The average American wastes 84.9 pounds of plastic waste per year! Why is that such a big deal? Well for many reasons, one is the fact that when plastic goes to the landfill it never biodegrades, another is that even when it is recycled it is often going to China and other poorer countries and polluting them, and of course the fact that plastic is made from petroleum. All these things plus the fact that we are wasting so much money on all these things we just throw away is why we must reduce our use of plastic. Just think if all of us could reduce ours just in half! We could save 42.45 pounds of plastic per person, each year!

It may seem like a hard thing to do with plastic being all around us but if you take it one step at a time you will be amazed at how much plastic you can do without. Here are someways I’m reducing my own plastic use.

I take my own mug to coffee shops. Some places even give you a small discount from bring your own mug. While mine is plastic you can get stainless steel ones. If you do get plastic like me, look for BPA-free!

Say no to plastic bags! Plastic bags are a nightmare to recycle, are filling up our landfill, and littering our planet. Reusable bags are easy to use, come in every shape and style and are affordable. I always carry one with me to be sure I can always say no to bags.

You don’t want to put plastic produce bags in your reusable bags so be sure to also get some reusable produce bags. You can get many different kinds and they are very strong and easy to use.

It may seem like a small piece of plastic but plastic straws add up! Every time go out to eat you likely get a straw and many people use them at home as well. Straws make drinking shakes and things like that so much easier so you likely don’t want to totally give them up and you don’t have to! Glass Dharma makes beautiful and strong glass straws here in the US! My husband and I love ours.

I send my husband to work with a stainless steel container or Wrap-N-Mat for his lunch eat day. These containers are easy to use and we don’t have to buy plastic baggies anymore!

Bottled water wastes resources and money. Most the time you are just buying bottled tap water. Stainless steel bottles will help you save money and the planet. They come in all sizes and styles. My husband and I always have ours with us on trips! You can refill them at some gas stations and restaurants.

This is just a small sample of things you can do to reduce your plastic. Beth Terry’s blog Fake Plastic Fish is a great place to find more tips on reducing your plastic. Beth reduced her’s to just 3.7 pounds this past year! Feel free to leave your tips as well.