With Earth Day around the corner, you can do more for the planet by giving up a simple plastic or two and investing in a sustainable alternative.
Global (16 April 2021) – Recycling plastic is easy and it is also really great for the planet but even with the best intentions, it can feel daunting at times. Sometimes there isn’t enough time to sort through the plastic in your household, sometimes you might be unsure about which plastic products are recyclable and which plastics are not and then sometimes you can be downright lazy! Hey, it happens to the best of us…
With Earth Day on the 22nd of April, we thought we would dust off this list and remind everyone how we can all make little changes to protect our beloved planet. These are the 10 plastic products you can give up today that will benefit the environment.
Plastic Bags
Most people are already making the switch over to material bags that are reusable. Many countries and shops are also banning or discontinuing the use of plastic bags altogether. Now days, you can find beautiful bags made by local artists or shops will sell you a reusable one instead.
Plastic Straws
Yes, these little plastic juice transportation devices are still terrible! They are scattered everywhere… Like at the beach, filling up landfills and all those other places they should never be! If you are super conscious of drinking from a container then invest in a reusable straw.
Most places are now supplying biodegradable straws but if you are not sure, ask the manager for more information to be sure.
Microbeads
These tiny balls of toxic plastic simply wash down the drain into our water sources and then poison our ocean fish which eventually poisons us. You can find them in almost every exfoliating face scrub on the shelf and even in your toothpaste, imagine how your poor enamel must feel? They are in a variety of other beauty products too.
If you are unsure if a product contains them the label will list them as either polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate or polymethyl methacrylate. Happy and natural alternatives are salt, oats or even bicarbonate soda (mix with a bit of honey for the best results)
Plastic Toothbrushes
This is one example of plastic we didn’t even think about until today. Toothbrushes are a part of our daily lives so we feel a little guilty for never thinking about it while starring ourselves down in the mirror. Bamboo toothbrushes are a great alternative!
Plastic Water Bottles
This is another obvious one. Reusable glass bottles are in fashion and nearly every shop has a section where you can find fun bottles. If you just have to have ‘filtered’ water, fit a filter onto your tap or buy one of those fancy water jugs that have a built-in filter.
Coffee Capsules
Yes, you read that right! If you invested in an expensive coffee system that makes use of a capsule that only has one serving we are sorry to tell you that they are really bad for the environment! It’s true, the capsules are not recyclable. Coffee grounds are great for the environment, they enrich the soil and make a great compost! They are also pretty perfect as a body scrub so owning a French press is a much better option.
These days you can also get reusable coffee capsules. Also, there are many street artists that use these capsules to make sculptures so be sure to find out if they will take your used ones for you.
Disposable Razors
We understand that razor blades are ridiculously expensive but owning a lifelong razor is better for the environment because it lasts. You can get some really cool old school razors that use “Bic” or “Lion” blades which cost very little to replace and once soaked in a bit of vinegar, can be popped into your compost bin.
Takeaway Coffee Cups
Most coffee shops will let you take a reusable mug for your daily hot drink. You need only ask and they will tell you what size is just right for your regular cuppa! They may even sell mugs for you to use. If you don’t ask then you will never know. And if they say no, then write a strongly worded but well thought-out letter to management explaining why you would like to use a reusable mug. If you get a snotty reply or none at all then you are probably better off supporting a different company.
Plastic Cutlery
The plastic knives don’t work and neither do the forks so it is better to avoid them. Most places are starting to supply wooden alternatives anyway so this could be another request to make from your local deli or take away if they don’t have any.
Shower Gels
Bars of soap do an equally good job and nowadays there are so many divine soap shops you can find every kind of soap you could imagine. Just remember to check the ingredients of mass-produced soaps as they can contain microbeads. The shower gel comes in a bottle whereas soap is wrapped in a small amount of paper and it’s way more affordable.
So there you have it, 10 simple platics to give up for Earth Day. If you would like even more inspiration, you can check out the Earth Day website here.