10 Things You Can Do - Personal plastic management guidelines
These ten tips will start you in the right direction to reduce your personal plastic footprint. One important consideration is that if enough of us follow these guidelines, we will compound our impact by influencing buying habits - and therefore manufacturing habits - acting as role model for the consuming world.
1. Become aware of your own plastic habits!
Take an inventory of the plastic you use in one week – we mean EVERYTHING. Toothbrush, straw at the take-out drive through, lid on take-out coffee, wrapper to new paper towels, grocery bag, packing peanuts for the new toy, bubble wrap for the new cushion on the patio furniture… you get the point.
Weigh it, write it down. Multiply it by a week, month, and year. Post it on your refrigerator, or on social media. Think about it. Become conscious of it. Are you above or below average? Look it up.
Now you are educated and face a classic moral dilemma. If I fail to take action, am I accepting this? Is this acceptable? Can I ignore this? Ask yourself, “What can ‘I’ do about this?” Then do that.
Weigh it, write it down. Multiply it by a week, month, and year. Post it on your refrigerator, or on social media. Think about it. Become conscious of it. Are you above or below average? Look it up.
Now you are educated and face a classic moral dilemma. If I fail to take action, am I accepting this? Is this acceptable? Can I ignore this? Ask yourself, “What can ‘I’ do about this?” Then do that.
2. Become environmentally literate.
Before you take sides in this discussion, check your facts. Listen to all sides of the story. Pay attention to who is telling it and who pays their salary. It takes extra effort to become informed, but it feels fantastic to get respect for your researched point of view.
When it comes to the environment it’s useful to ask, “What if they’re right?” That doesn’t mean you believe them. It means you want the truth. Sometimes you must answer your own questions.
Usually in science if someone tells you that certain facts are indisputable, they are full of it. The scientists who are always questioning their own answers are the ones that are worth listening to.
When it comes to the environment it’s useful to ask, “What if they’re right?” That doesn’t mean you believe them. It means you want the truth. Sometimes you must answer your own questions.
Usually in science if someone tells you that certain facts are indisputable, they are full of it. The scientists who are always questioning their own answers are the ones that are worth listening to.
3. Become aware of your surroundings.
Take a look around you. What is going on in your neighborhood, hometown, favorite recreation area, etc. Are the streets and parks clean of plastic litter? How about the stream and riverbanks? Is this ok with you? Does anything need change? Are you the right person to do something, or raise awareness about this problem? If not, then who is?
The first step to taking action is recognizing a problem exists and how it affects you and your loved ones and community. Some solutions are simple and inexpensive, others are complex and demand incredible resources. Each has their own level of urgency and resources can be expensive. Consider becoming involved in your community. That will clean the entire planet.
The first step to taking action is recognizing a problem exists and how it affects you and your loved ones and community. Some solutions are simple and inexpensive, others are complex and demand incredible resources. Each has their own level of urgency and resources can be expensive. Consider becoming involved in your community. That will clean the entire planet.
4. Make conscious choices.
When we purchase anything, we write public policy. We dictate the market because we ARE the market. If we collectively choose to eschew plastic convenience that market will diminish. This trend can be the end of the line for a product because it is not profitable without the demand.
Be conscious that the double cello-wrapped bananas may be convenient, but there is a price to pay for management of our waste - and right now those who are profiting are not paying that cost. Our children’s environment and their health are paying for it.
Be conscious that the double cello-wrapped bananas may be convenient, but there is a price to pay for management of our waste - and right now those who are profiting are not paying that cost. Our children’s environment and their health are paying for it.
5. Consider bulk shopping.
As a consumer you help write store policy. If customers want to buy in bulk, the store will provide what they ask for or lose their business. It may take a while, but it will work, ESPECIALLY if you convince your friends and family to do the same.
Bulk can be much cheaper, fresher, and of higher actual quality than pre-packaged food. Bulk food does not add as many preservatives and waxes into your diet.
Bulk can be much cheaper, fresher, and of higher actual quality than pre-packaged food. Bulk food does not add as many preservatives and waxes into your diet.
6. Consider powdered laundry and dish soap.
These can be transported with less plastic. If you must use liquid, consider refillable. There are also laundry detergent companies using completely biodegradable liquid detergent pods. The options have grown substantially in the last few years.
7. Take your own containers and utensils everywhere.
The global pandemic and its increase in plasticware have redefined what is “cool”. Forks in the glove box and personal chopsticks used for sustainable sushi are now in. For many people, the personalized coffee mug and the well-travelled stainless steel water bottle are standard procedure now.
Bringing your own glassware instead of using the restaurant-given plastic containers for leftovers is pretty hard-core but that will soon be mainstream, and we will laugh to think we ever did it differently.
Bringing your own glassware instead of using the restaurant-given plastic containers for leftovers is pretty hard-core but that will soon be mainstream, and we will laugh to think we ever did it differently.
8. Get involved.
This is the tough one to be sure - more difficult than giving money. But in all seriousness, if we are concerned about the water we and our children drink and the air we breathe, we need to be on it now!
If plastic pollution is your concern, there are groups that want to affect public policy and there are groups that want to educate about the issues. There are also groups that want to take personal physical action, such as beach cleanups. COI is a bit of a combination.
Clean Oceans International is working to provide practical plastic waste response options to be used by informed and motivated communities at local levels on a global scale. These communities are the front-line defenders of a sustainable life on our beautiful planet. It will certainly require more than one answer to a question the size of the oceans.
If plastic pollution is your concern, there are groups that want to affect public policy and there are groups that want to educate about the issues. There are also groups that want to take personal physical action, such as beach cleanups. COI is a bit of a combination.
Clean Oceans International is working to provide practical plastic waste response options to be used by informed and motivated communities at local levels on a global scale. These communities are the front-line defenders of a sustainable life on our beautiful planet. It will certainly require more than one answer to a question the size of the oceans.
9. Support those working on your environmental goals.
Many of us believe that we could be happy on the front lines of a favorite environmental cause, saving whales or cleaning up oil spills. Most environmental responses are noisy, smelly, and dangerous in the short and long term, and paychecks are as rare as that great white whale.
Not everyone can do this kind of work, but the job is important. Monetary donations for those who fight for these principles can be equally as important. The size of the support is completely personal - try to make regular manageable donations that mean long term grassroots support. Set up autopay!
Not everyone can do this kind of work, but the job is important. Monetary donations for those who fight for these principles can be equally as important. The size of the support is completely personal - try to make regular manageable donations that mean long term grassroots support. Set up autopay!
10. Don’t be too hard on yourself.
When something you love is in peril you do what you can to provide protection. Sometimes we are able to make a big difference; sometimes we are of lesser means. We can only do what we can, and we don’t have to do that in public, ever. Only you can decide what level is appropriate for you.
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