5 Easy and Cheap Ways to Avoid Plastic!
1) Always carry a fabric tote bag with you
We bring back home numerous plastic bags after any (un)planned shopping trip. Always keep a foldable tote bag in your car, office, backpack or handbag. When you go to a shop next time, so NO to plastic and bring back home the goodies in an eco-friendly bag! Invest in a solid organic cotton tote bag that is machine washable and completely biodegradable – it will last you a lifetime and leave no traces behind! Do Right for our Planet!
2) Use mason jars for storage
Mason jars come in variety of shapes, sizes and colors. More than just for canning, they can be used to store spices, legumes, flour, sugar, smoothies, soups etc. They can be stored in refrigerator, cleaned in a dishwasher and reused many times. And, they are pretty inexpensive – a set of 12 Pack, 8 oz jars with replaceable lids for less than $10!
3) Fabric Produce bags
Remember the thin plastic produce bags that we pull from rolls to bag our produce and bulk items at the grocery store! With a set of washable, reusable and recyclable produce bags, you will never be bringing one of those plastic bags home ever again. Bamboo mesh produce bags are a great option for fresh fruits and vegetables. These bags are strong and the mesh structure keeps produce much longer in the refrigerator, reducing your food waste as an added bonus! For dry goodies, muslin bags are an eco-friendly alternative to plastic.
4) Bamboo Cutlery
We have seen enough videos of plastic straws clogging marine animals. If you still have not taken any action, now is the time to get some bamboo drinking straws and cutlery. These straws, spoons, forks, knives and chopsticks are made from all-natural whole bamboo stalks and an eco-friendly alternative to plastic that can be used with any food or beverage. They are washable, reusable and compostable at the end of their lives!
5) Loofah Sponges
Did you know? Your traditional kitchen sponge is likely made of some form of plastic and it is recommended to replace your traditional sponge every 2-4 weeks. Imagine the number of sponges you will have to use in your lifetime. Loofah is the perfect zero waste sponge alternative. Loofah is just a type of squash that is picked, skinned and dried. Loofah sponges are great for cleaning and scrubbing almost everything. The best part – they are completely biodegradable!
