16 Aug Saying Goodbye to Single-Use Plastics
Over the past couple of years, I’ve made a conscious effort to reduce my plastic usage. Although it didn’t happen all at once, I’ve managed to find a healthy balance and change certain habits to help the planet. Here are my top 8 products to reduce plastic waste.
1. Bamboo toothbrushes
Just the thought of how many plastic toothbrushes are disposed of on a yearly basis around the world is OVERWHELMING. I was using a fully plastic + recyclable toothbrush for a couple months but wasn’t a huge fan. Recently, I switched to this biodegradable toothbrush and I love it!
Another switch you can make is to use biodegradable dental floss – the regular stuff is usually made out of synthetic nylon.
2. Produce bags/glass bottles
At the grocery store, I always felt like there was pressure to use those stupid thin plastic bags for fruits and veggies. Now, to avoid throwing out all of that unnecessary plastic after every grocery run, I bring my own produce bags. I usually bring an assortment of small and large bags for different items.
These cotton produce bags are also great for buying in bulk – save money and reduce plastic usage! Once I get home, I either keep them in the cotton bags or transfer them to old juice bottles or mason jars. I started buying these products in bulk:
– Nuts
– Seeds
– Oats
– Spices (great for those recipes where you need 1 teaspoon of garlic powder and you don’t want to buy a full bag that will last a lifetime in your pantry)
3. Beeswax Wrap
Ask my friends – if someone brings up plastic wrap, I won’t shut up about Abeego. I stumbled upon their booth a couple years ago at the One of A Kind Show and have been obsessed ever since. It’s a reusable and biodegradable plastic wrap that’s made out of beeswax and lasts over a year. Because it’s made out of beeswax, the food can breathe and it ends up staying fresh for longer. For example, I can wrap half an avocado in Abeego and it stays fresh for over 3 days. You can mold your Abeego to whatever you’re wrapping by warming up the beeswax with the heat of your hands. The waxes that they’re composed of make it antibacterial, so all you have to do between uses is rinse it with cold water.
All in all, this is one of the best product discoveries I’ve ever made.
4. Reusable Sandwich Bags
Although I don’t use sandwich bags as often as when I was in school, I still like having some around to put snacks in. Instead of buying single-use bags, I’ve invested in a couple Stasher bags that I can wash between uses.
5. Metal straws
Unless you live under a rock, you know that we’re all supposed to be boycotting plastic straws. If you get a lot of takeout drinks, consider getting yourself a couple metal straws. You can pop them in your bag and clean them at the office or at home.
6. Keepcup
Adding to the previous point, if you frequently buy drinks from cafes, a Keepcup is a must for you. You’ll be able to reuse it for a long time and will save lots of paper cups and plastic lids from going into landfills.
A lot of cafes also have mugs that you can ask to use if you’re staying until you finish your drink!
7. Tote bags/trolley
If you ever run into me at the grocery store, you’ll probably think that I look like a little granny with my trolley. But if you do large grocery runs, it’s the best investment you’ll ever make. In addition to making your life easier when grocery shopping, it also reduces your usage of plastic bags.
I also bring a couple tote bags with me if I can’t fit everything in my trolley.
8. Water bottles
I don’t even know if it’s necessary to add this in, but get yourself a reusable water bottle! I love my Swell; the design makes it easy to just pop it in my bag.
Let me know what are some of your favourite products to reduce plastic consumption
Featured image by Dans Le Sac – a great zero-waste brand and resource