In recent years, there has been a negative spotlight placed on plastic. It’s everywhere. It’s practically the materialized version of Regina George; meanwhile, society is Cady Heron trying to put a stop to her evil reign that’s slowly tearing the Earth apart. Since then, you’ve probably seen the emphasis that’s been placed on recycling or reducing plastic use altogether in order to combat things like pollution, which is great! But it’s going to take a bit more than recycling to soften the blow of Regina George, if you know what I mean.
- Ditch Your Plastic Cups
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If some of you’re like me, then your morning, afternoon, and evening coffee are crucial components of your day. If so, then you probably receive some type of plastic cup, lid, and straw. I know what you’re thinking: “But I have a metal straw and a reusable cup, so I’m all good, right?” The sad truth is no. Alright, I agree the reusable cups they sell at Starbucks are super cute but most of them are actually made of plastic and don’t actually get recycled. Sure, plastic is reusable and it’s only one plastic cup compared to dozens throughout the week but even so, your trail of plastic is going to outlive you by dozens of years in a landfill or, worse, our oceans.
Here’s what you can do instead: invest in a stainless-steel reusable tumbler! Check on Etsy, they have tons of different colors and styles similar to those from Starbucks and if you absolutely need that little logo, they have those too!
- Say “No, thanks” to Plastic Utensils
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I know we all love our takeout and plastic utensils are just so easy to toss out when you’re finished eating instead of having to do some dishes. But we don’t always have to take advantage of the conveniently placed plastic cutlery that somehow finds its way into our drawers at home. There are tons of portable reusable utensil kits out there on Etsy to check out! I know washing the dishes is a pain sometimes, but it’s way better than hoarding plastic utensils in your takeout bag.
- Check Out Reusable Food Storage Containers
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We all can picture leftover mac and cheese sitting in a fridge in a plastic container. It’s the prime image of a college fridge, really. However, silicone, glass, or metal airtight food storage containers are a super simple switch that’ll drastically reduce your plastic trail. Not to mention they’re super cute and aesthetically pleasing. Who wouldn’t want a cute little elbow pasta-filled mason jar in their cabinet?
Our Earth has no doubt been victimized by our Regina George, but small changes can really help diminish the amount of plastic in our landfills and oceans in coming years. Like I mentioned before, plastic will outlive us all no matter what, so why not reduce the amount you put out into the world? So, I encourage you all to take a look around at some alternatives to plastic and hopefully make that change.