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10 Tips for Dealing with a World Full of Plastic

Author Bio

Emma Gallagher is a Brit living in North Carolina. She grows organic gardens and... Read More

It’s all around us. We can hardly buy anything or order something from the internet without inviting plastic into our lives. There certainly are measures we can take to avoid plastic in supermarkets and shops, but sometimes it creeps into our lives, and we are left wondering what the heck to do with it.

There are so many cool ideas for dealing with plastic if it shows up on your doorstep as well as tips and ideas in how to keep it at bay.

Here is a collection of OGP articles that guide you through ways to deal with plastic, understanding what it is, how it’s made, and the environmental and health implications it can have on our lives.

1. Repurpose Plastic

We all recognize the first and best way to deal with the overabundance of plastic bottles in the trash is to avoid using them at all. A reusable water bottle helps, but for many, a genuine effort will mean finding ways to have soda, sports drinks, and iced tea in vessels that aren’t plastic. Pure and simple, opting for cans is a much easier and more ecological means of recycling drink containers than plastic bottles. Fortunately, there are large-scale ways to repurpose plastic bottles. The suggestions below are focused on repurposing lots of bottles, which could make a notable difference. Becoming part of these endeavors will allow interested parties to reroute hundreds, thousands, and even millions of plastic bottles from landfills and recycling bundles to practical uses. Check out these 5 Ways to Repurpose Hundreds of Plastic Bottles with One Project.

2. Plastic Packaging

Food packaging has simply gotten out of hand, or — and far worse — it’s constantly in our hands. It’s hard to buy anything without it being wrapped in plastic these days. Even our organic produce often comes displayed on Styrofoam trays covered in clear plastic. Then, if our vegetables haven’t been packaged for us, the status quo is to put each type of produce in its own special plastic bag. At the checkout, all of these bagged-up veggies are shoved into another plastic bag to take home, and — What happens there? — we unpack it all. Read on to learn the answer- Is Food Packaging Sustainable?

3. Ditch Plastic

Our love for plastic is out of control. In total, we produce an average of 300 million tons of plastic every year to meet the demand for everything from to-go cups to toothbrushes, and while we might find these things convenient, they’re taking a serious toll on the planet. Every year, we dump a total of 8.8 million tons of plastic into the oceans and consequently, around 700 marine animals are threatened with extinction. Our convenience is hardly worth it. Take a look at these 3 Fun and Friendly Ways to Cut Plastic Out of Your Life – and Help Others as Well!

4. Harmful Food Packaging

Plastic is still causing a lot of damage to our oceans, which means we all have to keep doing our part to clean things up and lessen the amount of trash we produce. Similarly, many of us are quickly discovering that the way we’ve been eating for the last few decades is doing a lot of damage to us as well. Cancer, diabetes, heart problems, and other problems are constantly and consistently being linked to agrochemicals and overly processed foods. Consequently, the recently enlightened are making major dietary changes for their own sake. Luckily, plastic food packaging and poor health are often correlative, so it can be beneficial to deal with both at once! Learn How Plastic in Food Packaging May be Harming Your Health, And What You Can Do About It.

5. In Place of Plastic

One of the problems we sometimes run across when working to ditch plastic is that some of the common products we buy seem to be only available in plastic form. We’ve wisely grabbed ahold of reusable canvas shopping bags, and BPA-free water bottles, and are working hard on returning to glass jars over plastic ones. But for those of us looking to further our efforts and do away with more plastic, what are some possible new ways we can do it? Take a look at these 5 Reusable Products That Are Way Better Than Their Plastic Counterparts.

6. Innovative Repurposing

Like our own health, the health of the environment largely benefits from us taking preventative measures: trying not to create trash and not using up nonrenewable or damaging resources. In short, when it comes to plastics, this means a conscious consumer will go out of his or her way to avoid unnecessary plastics. Without a doubt, the first step to helping with the issue of overflowing landfills and spiraling masses of waste in the ocean is to use less. Have a look here for 5 Innovative Ways to Use Unavoidable Plastics in Your Life.

7. PFAs

Polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS, are problematic, to say the least. They are bad for the environment, they are bad for our health, and they don’t go away. PFAs are long-lasting chemicals that break down very slowly, so slowly they won’t be disappearing in our lifetimes. They are referred to as “forever chemicals”. If PFAS weren’t something you were worried about or aware of, now is the time to tune in to what’s happening, what it all means, and possibly how to improve the situation. Tragically, most of what we know is horrifying but better that we do know it. Be sure to read these 8 Horrifying Facts about PFAs.

8. Plastic Polluters

Plastic has become more than just a problem. “Problem” doesn’t much cover it. We should say something along the lines of epidemic, scourge, blight, or affliction. It’s a calamity! Our planet, most of us have come to acknowledge, through no other cause than humanity, is dealing with a plague of plastic, a pandemic of petroleum, and a pile of Pollution that just won’t seem to go away. A lot of people are clued in on the need for change. Though it isn’t happening overnight, piece by piece, this wholly outdated 20th-century pollutant is being curbed. And, we are not talking about in a garbage can at the street curb here. Folks, let’s cut some more plastic out of our lives for good. Read on to learn of these 4 Forms of Common Plastic Polluters and How to Ditch Them.

9. Unavoidable Plastic

Except for the most active eco-warriors, most of us are going to run into plastic from time to time. It’s almost of full-on occupation to evade it completely, so we also need to learn to deal with the packaging we get. It’s difficult to recycle some plastics, and even those that can be recycled often fail to make it through the process. In other words, to take responsibility for the plastics with which we are involved, we need to learn to deal with them ourselves. That can be a tall order. Read on to learn How to Repurpose Plastic for The Times We Just Can’t Avoid It.

10. Plastic 1-7

By now, hopefully, we recognize that recycling isn’t necessarily the solution to all our waste problems. While recycling may use less energy than making something new and certainly uses fewer resources, the process is still energy-intensive and requires tons of transportation and factories (and all the Pollution that accompanies that). The plastic we buy often has clever numbers that can help in that effort. We just have to understand what those numbers mean and how they apply to the plastic we buy, recycle, and trash. Learn How the Numbers on Disposable Plastics Work.