NEW YEAR LESS WASTE
Thinking about how much plastic humans use every year, and how many things are actually made of plastic can be overwhelming. Many people believe that their impact is very minor, and therefore, do not even bother with changing their bad habits. BUT your actions are in fact, powerful. Going zero waste is an everyday journey. It is not just about cutting out every single piece of plastic you own. It is about becoming aware of your impact on the planet, switching to all natural, sustainable alternatives, and making mindful decisions every moment of every day. You have to turn your bad habits into good habits by remembering to fill up your water bottle before you leave the house, and tossing your reusable shopping bags in the car when you go out. We are approaching the New Year, which is the perfect time to make a real difference and change for the better! One person has the power to make a change, and hopefully change the minds of others. Let's get down to the basics… Starting with the four most used disposable items across the world.
PLASTICS BIG 4:
PLASTIC BAGS
The average plastic bag is used for 12 minutes before being discarded into the trash. Nearly two million single-use plastic bags are distributed worldwide every MINUTE. The average person uses over 500 plastic bags per year. 500 is a sh*t ton of plastic bags for one person. Checkout our Organic Cotton Reusable Tote Bag or purchase one from a local thrift shop or secondhand store!
PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES
ONE MILLION plastic bottles are bought EVERY MINUTE around the world, 2.5 million every hour in the U.S alone. Do you sip from plastic? Buying a reusable water bottle saves you money long-term, is better for your health (yes, when you drink from plastic, you are drinking particles of plastic), and helps divert hundreds of plastic bottles from ending up in the landfill or ocean (where it will NEVER go away). Go to your local thrift shop and there are tons of gently used reusable bottles and growlers to choose from.
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PLASTIC STRAWS500 MILLION plastic straws are used EVERY DAY in America. The average person uses about 2 plastic straws per day. That is 730 per year. The worst part is, they are completely unnecessary! When you order a beer or a glass of wine, do they come with straws? No! Simply ask for no straw or bring your own Stainless Steel or Bamboo Straw one along with you! |
DISPOSABLE COFFEE CUPS25 billion Styrofoam coffee cups are disposed of every year. The average American drinks from 500 per year alone!!! Making coffee at home and taking it in your cup with you will save you lots of money in the long run, or simply ask the coffee barista to fill your mug instead of contributing to waste. |
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BE THE CHANGE
My point is, YOUR DECISIONS DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Your everyday purchases fuel the demand for what you want our world to look like. Manufacturers, storeowners, and government facilities will listen to the people. 40% of all plastic created is only used one time before being tossed, but literally never goes away. Every single piece of plastic ever created is still here. It’s unclear how long it will take for that plastic to completely biodegrade, but some estimates range from 450 years to never. On top of that, millions of marine life are killed per year because of our poor choices. Marine species of all sizes are ingesting tiny pieces of indigestible plastic, are getting tangled in fishing nets, or stuck in six-pack rings and suffocating. They cannot know what plastic is. They trust what the ocean provides them, and here we are unintentionally killing them. I don’t know about you, but I want to leave our planet knowing I made a difference.
2019 is a New Year and the perfect time to start living more sustainable, mindful, and with intention. Don’t buy things you don’t actually need, don’t just toss out all of your plastics and start over. It is an everyday learning process, and Zero Waste Store is here to guide you through it!
