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We have been working on ways to reduce plastic in our home this year, so I thought I would share some of what we are doing. When you really start to pay attention to how much plastic we use/buy/bring into our homes on a daily basis, you start to see and realize what a major issue it really is! From the grocery store and take-out, to coffee shops, cleaning supply bottles, and ziplock bags — it’s A LOT. Here are some major changes we try to make, why it’s important, and how you can join in!
Ways to Reduce Plastic
Now I am not an unrealistic person. It’s going to be nearly impossible (sadly) to really reduce plastic usage fully, but with some effort, we can make changes that we feel good about and ones that are do-able and realistic for our lifestyles and our families!
I do love that others are taking action: many grocery stores are no longer doing plastic bags and are switching to paper, and many coffee shops and states are actually getting rid of the use of plastic straws! Bravo! Now, let’s do our part!
How Can You Reduce Plastic Use
- Reusable water bottles
- If you buy plastic water bottles because of the quality of your tap water, purchase a high quality filter and install it on your sink
- Glass or stainless straws
- Silicone bags
- Opt out of plastic produce bags in the grocery stores, and bring your own grocery tote bags
- Opt to buy cartons or glass versus plastic when possible
- Switch to glass food storage containers and glass mason jars
- Avoid plastic containers or plastic bags of food
- Use cloth napkins or reusable towels in the kitchen – to avoid extra trash (plastic garbage bags)
- Reusable coffee mugs or a mason jar to the coffee, juice or smoothie shop (bonus: you often get a discount when you bring these
- Purchase and eat less packaged foods (bonus: you’ll be eating less processed foods along the way)
- Seek out or find local “Buy Nothing” groups to pass on your unused stuff to avoid waste
- Make your own household products like cleaning sprays, body scrubs, etc.
- Shop in the bulk section of the grocery store with your own reusable bags
What I Personally Use
- Tote Bags
- Silicone Plastic Bags
- Glass food storage containers
- Reusable Water Bottles and Coffee Thermos (also a great holiday gift)!
- Lunette Period Cup
- Stainless Steel or Glass Straws
- Dish Towels
See other items I’ve swapped on my Amazon Storefront.
Why is Plastic Bad & Why It’s Important
- Plastic can release harmful chemicals into our planet. Which can then seep from the soil into groundwater or other surrounding water sources and the ecosystem.
- Our environment is seriously impacted. 91% of plastic isn’t recycled and over the last ten years, we have produced more plastic than during the whole of the last century.
- Toxic load. I work hard to reduce the toxic load in my environment for a many reasons, but one of the biggest reasons is that Mike and I both have the MTHFR gene mutation and don’t detox properly. So when I’m exposed to plastic and heavy metals, they hang in my body unless I work hard to detox and remove them. The amount of toxic load we are consuming and putting in our body is alarming, detox issues or not!
How YOU Can Get Involved
- JOIN ME! Tag me with what you’re doing and using to make changes! I can’t wait to see what you’re doing to reduce your plastic consumption!!!
- Remember: Be prepared! Before heading off to work, grab your reusable water bottle and coffee mug. Meal prep in glass containers to avoid take out. Remember your tote bags for the grocery store!
- Gift it! This Holiday Water Bottle/Travel Mug (2-pack) is an awesome gift for family members, friends, co-workers, or a neighbor!
P.S. There are other things I’m doing in my home to create a healthier environment, like removing harmful ingredients from products we use, like PEGs, Parabens and Phthalates. These ingredients that we’re exposed to in makeup, shampoos, home cleaner and more contribute to human and animal illnesses and environmental pollution. Parabens, for one, are in almost every topical product and contribute to everything from hormonal disruption and rising infertility rates to water pollution. Read here about other swaps I’ve made!
This post is sponsored by Ello Products. All thoughts and opinions are always 100% my own! I love the integrity of their products and think you’ll love them too. Thank you for continuing to support LCK and the brands I work with!
I use reusable water bottles/travel coffee mugs and use reusable tote bags to go grocery shopping! This post is awesome and the Ello products look amazing!
I love shopping at our co-op’s bulk section by bringing several glass mason jars from home! Rice, quinoa, and nuts are staples that I get and they also look pretty in the glass 🙂
We use travel mugs and are in the process of switching to all glass storage.
I’ve been using stainless steel straws and a reusable water bottle every day at work. I try and bring my our grocery bags when shopping. I love the travel mug set. Definitely buying for holiday gifts! I have also changed over to using Thieves essential oil has a household cleaner
I try to eliminate plastic in our lives as much as possible- glass water bottles and storage containers to name a couple things!!
I love shopping at our co-op’s bulk section by bringing all my mason jars to store the goods in! Dry goods like rice, quinoa, and nuts are staples and they look pretty in the glass as well 🙂
I’ve been trying to use my own mugs and water bottles instead of buying huge packs of plastic water bottles!
i use reusable snack bags and all reusable coffee mugs and water bottles! i bring my own shopping bags with me to the store and have my own cutlery at work so i don’t use plastic! 🙂
Thank you Lexi for this post, and your kind & teaching tone of voice when presenting it. Other blogs I have seen writing about this topic make me feel absolutely terrible for ever allowing plastics products iny house, and that you have to purge and switch everything over ASAP, which is very expensive. I had to realize that I shouldn’t feel bad for things I just didn’t know. And I learned a couple new things from your post, can’t wait to try them! I already started changing our personal products and cleaning products, and I always use tote bags or ask for paper bags when buying groceries, and I try to be mindful about packaging if I buy something packaged. My favorite tip for the grocery store, when I buy meat at my local store, I ask for it at the meat counter instead of buying the prepackaged in plastic/styrofoam. When I specifically order meat from the counter, it is wrapped in butcher paper instead, and hasn’t been sitting in a plastic & foam container. Thank you Lexi!
I’ve been trying to bring my own mugs and bags wherever I go.
I have started brining my own produce and grocery bags! The best part is how many people ask about them, and are interested in doing the same!!
We are cutting back on plastic by only asking for paper bags at the grocery store, when we forget to bring our reusable bags. We also stopped buying coffee out, brewing our own and using reusable coffee mugs and cups were making smalls steps! Ello is a great company with an awesome mission.
I just bought a bunch of Scout Reusable grocery totes so I can stop using plastic bags. We also use reusable stainless steel and silicone straws.
Sweetinsahmnity on Insta
We use glass instead of plastic Tupperware, as well as stainless steel water bottles. ?
Glass straws! My kids have smoothies all the time and I always buy the plastic straws so moving to the glass ones would be big for us!
Thank you for this wonderful post, and for your kind & teaching tone of voice when presenting it, and reasonable approach and suggestions for implementation. Other blogs I have seen on this topic really make me feel bad for ever allowing plastics in my house and that you have to purge it all at once, which is very expensive. It makes me feel bad, when honestly, I’m just learning and I shouldn’t feel bad for things I didn’t know before. I continue to try to improve our lifestyle and loved some of your new suggestions! Thank you Lexi! This is exactly why I continue to follow your blog!
I’ve always used a reusable water bottle but now I’m trying so hard to be better in the grocery store – buying in bulk and putting in a reusable bag, not using produce plastic, and buying products that use less waste. I love this post!!
We work hard to bring or own bag, not use zip locks unless we are freezing something, and have stopped getting straws. I try to avoid single use beverage containers (especially water) as well.
I’m starting to build up a supply of reusable sandwich bags. With three kids that pack a lunch every day it helps a lot although we still aren’t plastic bag free yet.
Re-usable water bottles everywhere i go! Work, hiking, camping, hunting, family bbqs, it doesnt matter! It goes everywhere with me!