You can make a difference so can I

Ideas on how to reduce your single use plastic usage.

It’s overwhelming to think of the damage we are doing to our beautiful planet.

Five trillion pieces of plastic pollute our oceans right now—enough to circle the earth more than 400 times, according to Greenpeace, which also estimates that Europe and Central Asia alone dump the equivalent of 54 plastic bags full of microplastics per person, per week into the oceans. (The US, Canada, and the UK export much of their plastic waste to Asia, so they’re partially included in that number.) Plastic debris outweighs plankton by thirty-six to one, says the Plastic Pollution Coalition. Not only does plastic kill 100,000 marine mammals and up to 1 million sea birds annually—a stat from the 2017 United Nations Ocean Conference—its effect on humans is also significant. Exposure to BPA, a chemical found in many plastics that acts as a synthetic estrogen, is linked to cancer, infertility, endocrine disruption, lower IQ, girls getting their periods early, smaller penis size, boys developing breasts, and obesity. A small 2009 EWG study detected BPA, among other health-disrupting chemicals, in the umbilical cord blood of nine of the ten American newborns it tested.

We can’t solve this all on our own, but if each of us make some small changes then we can hope our children will see a better world. Here are some small changes and ideas we have that will make a difference.

“Ideas on how to reduce your single use plastic usage. It’s overwhelming to think of the damage we are doing to our beautiful planet.”

1: Use a Glass Water Bottle Practical and functional but also glamorous! Somehow water seems to taste crisper than normal water out of a glass bottle! Use one at work, yoga, walking around on weekends, and when traveling. There is so many places to fill up for free now. A few brands have them come in a breakage mitigating sleeve now as well, but if you are concerned about this there is also stainless steel options.

2: Use Monthly Sanitary Alternatives It’s so good to see so many alternatives to traditional menstrual supports coming out. You can now easily purchase menstrual cups and sustainable tampons. Approximately 20 billion pads, tampons, and applicators are dumped into our landfills each year, per a 2017 report from Harvard Business School, so swapping out to sustainable alternatives feels especially great.

3: Use Paper or Metal Straws We have all seen the images of so many plastic straws on the beach in Indonesia. It’s not like straws are even a necessity. But if you do prefer to use one there are now some great alternatives both paper and Stainless Steel. We have a “Caliwoods” smoothie set that gets lots of use.

4: Use a bamboo or plant made Tooth Brush Plastic toothbrushes are a big contributor to the plastic foot print. It feels like every month a new solution is launched to combat this. Bamboo seems to be a good fashionable alternative but it’s also good to see brands like Eco Store launching Tooth Brushes with sustainably produced with handles that is 99% made from plants.

5: Use alternatives for lunch box Wraps We have long been fans of not using lunch wraps. We use either washable cloth bags or glass, reuseable plastic or metal containers. We have also entertained wrapping with BeesWax paper solutions.

6: Use Re Useable Bags Make the effort to say NO to single use plastic bags. Re-Useable, multi-use bags provide a more sustainable solution. Weave + Co Bags are the perfect solution for carrying your possessions. Wipe clean, durable, functional bags for Travel, Beach, Swimming, Shopping and More.

Just remember, one small change is better than no change.