7 Ways to Kick-Start Your Plastic-Free Life
July 20, 2015
When it comes to our least favorite acronyms, BPA comes out on top. Known officially as bisphenol A, the chemical compound is found in plastics—and therefore, is in a huge number of products we handle every day, ranging from water bottles to receipts. The bad news? According to ever-growing stacks of evidence, it’s not exactly your body’s best friend.
There’s no better reason, then, to kick-start your plastic-free life. Cutting down doesn’t just mean you’ll have less exposure to potentially harmful chemicals; it’ll also give your whole life a green makeover. Get a head start with these seven quick tips (because life after Tupperware really is possible).
GET COOKING: One of the biggest plastic culprits? Food packaging, especially in ready-to-heat meals like frozen pizzas and cups of ramen. There's no better excuse to
get creative in the kitchen: buying lots of fresh produce (bonus points if it's from your
local farmers market), hand-picked seafood and meat, bulk basics, and glass-packaged goods cuts out a ton of plastic in one fell swoop.
Photo courtesy of
Wavebreak Media/Thinkstock
GOODBYE TUPPERWARE; HELLO TIFFINS: Cooking more for yourself is already a great way to get comfy with plastic-free life. But once you've got your scrumptious nosh all set, whaddya do with the leftovers? Goodbye plastic containers; hello tiffins. Traditionally used by office workers across India, these lightweight, stacking steel carriers come in
all kinds of cool patterns (jealous yet, coworkers?).
Photo courtesy of Indian Tiffin
ALL-NATURAL CHEWING GUM: Chewing gum? Yup. Lurking in your favorite pack is likely to be a sneaky dose of plastic. Luckily, there's more than one way to freshen your breath.
Simply Gum, billed as the only all-natural gum brand on the market, is one good option (and a tasty one at that, given flavors like maple and ginger). Otherwise, you can go truly to the source: fresh mint leaves, cardamom pods, and cloves have all historically been chewed after a meal to freshen things up.
Photo courtesy of Simply Gum
THE LATEST IN REUSABLE GEAR: No wonder plastic bag bans are being enforced more widely. Estimates suggest they take up to
500 years to decompose. Kick the chemicals and kick-start the plastic-free life with a sturdy, reliable tote bag. Manufacturer
Baggu sells a range of colorful canvas bags made from recycled cotton. If you're feeling especially
upcycle-y, you can even craft your own out of a
t-shirt or a
pillowcase.
Photo courtesy of
iStock
MASON JARS ARE YOUR FRIEND: And no, not just 'cause Pinterest loves 'em. On-trend as they may be, Mason jars can be used to freeze leftovers, tote around homemade breakfast smoothies, keep salads fresh and store bulk grocery items. You can even bring them straight to the store to fill up directly. Pair one with a sweet
steel straw for an even cooler, plastic-free look.
Photo courtesy of
iStock
DIY TOILETRIES: Given that it's nigh-on impossible to pick up lotions, shampoos, and toothpastes in non-plastic packaging, rolling up your sleeves and giving your toiletries the DIY treatment can be your best bet. (Start simple with this recipe for
coconut oil body butter.) And plastics aren't just found in packaging. A number of beauty products are full of notorious plastic "microbeads." Swap them out for coffee, which is a natural exfoliator, and can be
composted when you're done, too.
Photo courtesy of
Meal Makeover Moms/Flickr
WATER, FILTERED NOT BOTTLED: Over 50 million plastic bottles are thrown away every day. Luckily, bidding the bottles adieu is simple. Invest in a filtration system that leaves tap water tasting fresh; add in strawberry tops, lemon slices, or mint leaves for all-natural flavoring; and decant into a steel thermos (or, yes, a Mason jar) before you head out the door. How refreshing.
Photo courtesy of
Erik Palmer/FogStock/Thinkstock
GET COOKING: One of the biggest plastic culprits? Food packaging, especially in ready-to-heat meals like frozen pizzas and cups of ramen. There's no better excuse to
get creative in the kitchen: buying lots of fresh produce (bonus points if it's from your
local farmers market), hand-picked seafood and meat, bulk basics, and glass-packaged goods cuts out a ton of plastic in one fell swoop.
Photo courtesy of
Wavebreak Media/Thinkstock
GOODBYE TUPPERWARE; HELLO TIFFINS: Cooking more for yourself is already a great way to get comfy with plastic-free life. But once you've got your scrumptious nosh all set, whaddya do with the leftovers? Goodbye plastic containers; hello tiffins. Traditionally used by office workers across India, these lightweight, stacking steel carriers come in
all kinds of cool patterns (jealous yet, coworkers?).
Photo courtesy of Indian Tiffin
ALL-NATURAL CHEWING GUM: Chewing gum? Yup. Lurking in your favorite pack is likely to be a sneaky dose of plastic. Luckily, there's more than one way to freshen your breath.
Simply Gum, billed as the only all-natural gum brand on the market, is one good option (and a tasty one at that, given flavors like maple and ginger). Otherwise, you can go truly to the source: fresh mint leaves, cardamom pods, and cloves have all historically been chewed after a meal to freshen things up.
Photo courtesy of Simply Gum
THE LATEST IN REUSABLE GEAR: No wonder plastic bag bans are being enforced more widely. Estimates suggest they take up to
500 years to decompose. Kick the chemicals and kick-start the plastic-free life with a sturdy, reliable tote bag. Manufacturer
Baggu sells a range of colorful canvas bags made from recycled cotton. If you're feeling especially
upcycle-y, you can even craft your own out of a
t-shirt or a
pillowcase.
Photo courtesy of
iStock
MASON JARS ARE YOUR FRIEND: And no, not just 'cause Pinterest loves 'em. On-trend as they may be, Mason jars can be used to freeze leftovers, tote around homemade breakfast smoothies, keep salads fresh and store bulk grocery items. You can even bring them straight to the store to fill up directly. Pair one with a sweet
steel straw for an even cooler, plastic-free look.
Photo courtesy of
iStock
DIY TOILETRIES: Given that it's nigh-on impossible to pick up lotions, shampoos, and toothpastes in non-plastic packaging, rolling up your sleeves and giving your toiletries the DIY treatment can be your best bet. (Start simple with this recipe for
coconut oil body butter.) And plastics aren't just found in packaging. A number of beauty products are full of notorious plastic "microbeads." Swap them out for coffee, which is a natural exfoliator, and can be
composted when you're done, too.
Photo courtesy of
Meal Makeover Moms/Flickr
WATER, FILTERED NOT BOTTLED: Over 50 million plastic bottles are thrown away every day. Luckily, bidding the bottles adieu is simple. Invest in a filtration system that leaves tap water tasting fresh; add in strawberry tops, lemon slices, or mint leaves for all-natural flavoring; and decant into a steel thermos (or, yes, a Mason jar) before you head out the door. How refreshing.
Photo courtesy of
Erik Palmer/FogStock/Thinkstock
