April 22nd is Earth Day. In the midst of all of the fun, it is important to remember the intention of this holiday: supporting environmental protection. Climate change, diminishing of rainforests, extinction of thousands of species, and air pollution are only a few of the problems which face our beautiful earth today.
You may be wondering, what can one person can do to help our Earth? Remember the 3 R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Reducing is always the first priority, but want to spotlight ways that you can reuse everyday items and help eliminate plastic waste!
What’s so bad about plastic anyways? First of all, it is not biodegradable, meaning it stays on the planet forever. It has also been found to contain toxic chemicals that end up polluting both the environment and your body. And of course, plastic is a threat to wildlife–many species believe plastic to be food and end up choking on it. For more details on how plastic is affects you, check out this website.
While we can’t really switch right into a completely plastic-free world, here are a few plastic items which can be easily swapped out for their reusable substitutes.
Reusable Straws
Plastic straws are a hazard to aquatic wildlife! Reusable straws can eliminate this problem. Metal straws are a wonderful option as well–and they are reusable! You can purchase a four-pack here from Lafayette’s bookstore.
Although they are not reusable, paper straws are also a great option. In fact, these surprisingly durable straws are offered at Lafayette’s very own Gilbert’s Cafe!
Reusable Water Bottles
Reusable water bottles are a wonderful way to eliminate waste caused by plastic water bottles. Water fountains can be found everywhere at Lafayette and you can fill your bottle up any time!
My personal favorite water bottle is the 24-oz Standard Mouth Hydroflask. While on the pricier side, this bottle not only holds a LOT of water but keeps your drink hot or cold for several hours (and looks great too!)
Phone Cases
While all phone cases are technically “reusable,” Pela Case creates 100% biodegradable phone cases that will not harm the environment once you get rid of them. Pela Case is always releasing new lines with different designs and animals on the back of their phone cases. A portion of their proceeds are donated to different charities depending upon the design. Did I mention they are super cute and protective too?
While one person cannot single handedly save the earth, reusing is something every person can do to help the environment. Happy Earth Day and… remember to reduce, reuse recycle!