160,000 plastic bags are consumed every second worldwide. This is enough plastic bags to go around the world 7 times every hour and cover an area twice the size of France, according to theworldcounts.com Why are we letting this happen, when there are so many simple ways to reduce our plastic consumption and our carbon footprint? Well we at Her Campus have come up with a list of easy yet effective ways in which you can swap out everyday items for eco-friendly, sustainable items.
Bamboo Straws
For you coffee addicts out there, try swapping out those cheap plastic disposable straws you get at the Dunkin’ Donuts Drive through. Bring your own reusable and 100% biodegradable bamboo straw with you wherever you go! This set from BaliBoo comes with 12 straws 2 stainless steel cleaning brushes, and one cotton pouch, all for $16
Reusable Coffee Tumbler
If you’re more of a hot coffee type of person, make sure to bring a reusable coffee cup with you to work or school in the morning! Those disposable cups are lined with plastic, and are nasty for the environment. This eco-friendly 12 oz coffee cup is made with biodegradable organic bamboo fiber, and is only $10!
Reusable Shopping Bags
We’re all victims of going into Target and coming out with 15 more items than we had anticipated; a good way to be prepared for any unexpected (or planned out) shopping trips is to always keep some reusable bags in your car! You can normally buy these for super cheap at most grocery stores and retail stores, but there are also some super cute, sustainable, and ethically made ones online as well. This super cute bag from Package Free Shop will be sure to let your friends know you care about the Earth!
Shampoo Bar
Shampoo bars are so much more condensed than your typical bottled shampoo – did you know that the number one ingredient in shampoo bottles is water? Why pay for a watered down, plastic bottle when you can save money and be eco-friendly with a shampoo bar? Lush has multiple shampoo bars, but our favorite is Jason and the Argain Oil. This self-preserving bar will last up to 80 washes – which is equivalent to about three bottles of liquid shampoo!
Reusable Water Bottle
This is something everyone should invest in – we all need water don’t we?! Plastic, disposable water bottles are so wasteful, and did you know that about 25% of bottled water is sourced from tap anways? If you, on average, drink about 4 cups of water a day, you can save 730 water bottles from entering the landfills each year. Plus, you can find some super cute ones, like this Earthlust water bottle.
Bamboo Toothbrush
Again, this is something that every one of us uses everyday: a toothbrush. Ditch those plastic and rubber toothbrushes for some bamboo ones instead. This 8-pack from KoolerThings is vegan friendly, and 100% biodegradable. From personal experience, we at Her Campus have found that bamboo toothbrushes last much longer than plastic ones!
By making these simple switches every day, you can make a great impact for this environment (and ultimately, for you health as well!)