Six Ways to Reduce Plastic Waste in Your Home

The time is now to start reducing the amount of plastic consumption in our home, and worldwide. While we may feel as though our impact as individuals may be small, every step taken counts. Each time you choose an alternative over the use of plastic, that is one less piece of non-biodegradable trash in our environment. Small efforts do matter here and with enough small steps, they can turn into large leaps in the right direction. Reducing the use of plastic is simple enough to be able to start right in the comfort of your own home. Scan the inside of your home quickly and make note of how many plastic items you have and use. The majority of those items are more than likely in your kitchen area. Once you have an idea, it’s time to make a plan to start reducing the use of plastic in your home and replacing with items that are eco-friendly, reusable and sustainable for our environment. To help you get started, here a few simple suggestions on how to reduce plastic waste in your home.

How to Reduce Plastic  Waste in Your Home

#1 Storage containers.

Remember earlier when I mentioned that the majority of plastic can probably be found in your kitchen? Think of your shelves, if your home is anything like mine used to be, you probably have several plastic containers lining your kitchen shelves. It’s time to stop using plastic and switch over to glass containers which are more eco-friendly and will last much longer too. Plus, they won’t leach nasty chemicals into your food.

#2 Water bottles.

Plastic water bottles tend to not last as long as their eco-friendly counterparts. Why not just cut them out completely and buy a few reusable stainless steel water bottles? Chemical free and they do a great job of keeping those beverages nice and cool on a hot day!

#3 Disposable cutlery.

This goes for disposable anything really. If you’ve got kids, or enjoy picnics, you probably have a packet or two of disposable cutlery lying around the house. Not only is it incredibly damaging to the environment, it’s also a waste of money! Why buy that plastic to use once and throw away? If you find that you are needing some disposable silverware for any reason, find an alternative with the more eco-friendly bamboo options instead.

#4 Produce bags.

You know the bags that I’m talking about, right? When you take a trip to the grocery store and you are trying to decide what type of apple you want, you instinctively reach over and grab one of those handy little plastic bags that are placed so conveniently for you to fill full of your favorite fruit or veggie. It’s time to stop using those!  Instead, invest in a mesh produce bag that you can take with you to the store. Think of it along the same lines as a reusable shopping bag, except this one is smaller and specifically for fruits and veggies. The great thing about it is that you can use it over and over again, saving hundreds of plastic produce bags from your waste every year.

#5 Freezer bags.

There are ways outside of storing food in plastic bags in your freezer to preserve food for later consumption.  Have you ever given thought to canning food items? It’s a great way to store food for periods of time in glass jars, rather than frozen in plastic bags or containers. Canning food can be versatile as well in that you are able to can fruit, veggies, and even some meats! Line your shelves with glass jars of canned food and leave the space in your freezer for items that are non-plastic.

#6 Trash bags.

This one can be a little more difficult for some to implement, but it is possible to cut down on the amount of trash bags that are being used on a weekly basis. First, make certain that you are recycling each and every item possible. You may be surprised how that dramatically cuts down on your overall trash. After you have the recycling separated, see about adding (or creating if you don’t have one) your leftover food items to a compost bin or area. Food waste can take up a ton of space in your trash container when there may be a great use for it in your garden! Give yourself a goal of trying to have one only trash bag used per week. Do you accept the challenge?

Reducing the amount of plastic waste in your home may seem difficult in the beginning. Breathe easy knowing that with practice and educating yourself on the importance, it will get easier. Transitioning into a plastic-free home is a great feeling and also a great help to our environment! Thank you for wanting to do your part in helping to create a better life for ourselves, our children and our Earth.