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How to Reduce Your Plastic Usage

By Amy Patterson

 Screen_Shot_2016-01-22_at_9.07.42_PM.pngRecycling plastic is great, but we still have a lot of plastic to deal with as a country – and reducing that amount is always a good thing. Here are some really easy ways to help reduce your plastic usage:

Change Your To-Go Mindset: If you find yourself heading to your grocery store’s salad bar five days a week {yay for sticking to your New Year’s resolution} – you can save a lot of money (and even time) by making big salads at home a couple of times a week and packing them in reusable containers instead. You can also ditch one-time use coffee cups by brining your. Some cafes even give you a small discount for bringing your own refillable mug.

Buy in Bulk: This not only saves you money, but it saves on a lot of unnecessary packaging. Yes, the little individually portioned snack packs are super convenient, but you can easily do the same thing yourself in 15 minutes on a Sunday night.

Bring Your Own Bags: Most stores give you a discount for bringing your own reusable bags.

Invest in Reusable Razors: Razors are something most people buy regularly, so invest in a nicer one with disposable heads.

Toss Your Microplastics: You know those facial scrubs with the little beads? Those little beads are often made from plastic – plastic that can’t be sorted out of the water supply by water treatment plants. Try more natural options with ingredients like apricot shells or cocoa beans.

Sources: Attainable-Sustainable; Treehugger