#plastic reduction tips

[lets-be-plasticfree]

Read more about the inventor's regret and the impacts of coffee pods

Inventor of K-Cups regrets the idea

The inventor of K-Cups has a big regret: that he invented them.

9 billion Keurig K-Cups likely ended up in landfills last year

To withstand the brewing process, coffee pods are made virtually un-recyclable and not biodegradable.

[lets-be-plasticfree]

How to Reduce Plastics Use: Shopping Edition

The idea of reducing plastics might feel a bit overwhelming knowing just many times we come in contact with plastics on a daily basis but it’s actually much easier to kick the plastic habit than expected. Over the course of the next few posts, I’ll share 50 plastic reduction strategies (broken down by category) that you can implement with relative ease.

Below are 10 tips for reducing plastics while shopping:

Carry reusable shopping bags with you. This one is a no-brainer until you find yourself on a “quick” grocery shopping trip only to find yourself without a bag. I’m guilty of it, so the important part is to keep your reusable shopping bags with you, either in your bag, at work, or in your car. You never know when you’ll make a detour to pick up a few last-minute items on your way home.

Skip the plastic produce bags and bring your own cloth bags. Reusable bags aren’t just for your groceries, you can bring your own for produce as well! There are many great eco-friendly cloth produce bags available online  or you can make some at home from old clothing (cotton t-shirts are a great material). If you’re new to the plasticfree life and have ziplock bags or old produce bags, by all means, use and reuse those until they fall apart! (And then clean and recycle them)

Bring your own containers to the deli and butcher counters. It might feel a little strange at first bringing your own containers to the counter, but you get used to it quick. The butcher can easily deduct the weight of your container for proper pricing. If you’re not quite prepared with containers, you can request that your products to be wrapped in paper.

Shop in bulk. Short and sweet and it’ll save you a bundle while you’re being kind to the planet! Look for bulk buy bins at your grocery store that will allow you to fill your own containers (mason jars are awesome for this).

Avoid buying individually packaged products. This goes hand in hand with the above tip - buy in bulk. Look for family size options instead of single-serving portions. When you get home, repackage your bulk or family-size goods into portions of your choosing. This is another opportunity to save since the individually packaged goods are usually more expensive than their bulk buy counterparts.

When shopping online, look for “hassle-free” or “eco” packaging options. Sometimes retailers like Amazon will offer these options, particularly on toys. You get twice the benefit: reduce the unnecessary plastics in traditional packaging and you don’t have to break another pair of scissors by trying to get past the molded plastic over your goods!

Consolidate your online shopping to a single large purchase rather than several small orders. It’s all too easy to place an order for something you need right when you think about it. Having access to countless shopping apps right at the palm of our hands can be a super convenient thing, but it means lots more packages. Try to wait until you have at least 5 items in your virtual cart or complete your order only on certain days to reduce the number of packages that you get. Some retailers, like Amazon, will let you pick a delivery day and all of your purchases will be delivered on the same day each week in the fewest possible packages. Fewer packages means less packing tape, plastic air pillows, bubble wrap, etc.

Buy digital versions of your favorite albums and movies instead of CDs and DVDs. Does this one make me old? Do people even buy CDs and DVDs anymore? I still see them in stores so there must be a market out there. At any rate, there’s ton’s of plastic involved in these products, so take the convenient route and expand your movie and music collection digitally. You’ll save the planet and have less clutter!

Shop at second-hand stores. And not just for clothes! If there are plastic items that you need and can’t find good alternatives for, consider buying them at a local second-hand store. That includes toys, housewares, appliances, furniture, and many other items. Many of these products would either be made from virgin plastics or wrapped in tons of plastic. By buying used, you get to breathe new life into products that would otherwise end up in the landfill.

Choose products packaged in cardboard or glass instead of plastic. This is more a rule of thumb - if you’re faced with an option of getting just about the same product but in different packaging, opt for the non-plastic option.