Save the Planet: Ways to reduce plastic consumption in your everyday life

 

The plastic issue becomes one of the major problems of the twenty-first century. 

Unfortunately, many people still underestimate this problem and keep producing tons of plastic trash each year. We witness different species of animals being killed by the plastic garbage and pollution areas reach both land and water. We need to stop acting like this now if we want to avoid the upcoming climate disaster.

Many people claim that being eco-friendly is hard these days because most of the everyday-use things are made of plastic. Well, it’s true but there are many ways to avoid using it and still feel satisfied with what we eat, drink and take shower with. Below you can find a few essential ways to reduce plastic consumption in your everyday life.

Bring your own cup

The very simple and useful way to reduce plastic is by getting yourself a multiple-use cup, which according to HotshotSleeves gains bigger popularity among young people. Having reusable cups is not only eco-friendly but also very practical. The drink does not burn your hands, the lid is better fixed so it's less likely for you to spill the coffee on your way to work. It also looks cool. You have a wide choice of colours, characters, and materials. You can also personalize the cup with your name or funny nickname. Think about it. One simple item and so many advantages, including plastic reduction.

 

Shopping bag

How many times have you gone shopping and came back with millions of little plastic bags? It’s not environmentally friendly, it’s easy to break when groceries are too heavy and it’s really annoying to store. In fact, recently some countries banned plastic bags totally. The solution is a multiple-use grocery bag. You can buy it everywhere. Some of them are stiff, made of recycled plastic, some are simply cotton. There are many catchy designs or funny inscriptions printed on such a bag. It looks much more stylish than many tiny, transparent plastic bags, it won’t break, it can fit more products inside and significantly reduces plastic consumption.

We reckon the recent NDP Funpack bag would suit the bill!

 

Water filter

This is a real must-have in every house. People should drink about 2 litres of water a day. Try to calculate how many plastic bottles you use monthly then and don’t forget to count in your family members and friends. A water filter is a very simple way to reduce plastic consumption. You need to exchange it once a month and drink as much tap water as you want. Given the local clean water supply, you could just boil the water and drink it straight from the tap.

It’s also a great financial advantage. Water may seem to be cheap but when you buy at least one bottle a day, your monthly water budget will grow big. Consuming tap filtered water is the same as consuming bottled mineral water. It’s the same health advantage. If somehow you don’t like the taste of tap water, spice it up a notch. You can add lemon, mint, berries, and even some species. Your wallet and the planet will thank you for it.

 

Let the food free

When you do grocery shopping, it’s not necessary to pack all different fruits and veggies to separate plastic bags. You will unpack it at home anyway so just let them be free. It may take 2 minutes more on the cash register but at least it will cost you no trash at all. Some food is hard not to pack, like freshly cut bread. The solution is material bags. You can even make them yourself from some old

curtain, T-shirt, or collar. No need to produce plastic garbage.

 

No straw, please!

The culture of drinking cocktails requires you to have a straw. People made up the trend that drinking with a straw is more classy. Well, producing plastic trash never looks good. Do something for your planet and ask for a drink without a straw. If you somehow are so used to drinking with it, get yourself the one made of paper or even bamboo straws from Ecoy that you can use anytime.

Plastic-free beauty products

More and more companies increase awareness of how important for the planet is reducing plastic consumption, that is why they switch to cosmetic products packed in glass bottles. Some of the cosmetics are even wrapped in paper.  Also, there are also new innovations like a shampoo bar instead of a liquid in a plastic bottle or a natural deodorant bar as an alternative for the spray harmful to the environment. Sometimes it’s not hard to make some of the products by yourself. It’s fun, it’s 100% natural and it’s a big help in reducing amounts of plastic.

 

The bottom line

Plastic is a big global problem and our responsibility is to contribute to reducing its spread. One person is not able to do a lot but the whole community has the power! Take care of the environment and start living eco-friendly.