TEN WAYS TO AVOID THE MOST PROBLEMATIC SINGLE-USE PLASTICS

The amount of plastic waste that has accumulated on our planet is an environmental and health crisis. Single-use plastic (i.e., plastic that is used just once before it becomes waste) is one of the worst offenders when it comes to plastic pollution. Estimates suggest that single-use plastic packaging represents the majority share of all plastic the ocean.

Fortunately, there are many simple changes you can make to your daily routine to drastically reduce your consumption of single-use plastic. This list by My Plastic Free Life contains 100 great tips on that front, and is a great resource for reducing your plastic usage more generally.

If you’re just getting started in the plastic purge, however, I’ve compiled the following list of 10 things you can do to avoid the most problematic single-use plastics. Most of these items require a little up-front planning, but are super simple to implement thereafter (and often cheaper than the disposable plastic alternatives).

A note about methodology: I compiled this list based on a combination of (1) the most common single-use plastics found during coastal cleanups, according to the 2018 United Nations report on single-use plastics, and (2) my own assessment of the low-effort, high-impact things I’ve done to date to reduce the amount of single-use plastic I buy/use. These suggestions should drastically reduce your use of single-use plastic, and will hopefully be a good starting point to start think about other changes you can make to reduce your plastic usage more generally.

Without further ado, here is my list of the top ten things you can do to avoid the most problematic single-use plastics:

1. Invest in reusable bags to carry your purchases instead of store-provided plastic bags. One of the easiest and more meaningful changes I’ve made is to stop using store-provided plastic bags to take home the items I’ve purchased.  This includes plastic bags provided at the grocery store, but also plastic bags provided by other retailers.

I use 100% cotton bags, which I always keep in my car and take with me whenever I go into a store.  These bags not only reduce plastic waste, but they are also more durable (no more torn handles!) and machine washable.

I prefer cotton bags to the reusable bags sold at grocery stores because the grocery store ones are usually made from polypropylene (i.e., plastic) and aren’t machine washable.  And you’re gonna want machine washable bags!

Yes, cotton shopping bags do require an upfront investment.  But I bought mine 10 years, 50+ washes, and hundreds of uses ago, and they are still going strong!   And thinking of all the plastic waste I’ve avoided in the meantime makes me so happy.  Worth every penny!

Sea turtles often mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and eat them, which can cause choking, internal injury, and death. It’s estimated that 52% of sea turtles have eaten plastic. Nearly all species of sea turtle are endangered.

2. Stop using plastic produce bags at the grocery store. I used to skip produce bags entirely, but it turns out the grocery store conveyor belt is pretty gross and can contaminate produce.  As a result, I recently purchased cotton bags for my produce.  I recommend buying an assortment of sizes for different types of produce, and again, COTTON. You want to wash these bags.

3. Stop drinking (plastic) bottled water. There’s really no reason for it. Invest in a water bottle and carry it with you. It’s cheaper, it’s healthier, it can help keep your water cold (if you get an insulated bottle), and it’s a cute accessory! This will also help you avoid using plastic cups, which are another huge single-use plastic polluter.

4. If you must buy soft drinks and other beverages, buy them in a glass bottle. Plastic bottles and bottle caps are the second and third most common single-use plastics found during coastal cleanups, respectively. Nearly a million plastic beverage bottles are sold every minute around the world. As a result, as well as for health reasons, I’ve basically eliminated soft drinks from my diet. But if you’re going to get them anyway, for the ocean’s sake, buy them in a glass bottle. (Unfortunately, cans contain plastic lining.)

5. Stop using disposable coffee cups. Plastic lids are a top ten single-use plastic polluter. Invest in a reusable coffee cup, and ask your barista to use it instead of a disposable cup. You can get fancy with these, too; check out Vogue’s awesome recommendations.

6. Stop using straws and stirrers. Again, there’s really no reason for either of these, and they are both top-ten single-use plastic polluters. If you’re a huge fan of straws, invest in a reusable one. You can even personalize it! And as for stirrers… use a (metal) spoon! Or a little swirling action.

7. Stop using plastic baggies (e.g., Ziplocs) and plastic wrap. There’s very little you store in a Ziploc for that you couldn’t store in a more permanent storage solution. Leftover half onion or lemon? Put it in a reusable food storage container. Organizing small items? Put them in a fabric bag or container. If you’re really attached to using Ziplocs, invest in reusable silicone baggies. I have a few Zip Top bags and they’re great.

8. Buy any foods you can from your grocery store’s bulk foods section. This is a great way to cut down on your consumption of plastic packaging, at least when it comes to groceries. I tend to do my bulk shopping at Sprouts.  They have a great bulk foods selection that includes many staples, including dried fruit and nuts, seeds, beans, grains and rice, oatmeal, baking mixes, flours, spices, snack food and sweets, and coffee beans.

Remember to bring containers to carry your bulk items from the store back home.  Stores usually provide plastic bags and ties for this purpose, but that would defeat the purpose, so just keep a bunch of cotton bags and jars on hand.  It helps to have a variety of sizes for different item types. You’ll want to bring your bags/jars to the cashier before filling them so that they can deduct the tare weight of the container from the total weight. 

Although storage containers are an upfront cost that you don’t usually have to worry about with pre-packaged foods, bulk foods tend to be cheaper in the long run, so you’ll likely save money AND our oceans! Hooray!

Awesome bonus: unlike pre-packaged items, you can usually sample bulk items before you purchase them.  (Just tell a store associate that you’d like to sample something and they are usually happy to assist.) 

9. Take home restaurant leftovers in your own container. Takeout containers are a huge polluter. Stick a reusable container in your purse if you may want to take your leftovers home from a restaurant. In my experience, this sometimes initially results in strange looks from your dining companions, but after some explanation, they are usually impressed by your dedication to the cause.

I acknowledge that if you don’t carry a purse, this may be a bit difficult.

10. Don’t use disposable cutlery. Invest in a reusable cutlery set and carrying pouch for times when you dine at more casual establishments that only have disposable cutlery. And if you order takeout, specifically request that the restaurant not include any disposable cutlery in the package.