7 Tips to Decrease Your Plastic Waste

One of my health goals for this year is to convert all of my plastic storage to glass containers. I made this a priority for myself after realizing that storing my ingredients in poisonous containers would inevitably lead to poisonous food. We often store our food in plastic, styrofoam, paper, foil and whatever else we can find to reuse without much thought to what those materials contain or are treated with. Have you ever heated up food in styrofoam and noticed how the foam “melts”? Today I won’t go into the negative effects of heating up food in the microwave, but if you can spare the extra time and effort-please opt for the stove to reheat. But anyway, back to the foam that you’re eating off of…let me tell you about it.

Styrofoam, aka expanded polystyrene is a highly toxic substance, especially when used for food consumption. Styrene is a chemical that has been proved toxic to humans. Acute exposure to styrene could also result in gastrointestinal effects-gastrointestinal refers to your digestive organs and tract. Human studies have been completed and show evidence that styrene in humans increases risk for lymphohematopoietic cancers like lymphoma and leukemia. Studies also show that styrene causes damage to human white blood cells. Knowing of these things, made it difficult for me to knowingly consume food that had been wrapped in this.

Maybe you prefer plastic and have not been informed of how terrible that material is for your body and your planet. Let me start by pointing out the vast amounts of plastic waste that find its way into our precious ecosystems, like oceans and waterways every minute of every day. Currently there are over 5 TRILLION….five trillion, yes…1,2,3,4,fif. I repeat 5 trillion pieces of plastic waste in the world’s oceans. I truly cannot fathom how much trash that is. And let’s be honest, at that rate, the plastic is not only in the water, it is being found in the fish and other animals that live in these waters. It is known that microplastics have adverse health effects for animals as well as humans. Due to the diverse nature of the material, plastics are able to continuously absorb and give off harmful chemical pollutants. Eating from plastic containers or drinking from plastic water bottles that contain harmful chemicals allows direct access for said chemicals into our bodies and bloodstreams.

So let’s talk about plastics and why they can be so harmful to humans! One of the more common chemicals found in plastic is bisphenol-a or BPA. BPA became popular with manufacturers because it helps make plastics stronger and more resilient for use. When I tell you BPA is used for just about everything, I kid you not: food containers, canned food, feminine hygeine products, thermal receipt paper,CDs/DVDs, eyeglass lenses, household electronics, sports equipment, dental filling sealants, baby bottles and pacifiers. One of the main arguments against BPA is that it has been found to mimic that structure and function of estrogen, meaning that it is another synthetic hormone. Our bodies are extremely sensitive to changes in hormone levels. Thus, coming into close contact with this chemical makes you susceptible to its influences on bodily functions and processes. Such as bodily growth, cell repair, fetal development, energy levels and of course reproduction. BPA has also been found to interact with other hormone receptors for your thyroid and altering their function.

Now that BPA has been studied more and proven harmful, many plastic products claim to be BPA free, but still contain similar compounds like BPS or BPF. To put things into perspective, if you are not already alarmed, other countries have already placed restrictions on the use of BPA in products. France, Canada, China, Malaysia, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark and Taiwan! Some states, in the US, have placed restrictions on baby products that use the chemical, but I do not find that to be enough.

Unfortunately, at this point, plastics can be found in nearly everything. This mean our foods, food wrappers, food storage, baby products, appliances, are all likely contaminated with harmful chemicals. Hopefully I have shared enough of the harms that come with plastic, so that we can move onto solutions! What are some ways that you can reduce your plastic use? Get a reusable water bottle, please! My friends and co-wokers joke about my attachment to my reusable bottles and tumblers, but I do not care. If you are still drinking bottled water, I am judging you. Unless you are out of the country, traveling, you really have no need for bottled water. First of all, get a water filter for your house. Second, get a reusable bottle and stop being so wasteful, geez. My favorite bottles are my Takeya 40oz bottles (I got mine in a 2 pack from costco, but linked to amazon for a few dollars more) and my Geo 1 liter glass bottle (I got mine for less at MoorHerbs, but linked to Amazon). My favorite tumblers, I also got from costco in a 2 pack a couple of years ago so unfortunately the only link I could find is for ebay, but the picture might give you an idea of what it is. Between these reuseable options, I am usually good to go for a full day of hydration. Another benefit of using a reuseable bottle is availbale discounts. For example, whenever I am in the mood for Starbucks, I am sure to take my tumbler with me, which allows me to get a $.10 discount. Not only am I saving the planet, I am helping save in my budget. Other ways I have cut down on my plastic use is by swapping out my plastic Tupperware for glass options. In an effort to stop using my microwave, I was forced to invest in more glass containers. Having glass containers has made it easier to reheat my leftovers as well as giving me peace of mind knowing my food isn’t brewing in harmful chemicals as it sits. As usual, I got my Snapware Pyrex 18 piece set at Costco, but I linked to Amazon.

