I recently read this article in the Huffington Post called Did You Just Eat a Plastic Bag? It's about how plastic pollution has entered our food chain, as goes the rest of the headline, and while making public art out of it is great, overall it's scary stuff. Just when you think the plastics you use, from plastic bags to yogurt containers to the soles on your sneakers, are recycled in a responsible manner, it's time to think again. You've probably already heard about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a swirling plastic wasteland twice the size of Texas. Only about 7% of the plastic gets recycled and the rest ends up in landfills and into the ocean. 

It's easy to say that you don't want to bring plastic into your own home, but it's much harder to put into practice. So what can you do to reduce the amount of wasted plastic? Here's a few tips, but please share your own in the comments!   

  1. Always always always carry a reusable cloth bag with you at all times.  It's easy to get a few groceries or pick up something from the store when you're out and about, so don't make the mistake of picking up another plastic bag because you forgot to bring your own. I try to keep two bags in my purse with me so that if I've already used one of the bags, I've got a back-up at the ready. And if it's a cute bag like this tote from Etsy seller bangbangyouredead, it makes remembering even easier.
   
 
2. Bring your old plastic containers and bags or glass jars to the grocery store bulk bins and fill up using your own containers, like these vintage mason jars from Hindsvik. Everything from rice to peanut butter, dish soap to spices can be purchased in bulk, and bringing your own containers just makes sense.   
 
 
3. Forget about using those plastic produce bags. Instead, use reusable cotton bags, like these ones from ohlittlerabbit which can be used at the store and are also the perfect way to store your produce in your refrigerator's crisper drawer. 
 

4. Stop buying commercially produced bread that can sometimes be lined with two layers of plastic. Instead, buy your bread at the local bakery or farmers market and use your own linen bread bag for storage and carrying home, like these pretty ones from Fadedplains. 

  say no to saran wrap

5. Stay away from unnecessary packaging. And that includes letting your server know that you don't want a straw for your drink or plastic cutlery for your take out order. It also means that you don't need to wrap your leftovers in plastic wrap, when a plate to top that bowl of leftover soup in your fridge works just as well. 

If you've already taken the step to curb or eliminate plastic from your life, let us know what you've done and let's share our information.

Further Reading
A Week Without Plastic


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