Limiting Your Household Plastic Usage - Guest Post by Jakob Barry

When it comes to rescuing the environment we don’t have to be part of a large organization to make a difference. Much of the work can be done right at home and a good place to start is with our use of disposable plastic.

Plastic was invented in the mid 19^th century but only began to be mass produced around World War II. Since then the material has done wonders for fields such as medicine, sports, technology, and house remodeling but over the years the ecological impact on our planet has in many ways been disastrous.

Most plastics take long periods of time to biodegrade and chemicals used to manufacture containers for food packaging often cause bodily harm by leaching into the product, which is then consumed by people and absorbed by the digestive system.

That’s why the more we cut down on using plastic the faster the world can begin to heal and we can have a better future. Here are a few easy to implement tips on limiting every day plastic usage in our lives at home:

1. Plastic-ware: Most people use plastic-ware not because it looks better or that it’s fancier than stainless steal, silver, or even wood. It’s usually out of convenience which is sometimes necessary and unavoidable. At the same time each plastic fork that gets tossed in the trash could take up to 100 years to biodegrade and as it’s breaking down the chemicals used in the manufacturing process pollute the ground. That’s why whenever the opportunity presents itself get back to using reusable flatware instead of plastic utensils, plates, and cups. It will mean a change in routine and more patience having to wash things out but the long term benefits out way the immediate hassles.

2. Plastic food bags: Both adults and children use plastic bags regularly for snacks and sandwiches for lunches but these can effortlessly be replaced by reusable containers. Try having several and of varying sizes available, especially for those mornings when you forgot to wash out the one from the day before.

3. Plastic shopping bags: Believe it or not billions of plastic shopping bags are used worldwide by consumers annually and each bag could take up to 1000 years to biodegrade. If you think about it, that’s a lot of plastic lying around ecosystems internationally. The easiest way to get off the plastic bag hitch is to start phasing them out while finding reusables made of cotton or canvas for hauling your groceries home.

4. Plastic bottles: When it comes to all things plastic people recognize bottles as an obvious candidate for recycling but still consume more. To get around purchasing drinks like water use the tap more and drink out of reusable water bottles. Furthermore, if you like soda, buy a soda carbonator and make your own flavors. Most of these machines don’t use any electricity and after a few months you’ll be saving at the register as well as feel a little lighter not having to carry heavy six packs home.

5. Plastic trash bags: The next time you decide to throw something away take a good look at it. Is it paper? Recycle it. Is it plastic? Recycle it. Is it from a fruit or vegetable? Compost it. Ninety percent of the things we toss in the regular trash have another use and it’s up to us to decide how to be more resourceful with our garbage. By doing this we will use less plastic trash bags around the house. Alternatively, whenever possible use paper bags instead.

Finally it’s important to note that if you’ve been using plastic disposables all your life and it’s hard to make the transition to mostly reusables try Greener brands which biodegrade faster or consider those made from paper or vegetable matter. They may be a little pricier but will help make a smoother shift towards a completely plastic free life.

Jakob Barry is a home improvement journalist for Networx.com. He blogs about eco-friendly kitchen topics for pros across the U.S. like Anaheim flooring contractors.