If you are like me, you feel sad every time you have to put plastic into recycling. As we know, very little of our intended recycling actually finds its way through the recycling process; most ends up in landfills. Fortunately, there are many ways to reduce our plastic consumption. Just start by choosing one, then adding another; you don’t have to be perfect, you just need to try.
Here are some sobering Canadian stats to keep you motivated: https://oceana.ca/en/blog/canadas-plastic-problem-sorting-fact-fiction
Avoid Single-use Coffee Cups
* Take your own travel mug to the coffee shop; if they don’t let you use your own mug, consider not buying there. Refuse is the first R.
* Enjoy your coffee inside the café and enjoy the ambiance and your to-stay mug.
* An even better idea is to make coffee at home and save the gas and the money.
Swap Shampoo and Liquid Soap for Bars
* Shampoo, conditioner, and soap bars have very little or no packaging and you’ll be so happy when your recycling bin needs to go out less often.
Zilch offers shampoo and conditioner bars https://zilchboutique.com/product-category/hair-care/
Don’t Buy Fruits and Vegetables in Plastic Bags/Containers
* When buying produce, opt for the loosely packed items, i.e. put mushrooms in a paper bag or buy loose potatoes rather than ones in a plastic bag.
* Avoid pre-cut or pre-shredded veggies and just do it yourself at home.
* Bring your own bags for produce, if allowed by the store, for all the loose fruits and veggies you purchase.
Ditch Your Disposable Razor and Go For a Safety Razor
* Swap your razor for a reusable one or skip a razor altogether and pretend like it’s November all year long (or the 70s). Safety razors have no plastic parts, and you can recycle the blade when you are done with it. They last a LONG time – invest once, shave forever.
Find safety razors here https://zilchboutique.com/product-category/shaving-essentials/
Buy Used Instead of New
* Buying used furniture and other household items helps avoid packaging and diverts items from the landfill. As an example: we are going to renovate our bathroom soon and I am looking for a used dresser or sidebar to fashion into a bathroom vanity/sink. This way I haven’t contributed to the manufacturing of something new – the world just doesn’t need more stuff in it. Also, everything new generally comes with an excessive amount of packaging. By buying used you avoid having to deal with all the plastic and cardboard (or even Styrofoam) waste at the end of your project.
