Reducing Your Plastic Waste: A Guide

Hi everyone,

A few weeks ago, I promised a blog on how to reduce your plastics at home. Since today marks the second week of #PlasticFreeJuly, the International Marine Mammal Project would like to share some helpful tips on how to reduce plastic waste for the benefit of our ocean environment.

Why?

Plastic is permanent. It does not biodegrade, meaning it stays on our planet virtually forever. It is estimated that 9 million tons of plastic waste pollute our oceans every year. Whales around the world are dying from bellies full of single-use bags, cups, and straws. Albatrosses, incredible seabirds that can fly for years without touching land and that dive to feed, are dying from starvation due to mistaking plastic debris in the ocean for food. This all sounds horrible, you may be thinking. But what you may not be thinking about is that plastic bag that came with your Chinese take-out last week. That bag, that you so often forget about after throwing away, fuels the problem. We need to move on from the cognitive dissonance surrounding our environment and our plastic problem, and we need to begin taking real action. It’s time for all hands on deck.

We’ve learned that recycling doesn’t do as much good as we think. Recycling merely alleviates our plastic problem. Most plastic is very difficult and expensive to recycle, and burning it just transfers its toxins into the air we breathe. The alliteration “reduce, reuse, recycle” should be followed by order of importance. Recycling is a last resort. But the stealthy campaigns for recycling plastics have blown its supposed impact out of proportion, and the campaign for “reduce” needs more attention. China recently halted imports of certain US recyclables, including most plastics. That means that municipalities across the country are now accepting less and less recycling, and tossing the content in our recycling bins in the landfill. So, let’s get to two other “R’s” in the “reduce, reuse, recycle” phrase – REDUCE & REUSE!

How?

A great place to begin is taking a look inside your own lifestyle with a couple of quick questions:

• Do I need this plastic product?
• Are there ways I can lead my life without using this product, or can I find an alternative product that uses recycled materials?

Now conduct a one-day plastic audit:

• At the very start of your day, set up a box to use for your plastic audit. Collect every single piece of plastic waste you use or create throughout the day, and make sure to put it in your prepared box. At the end of the day, just before lights out, grab a notebook and write a list of all the pieces of plastic you’ve compiled in the box.

Eating at home/shopping:

At the grocery store, bring your reusable bags and reusable produce bags like these (if you’re lucky, you can get these at some supermarkets, shout out to stores that provide them):

Seek out bulk foods:

You can either use large storage jars, canning jars (you can buy them at any large market) or repurposed jars and bottles, which I’ll talk about next.

I love shopping bulk because:

1. I don’t feel the burden of using unnecessary plastic.

2. I save money.

3. I’m in control of how much I buy.

The other day at my local grocery store, I was filling up one of my jars with peanuts in the bulk section, when two different people approached me to tell me how cool it was to see someone using glass jars for shopping bulk. One person told me that he had always used the plastic bags provided and had never thought to bring his own containers to the store. What does this little interaction mean? It means that even the little things can inspire awareness, which affects the larger picture.

Repurposing jars:

• Have you ever finished off your salsa or stir fry sauce, rinsed out its container and tossed it in the recycling? Did you know you can wash those containers out and use them as storage containers for bulk foods and leftovers? Don’t worry, I only recently realized how obvious that one is.
• Below is a photo of some of the glass jars I’ve repurposed into vases for flowers, and containers for bulk foods and homemade condiments/nut butters.

Take-out/Delivery

Take-out and delivery are both extremely wasteful, and people don’t often consider the implications of ordering food to-go, contained in styrofoam bowls, plastic bags, tiny plastic sauce cups, etc.

If you’re taking out food from a restaurant, bring your own containers to the restaurant, pack the leftovers in them. Just say no to the offer of plastic cutlery, and use your own at home.

• Coffee cups: bring a reusable coffee mug to your local coffee shop – some cafés will even give you a discount for it!
• Plastic straws: refuse them! Straws are unnecessary – you may use them because they’re convenient and have always been available, but you likely don’t need one (except for those with a health condition that requires straws). If you really want to use one, get a reusable stainless steel or bamboo straw.

Plastic-free DIY home staples

It bothers me that many of my favorite foods and skin-care items seem to be encased in plastic. But when I discovered how easy it can be to make my own goodies that I can store in glass containers, I entered a rather promising new chapter in my life for two reasons: #1, I began eating less processed ingredients and more whole foods, and #2, I began using less chemicals on my skin. Below are some simple recipes and formulas to get you started on your plastic-free journey:

1. Peanut butter:
   1. Ingredients
      1. Bulk roasted peanuts (3 cups)
      2. Salt (1 tsp)
      3. Honey (1 tbsp)
   2. Add roasted peanuts in a food processor or high-powered blender.
   3. If using a food processor, turn on and let run for 4-5 minutes until smooth and creamy. You may have to scrape the sides down occasionally.
   4. If using a high-powered blender, slowly crank the power up from 1 to 10, and blend for 1-2 minutes until smooth and creamy. For the first minute, your blender may sound like it’s going to explode, but rest assured, it won’t - keep blending!
   5. If you’d like, add some honey and a pinch of salt and process/blend for 15 more seconds.
   6. Now take a spoon (or a finger) and give your fresh, warm PB a taste!
   7. Store in airtight container. Keeps up to 3 months in refrigerator.

2. Hummus (SO easy, plastic free, more delicious than store-bought)
   1. Ingredients:
      1. Chickpeas (1 15-ounce can, drained)
      2. Minced garlic (1 clove)
      3. Lemon juice (juice from one large lemon)
      4. Salt & pepper (to taste)
      5. Tahini (1/4 cup)
      6. Olive oil (1 tbsp)
   2. Blend all in a food processor or high-powered blender.
   3. Store in airtight container. Keeps fresh for 3-4 days in refrigerator.

3. Natural and plastic free deodorant (just 4 ingredients!):
   1. Ingredients:
      1. Arrowroot powder (1/2 cup)
      2. Baking soda (1/2 cup)
      3. Unrefined coconut oil (5 tbsp)
      4. An antibacterial essential oil like lavender or tea tree oil (20 drops)
   2. Mix baking soda and arrowroot powder together with a whisk.
   3. If your coconut oil isn’t melted already, melt over stovetop at a low heat and combine with your essential oil of choice.
   4. Store in a clean air-tight jar. I like to use compact metal ones, which you can find at any aromatherapy or health food store.
   5. This deodorant smells great, contains fewer nasty chemicals than any store-bought product, and works best if you apply it 2-3 times throughout the day.

Going plastic-free requires innovation. Can you think of two or three more products, often packaged in plastic at the grocery store, that you can make at home?

Your effort to minimize your consumption of plastic matters. By exercising consumer power and influencing those around you to reduce plastics, you WILL make an impact on the environment. Be the change you wish to see in the world! And save the whales, dolphins, and our oceans while doing it!

*Some tips for going plastic-free are more attainable than others, but do the best you can, with the resources you can access. Our team at IMMP works to strengthen our ocean-loving community, and we’d love to hear about your journey and your version of reducing plastics. Write your thoughts and questions down and share them with us at: immp.eii@earthisland.org!

*For more resources and tips on going plastic-free, check out: https://www.plasticfreejuly.org

Please help the International Marine Mammal Project in their efforts to protect and conserve the ocean environment by donating TODAY.