrying reusable grocery bags is a super easy way to reduce your personal plastic use. Keep a few in your car, so that every time you go to the grocery store or farmer’s market, you don’t have to use disposable plastic bags. In addition to bringing a bigger bag for all your food items, try to carry little ones for vegetables and fruit, too. Plus, most grocery stores charge a fee for plastic bags. Over time, the money you save from bringing reusable bags will really add up, helping you get more bang for your buck.

3. Buy in bulk.

Buying in bulk enables you to put your food purchases in reusable bags or jars instead of buying plastic packaging. Buying more at a time also means fewer trips to the grocery store, saving energy and preventing transportation pollution. Stores like Costco that sell in bulk also offer significantly lower prices than regular grocery stores, which will help you save money in the long-run.

4. Participate in and organize beach clean ups

Beach clean ups are a great way to make a positive environmental impact with friends and family. In addition to reducing the amount of plastic we use, we must prevent the plastic that already exists from entering our oceans. We also encourage you to organize your own beach or town cleanups where you live. Picking up plastic and trash along our streets and sidewalks will help prevent it from washing into our waters.

5. Spread the word.

Eliminating plastic-use is something we all can do. Share the information you’ve learned with family and friends, as well as the ideas you have for reducing plastic in your personal lives. The more people that know about the harm caused by plastic pollution, the more people will actively reduce their plastic-use. Spread the word and help make our oceans, our environment, and ourselves much healthier!