How To Go Plastic-Free: Room by Room
It is pretty mind opening how much plastic we use collectively. For example, it is estimated that globally we buy one million plastic bottles per minute or 1.5 billion plastic bottles per day, that 500 million plastic drinking straws are used every day in the USA, and that about one trillion single-use plastic bags are used annually which equals nearly 2 million every minute. These numbers are so large it can be hard to put them in context. But it does not matter if we really know what such large numbers represent, and in the end, we still can see based on these numbers it is clear that plastic waste adds up quickly and is a major source of trash. This knowledge has led to a growing movement of individuals, businesses, and communities to reduce plastic use or go plastic-free. The good news is it has become easier for individuals to go plastic-free as well as have plastic-free households. The best place to start is to look at your home room by room, to identify the plastic being used, and what alternatives you might have available to you.
How To Go Plastic-Free In The Bathroom
The bathroom is where we pamper ourselves, it is also a room that typically contains a lot of plastic. The good news is there are plastic-free versions of all the products you currently us! Many people refer to this transformation as moving to a Zero-Waste Bathroom. For your teeth instead of plastic items you could choose toothbrushes or flossers made from sustainable bamboo. You might choose tooth power that comes in glass jars instead of traditional toothpaste in its plastic tube. For your skin or hair, you might choose plastic-free all-natural shampoo bars or wonderfully scented vegan conditioner bars. You might also consider plastic-free bamboo products such as toilet paper or bamboo brushes or combs or even natural konjac sponges.
Plastic-Free Bedroom:
The bedroom is where we rest and re-energize after a long day. While the bedroom may not be a room you imagine produces much plastic waste, because there are few visible plastic products, in truth plastic likes to hide in plain sight. For example, most memory foam is made of plastic in the form of polyurethane and some sheets are made of polyester or polyester blends. One way to remove this plastic from your bedroom is to choose products such as a bamboo pillow or bamboo bedding. All these will allow you to sleep well and be able to face each day filled with energy and enthusiasm.
Sustainable Household:
The Kitchen is where we nourish ourselves inside and where we develop meaningful relationships with others. But plastic is found here too. For example, too often the food you buy from the grocery store comes in plastic on top of the plastic. Just think if you have struggled to open a container it is probably because it is some type of impossible to open the plastic. For others, the main challenge is when you do not want to deal with china dishes either at home or when traveling. In these situations, you may lean on plastic dishes or cutlery. Some useful ways to remove this plastic is to bring your own bags when you go grocery shopping, using eco-friendly disposable products such as those made of bamboo, or even using eco-friendly straws made of bamboo, wheat, or grass.
Outside The Home:
While outside the home you might think you have less control over your plastic use, but if you plan ahead you can go plastic-free as you go about your day to day life. Reusable travel mugs reduce your need for plastic water bottles. Reusable tote bags reduce your need for plastic bags. You can bring lunches in reused glass jars or cloth bags. When once these items might have gotten you a second look by others now everyone is using them and you will blend right in.
While plastic and plastic waste have an ever-growing impact on the environment you can go plastic-free by looking at your house's plastic use room by room. While it may feel overwhelming when you consider all the places plastic pops up in your life, remember you do not have to go plastic-free overnight. Starting with one room or one type of plastic items you use all the time. You also do not have to go plastic-free alone. More stores are producing plastic-free alternatives than ever before. And there are more and more community networks where you can seek advice on how to remove plastic from your life.
