Plastic is found in virtually everything these days. Your laptop and toothbrush are made from it. Your car, tupperware, and clothing all contain it. We are living in a plastic era.
With the average American using several hundred pounds of plastic per year, only 27 percent of that plastic is recycled. The remaining 73 percent of plastic waste ends up in landfills, oceans, rivers, and beaches.
Humanity's careless use of plastic products has gotten entirely out of hand; plastic pollution is affecting our livelihood, environments, and ecosystems at a rate that grows larger with each passing moment.
Take The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, for example. This giant mass of plastic soup spans from the West Coast of North America to the East Coast of Japan, amounting to roughly double the size of Texas. Within this ever-growing body of pollution lies around 268,940 tons of plastic particles.
Surely, humanity must take action in order to terminate this global disaster. Plastic waste isn't just a worldwide problem, it's also personal problem; therefore, we, as humans, are responsible with taking matters into our own hands, and making change for the better.
Luckily, there are several simple steps you can take to dramatically decrease the amount of plastic waste that you personally generate.
1. Purchase reusable bags.
Plastic bags are a huge issue, as most American grocery stores give them out by the thousands daily. Always shop with a reusable bag, and watch your plastic waste shrink.
2. Use reusable cups and water bottles.
Bottled water produces 1.5 million tons of plastic waste per year, and may be harmful to your health. Use a reusable water bottle or glass container instead.
3. Bring your own container.
Ditch zip-lock bags and plastic wrap. Glass containers are both reusable and microwave safe - two wonderful perks!
4. Straws suck.
Simply tell your waiter/waitress that you don't need one. And if you need one that badly, carry around a stainless steel or glass straw instead. This is one of the easiest ways to keep plastic out of the landfill.
5. Party without plastic.
Rather than using plastic plates, cups, and silverware, treat guests to reusable dishes. If this is too difficult, try serving finger foods that don't require any other utensils.
6. Quit chewing gum.
Fun fact: most gum has plastic in it. Sorry to ruin Dubble Bubble for you. Not only are you chewing on plastic, um, gross, but this plastic may also be toxic. The best option is to skip the plastic snack and plastic packaging altogether.
7. Get active.
Join groups that advocate for extended producer responsibility laws in every state. Surfrider, 5Gyres, and Upstream are all organizations that you can get involved in to help end this global disaster.