Fill your own stainless steel water bottle with tap water instead of buying bottled water.
Make foods from scratch if they usually come packaged in plastic (salsa, applesauce, yogurt, etc.).
Use non-plastic utensils and picnicware:
- glass or paper drinking straws
- metal utensils, plates, and cups for picnics
Use cloth rags and napkins instead of paper towels and paper napkins, which are packaged in plastic.
Store sustainably:
- leftovers in glass canning jars or other durable, reusable containers
- dry items in waxed paper bags and aluminum foil instead of plastic bags and plastic wrap
- cheeses in an airtight container rather than plastic wrap
- lettuce in a dry, airtight container in the refrigerator
- hardy greens like collards and kale in an airtight container with a damp cloth inside in the refrigerator or in a vase or jar of water on the counter for up to a week
- spinach in an airtight container in the coldest part of the refrigerator
- ripe fruits (including berries) in airtight containers in the refrigerator
- fresh basil in either a vase of water or an airtight container on the counter for a week or more
Use paper bags or no bags at all for garbage disposal. If you must use a plastic garbage bag, choose one with recycled content.
For dish washing and household cleaning, use cloth rags, natural cellulose sponges, and loofa scrubbers instead of paper towels (which are packaged in plastic), synthetic sponges, and plastic scrubbers.
Dispose of dog and cat feces in 100 percent biodegradable bags or wrap them in old newspaper.
When a plastic item breaks, try to repair it instead of buying a new one.
In the OfficeReplace plastic products with more sustainable ones:
- paper tape instead of plastic tape
- refillable tape dispensers
- fountain pen (refill with bottled ink)
- printer paper in paper-wrapped reams
- Refill toner cartridges instead of buying new ones.
Upgrade your computer instead of replacing it. And when you must replace it, take the old computer, monitor, keyboard, printer, etc., to an e-waste disposal facility. Plastic computer housings collected in this manner are more often recycled.
In Your CommunityGive away rather than throw away plastic items you no longer use.
Pick up plastic litter when you see it in streets and waterways.
Contact retailers and ask them to stock products packaged in non-plastic recyclable and compostable materials.
Contact manufacturers and ask them to use compostable non-plastic packaging or truly recyclable packaging like glass.
Write to your legislators and support bills aimed to reduce plastic in the environment.
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