Goodbye Plastic!

By Kathryn Brennan

There’s tons and tons of plastic waste in the environment today. Plastic is used in so many day to day products that it can be hard to live a green life without using some type of plastic. I have personally made it my mission this year to live a plastic-free life. I quickly learned how hard it is to live a plastic-free life. I realized I started my day with a toothbrush made of plastic. Then I realized my deodorant is in a plastic container. Throughout the rest of my day I noticed that a majority of the products in my life are plastic. I have slowly but surely began living a plastic-free life. Here are some tips if you would like to start living a plastic-free life.

Step 1: Keep Track of Your Plastic

I never realized how much plastic I used every day until I decided I wanted to rid plastic from my life. For about a week I kept track of everything plastic that I used. By keeping track and documenting the plastic I used I was able to start a plan to be plastic free. I started my plan by figuring out how I was going to replace my plastic products.

Step 2: If You Don’t Have Plastic at Home Don’t Use It Outside of the House

My favorite guilty pleasures is Starbucks Iced Strawberry Green Tea. I placed my order and my beverage came to me in a plastic cup with a plastic straw. My guilty pleasure became a problem with the lifestyle I was trying to lead. The next day when I went back I was able to find a quick solution-- a glass reusable tumbler. It was a quick problem to fix because I could not give up my Starbucks after giving up so many other products. Always opt for a green option when you’re out and about. It can be as easy asking for your drink to come without a straw or using a reusable bag when you shop.

Step 3: Buying Food, Not Plastic

As I kept record of my plastic use I noticed that a majority of the food I buy is in a plastic package or I put it in a plastic bag myself. To eliminate that problem, I started using reusable shopping bags at food stores and bringing my own reusable containers for food that comes out of dispensers like nuts, granola, and coffee. When buying produce, I go straight to my local farmers market. There I can pick the produce I want without plastic bags.

Going plastic free is still a challenge for me. I never realized how much plastic I use until I decided that I no longer wanted to use plastic in my daily life. I’m slowly still getting rid of my old plastic habits. Finding plastic alternatives has made me live a healthier, more green life.