The best way of dealing with plastic waste is not to create any in the first place: Reduce, Reuse Recycle and the best way to deal with is remove plastic.

Tips for safer, more sustainable and ecofriendly alternatives to plastics:

1. Avoid plastic bottled: Get a reusable stainless steel bottles fill the bottle up with tap water before leaving the house, and refill it.
2. Bring your own stainless steel: carry the coffee thermos to the coffee cafe or office with you. Most the café owner will happily accept your reusable utensils.
3. Bring own cloth bags for the shopping: To reduce the impacts of plastic bags on our environment, we have to minimize their use and promote environmentally friendly bags which are long lasting such as cloth bags, tente vacoas, jute bags, canvas bags and other bags made of natural fibers.
4. Buy fresh bread from local bakeries that package in the paper: Take a reusable cloth or paper bag to the bakery and ask the shopkeeper to place bread directly inside it. It is the best way to keep bread fresh.
5. Buy in bulk: Make a list and try to shop in large size package which will decrease the amount of plastic used overall.
6. Buy farm fresh and local: Farmers markets are a great way to buy fresh, local produce and most importantly without plastic stickers, as long as you remember to bring your own bags while shopping.
7. Carry your own reusable container: Bring own reusable container wherever you go and say NO to disposable plastic containers like cutlery, mugs, bottles, cups, dish, bowl, bags, even straws.  It’s easy to fall into a routine, so why to choose new or create a new one?
8. Don’t buy convenience foods packaged in plastic: Plastic packing for foods to help them to create more pollution.
9. Minimize the use of canned foods and canned drinks: Most people’s exposure to BPA comes from food and water stored in plastic containers.
10. Spread the word: Tell/ Inform/ Aware others about the harmful chemicals in plastic and help reduce plastic use.
11. Store all your food in glass containers instead of plastic containers: Plastic containers contain BPA which may cause health concerns. It’s better to keep food in reusable glass containers.
12. Say no to the small plastic “table” in the middle of the pizza box while ordering pizza: keep in mind your alertness will help us. A single-use plastic device meant to save a single-use cardboard box. Just think what happens when marine animals swallow this type of disposable plastic?
13. Enjoy an ice cream cone instead of plastic-lined container: Instead of keeping the container of ice cream in the freezer, have ice cream cone which requires zero containers or utensil waste.
14. Cut down juices and other plastic bottles beverages: Try to eat fresh instead of buying juices.
15. Choose milk in the thick glass and returnable glass bottles: Instead of plastic pouch milk choose glass bottles, there will be no plastic leaching problem.
16. Say no to chewing gum:  Almost all chewing gum is made from plastics and when you’re chewing gum actually you’re chewing plastic only.
17. Use natural cleaning cloths and scrubbers:  Instead of plastic scrubbers and synthetic sponges use compressed natural cellulose sponges which are often sold without any plastic packaging because they don’t need to be kept moist; they expand when wet.
18. Check labels on personal care products: Personal care products may contain tiny plastic beads. Please avoid anything with “Polyethylene” listed as an ingredient.
19. Give up plastic bottle shampoo: Try to make your shampoo at your home with natural ingredient.
20. Choose cosmetics in plastic-free container: Use homemade cosmetics or buy only that come in glass or metal containers.
21. Use eco friendly sanitary pads: Use biodegradable sanitary pads that are good for body, environment and community.
22. Avoid nonstick cookware: Cookware coated with Teflon or other give off toxic when heated. Better to replace this cookware with stainless steel and cast iron.
23. Buy necessary plastic items used instead of new: Don’t buy new plastic items think upon used plastics.
24. Avoid disposable plastic pens: Switched to a refillable fountain pen with a cartridge converter that allows refilling the pen from a bottle of ink rather than buying new plastic cartridges. Remember: Single use plastic items are polluting our oceans, killing tens of thousands of birds and marine animals each year.
25. Buy plastic free shoes: Look for natural rubber than plastic footwear.
26. Request plastic-free gifts for yourself: It can be really challenging to ask friends and family not to gift you new plastic.
27. Find eco-friendly ways to wrap gifts without plastic wrapper and tape: Use paper tape for and reusing gift bags; reusing wrapping paper; reusable cloth bags or jute is the best option.
28. Request for Zero plastic packing while online order: Write a message to online seller requesting zero plastic or Styrofoam packing.
29. Take care of what you have already: Avoid buying new stuff by keeping the old stuff in good condition.
30. Avoid CDs and DVDs: CDs and DVDs are made from polycarbonate plastic. Instead, download music and movies from the internet.

Comments