Another way you can help cut down on plastic waste is by using re-useable shopping bags at places like the grocery store. I know Black people love to joke about how we re-use plastic grocery bags for nearly everything-but let’s take a moment to imagine if we stopped using these wasteful bags altogether? Just because we re-purpose these bags, we are not tackling the larger issue of them being single use products that create tons of waste. According to Waste Mangement, only 1% of plastic bags are recycled while Americans use 100 billion of these things every year! An easy solution here is to buy re-usable shopping bags to use. Most of your favorite stores now offer re-useable plastic totes and offer incentives for shoppers to bring their own bags. Personally, I keep some plastic and canvas totes in my car for whenever I am out shopping. I will shamelessly saunter into Meijer or Kroger with my Trader Joe’s bags. Be sure to inquire about incentives for bringing your bags. Many grocery stores like Krogers, Busch’s, Target and Whole Foods all offer discounts or incentives when you bring your own shopping bag(s). I know Trader Joe’s does a weekly raffle so anytime you bring your own bag(s) enter the raffle for free groceries, Krogers offers fuel points or a few cents off your bill and Whole Foods gives a $.10 discount for every bag you bring. I’m just saying, you might as well help the planet, your body and your budget! Here is a link to some basic black bags on Amazon, in case you don’t want to advertise for one store while shopping in another.

Another way to help you cut down on plastic use is by eliminating plastic straws. Recently straws have become a hop topic. Many fast food restaurants have pledged to end their use and distribution of plastic straws in upcoming years. I just feel like if Starbucks can do it, so can you. When we go out to eat, we are often served a straw with our drinks, just because. Now, if you’re eating at a place and feel like you “need” to use the straw for fear of germs, I really wonder why you think it’s safe to eat there at all. The next time you are at a restaurant, consider if you truly need that straw. You likely don’t, but if you do, consider a re-useable option such as silicon, stainless steel or glass.

If you’re looking for a less invasive way to start cutting down on your plastic waste, I got you. I have 3 more ways for you to reduce your plastic use! First, you could swap out your plastic lighters and instead use matches. I know matches might sound a little pre-historic but they are a much more sustainable option than constantly buying and throwing away plastic lighters. It was reported that in 2016, during the International Coastal Cleanup, they collected so many plastic lighters that the total amount would have stood 10x the height of the Eiffel Tower (which is 324 meters). Another simple thing you can start doing immediately to reduce your plastic use is to stop chewing gum. Yes, stop buying chewing gum. Chewing gum is made from synthetic plastics that do not biodegrade! Don’t get me started on how most gum is made from genetic modified ingredients, so really, why are you eating it? There are much better ways to combat your lunch breath than chewing gum. Lastly, another way you can immediately decrease your plastic waste is to buy boxed products instead of products packaged in plastic container. For example, most laundry detergent is commonly sold in those bulky plastic containers. However, they are also available in boxed packaging. Tide has recently launched boxed detergent that has a spout for you to pour out. It looks like boxed wine to be honest lol. Simple changes like this will greatly increase your health as well as decrease environmental waste. Find small changes that you can make immediately until you are able to cut out your plastic waste. I am far from being “zero waste” but I am committed to doing my part in reducing my long term waste and helping others do so as well.

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