At our current rate of plastic production, consumption, and disposal, the oceans will contain more plastic then fish by 2050!
So, what can we do to stop this plastic consumption? I decided to take the Plastic Free July Challenge. This month, I join tens of thousands of people around the world in an attempt to forgo plastic.
Our throwaway culture makes it difficult to break free of plastic. I have been following blogger Bea Johnson at Zero Waste Home. She and her family having been living Zero Waste lifestyle since 2003, and she now travels the world teaching others to do the same. She says, “Zero Waste living is a lifestyle that is rich in experiences rather than things, a life that is based on doing and being rather than having”
So far, I have made a few simple changes in my home. I love Fill Good.Co, a zerowaste refill service for skincare and household products, so when I was in the Bay Area last week, I picked up bamboo toothbrushes for me and the kids, as well as glass jars for our soap and cleaning products.
Simple ways to remove plastic from daily life:
· Bring your travel mug to the coffee shop if you’re getting a cup to go
· Use a reusable water bottle everywhere
· Bring bags with you to any shopping destination
· Bring a glass container for takeout food at restaurants.
· Bring containers to use at the deli or bulk goods section in the grocery store
· Create your own home cleaning products using recyclable glass jars
· Create your own reusable travel kits
· Put leftovers in glass bowls and cover them with another dish
· Donate or sell plastics you don’t need
Plastic epitomizes our consumer, throw-away culture. It represents the kind of thinking (and action) that has led to our current environmental crisis. We’re addicted to convenience, much of which plastic makes possible. We demand immediate gratification, we want it cheap, and we dispose of it without thought. We consume mindlessly and behave as though we have infinite resources
Take the plastic free challenge with me this month and send us your ideas about how to use less plastic!