Ivy Boudreau

Ivy Boudreau May 2019 If you have any awareness of current news, you’ve probably noticed that ​plastic is a hot-button issue​. Maybe you’re doing your part by saying no to straws and yes to reusable bags, maybe you’ve been recycling faithfully for years, or maybe you’re just wondering what the big deal is. After all, we’ve been using plastic for ages, and nothing all THAT bad has happened yet, right? Right? But did you know that ​only 9% of the plastic ever made​ has been recycled? That ​around 18 billion pounds of plastic​ end up in the ocean ​every year​? But how is this possible?​ you may ask. ​So many people recycle these days! Unfortunately, a lot of the plastic that gets tossed in the recycling bin ​still ends up in a landfill​. About a quarter of the items attempted to be recycled are too contaminated (often by food or garbage that was mistakenly recycled) to actually be processed and reused. Not all types of plastic can be recycled, and there’s also a lack of awareness of specific recycling guidelines, which often vary by location. On top of that, since China stopped recycling foreign garbage last year, a lot of American recycling goes straight into the landfill. The sad truth is that recycling is not enough – we need to cut down on our use of plastics, period. But how? Here’s a few ideas to help you make the switch: – Use a reusable ​water bottle​, ​straw​, and ​grocery bags – Buy food in bulk whenever possible and use reusable containers instead of the provided plastic bags (you can do the same thing with with meat, cheese, and anything else from the deli counter!) – Buy food and beverages in glass bottles whenever possible – Buy juice, kombucha, and other beverages in big bottles, rather than single-serving. If you want to bring some with you on-the-go, just pour it into a glass jar or bottle. – Marinade food in reusable containers instead of plastic bags – Even though one of the best way to be sustainable is to avoid making new purchases, invest in some ​reusable ziploc bags​ and reusable ​beeswax paper​ to replace disposable bags, aluminum foil, and plastic wrap – If you ever forget to bring your reusable bags to the store, use the plastic and paper grocery bags to collect garbage and recycling in your home – Switch to ​shampoo​ and conditioner bars, if they work for your hair texture and type – Use refillable hand and dish soap (​Follain​ is one place that offers this service) – Consolidate online purchases to cut down on packaging materials and transportation pollution If it seems like a lot, don’t be overwhelmed! Just pick one or two habits to implement this week or month, or choose to focus on reducing plastic use in just one area of the house. Finally, it’s okay if you aren’t able to do as much as you would like! We all have different lives and different situations, and as long as each of us does a little bit imperfectly, rather than just giving up because we think we’re falling short of perfection, we’re going to start seeing real changes in our world. Disclaimer: All links to product recommendations are my own genuine recommendations, not sponsored links.