Several million tons of plastic trash floats in the ocean. Chemical additives on the plastic leach into the water. Marine creatures eat the plastic junk food and starve. The search for Malaysian flight #370 was hampered by ocean garbage. Let’s make Earth Day 2014 the day we change our habits! Start with these easy suggestions:
1. Instead of cracking open another plastic water bottle, purchase a stainless steel bottle that you can refill from the tap (or water cooler at work) each day.
2. Need a doggie bag at a restaurant? Ask for foil or a cardboard box (which can be rinsed and recycled) rather then Styrofoam (which cannot be recycled).
3. Shopping for clothes? Say NO to the plastic bag. Ask for paper or bring your own bag. Better yet, carry the item(s) to your car without a bag.
4. Plastic bags are the default at grocery and discount department stores. Say NO!Bring your own reusable bags.
5. Purchase products made from upcycled materials, such as purses, flip flips, and even recycle bins. (Read my blog post about upcycled materials.)
6. The weather is finally warming up. Rather than reaching for plastic plates and utensils for your cookouts, celebrate with compostable picnic supplies (plates, cups, and utensils, napkins).
7. At parties, provide a large pitcher of water and reusable (or compostable) cupsrather than plastic water bottles.
8. Are you taking advantage of your county/city recycling program? If you are, your recycling container should be more full than your trash container!
9. Ditch the plastic cup and lid on your morning Starbucks run. Bring a reusable mug.
10. Read Plastic, Ahoy! Investigating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch for the lowdown on ocean plastic.
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