disposable water bottles are so 2008. Chances are, you’ve already given them up in favor of cloth bags and a stainless steel water bottle—if you haven’t, what are you waiting for?! But, if your home looks anything like mine, you have a good deal of plastic products lying around. I brush my teeth with a plastic toothbrush, eat granola out of a plastic bag, and type on a plastic keyboard.
BENEFITS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT: The trouble with plastic is that it’s Recycling plastic reduces the amount that ends up in the landfill, although sometimes it does more harm than good.
Time and Effort: Environmentalists agree that we should reduce our plastic consumption, but how do we do that? Plastic is everywhere! Since we have to start somewhere, I’d like to begin by committing to lifestyle changes that aren’t a drag. You might not yet be ready to swear off plastic toothbrushes, nylon sleeping bags, and spandex shorts forever, but I bet you’ll be able to follow these seven ways to reduce plastic:
- In warm weather spots, the beach, fairs, and amusement parks, ask the ice cream man or lady for a cone, not a plastic bowl and spoon. I recommend a waffle cone with chocolate drizzle and walnuts… crunch down on that sweet goodness ☺ Did you know that Americans throw out enough paper and plastic cups, forks, and spoons each year to circle the equator 300 times?1 You did not contribute to that long chain of plastic and for that, my friend, you deserve an extra scoop!
- Americans also throw out 500 million disposable straws every day. Because of that, some environmentalists say you should forgo straws altogether. Maybe you should, but I won’t agree to that. I like my lemonade with crushed ice and my mojitos with fresh mint, and I like to sip both languidly in a linen dress on a warm summer evening. That simple pleasure requires a straw more elegant and guilt-free than the ubiquitous plastic straw. That’s why I recommend this glass straw!
- Ready for another big number? On top of all that plastic-ware, we throw out two billion shaving razors annually.2 Purchase a steel safety razor and never invest in a plastic razor (or any other razor for that matter) again. Get the razor second-hand, and you’ll spend all of $10. A pack of 100 blades will set you back another $25 at most. Beth Terry (from the blog My Plastic-Free Life) writes that each blade lasts more than a month.3 Men: complete the shave set with a bristle brush and organic shave soap scented with Bay Rum. Now you’re as classy as a Humphrey Bogart in a barbershop—leather chair and cigar smoke are optional☺
- Stop chewing gum. “The ancient Greeks chewed mastiche – a gum made from the resin of the mastic tree; the Mayans chewed chicle which is the sap from the sapodilla tree; North American Indians chewed the sap from spruce trees and passed the habit along to the settlers,” writes Pat Thomas of The Ecologist.4 In contrast, today we Americans do not chew on gum made of natural rubber. We chew on synthetic rubber, which contains a great deal of toxic stuff like polyvinyl acetate, which is a type of plastic. That’s right, we chew on a plastic that has been shown to cause tumors in lab rats. Not only is gum packaged in plastic, it is plastic!5 For those of you who like to chew while longing for a cigarette or simply ruminating, chew on licorice root instead. It’ll calm your mind and build stamina.6 Some say licorice even helps prevent baldness. Sounds like exchanging gum for licorice is like trading in a Superfund site for a fountain of youth!
- Don’t buy air fresheners in canisters or plug-in plastic-based containers. Let’s be real – they always smell more like a punch of chemicals than an “enticing scent of pomegranate” or a “crisp, light citrus” or even a “breath of fresh air.” You want fresh air? Open up a window! When it’s cold outside, light a soy or beeswax candle, or some incense. A flickering flame always has a way of setting the right mood. I love this make your own at home!
- Be like a grandfather and get a handkerchief. Disposable tissues use up trees and are wrapped in plastic. Purchasing or making some hankies is an excellent opportunity to reflect on your personal style. Will you choose a plain white hanky, a lacy hanky, a monogrammed hanky, a rag with fraying edges, or a hanky with swallows on a line? No pressure, but this is the hanky your grandchildren will remember you by!
- Even if you and I make a pledge right now to never buy a single thing made of plastic ever again, the streams that wind around our towns will still be sprinkled with fast-food wrappers and plastic bags. What a shame. Someone should really clean all that up. Of course, that someone can be you and me. You can organize a community-wide clean-up effort, though I admit that I never plan to do that. It sounds like way too much paperwork, and I hate paperwork. Here’s a simpler solution: next time you go on a hike, bring a pair of rubber gloves and make it a goal to pick up, say, 12 pieces of plastic trash. To get the kids and kids-at-heart involved, turn the clean-up into a scavenger hunt. Whoever finds 12 pieces first gets a prize, maybe even an ice cream cone!
