April 2023 | Issue No. 25

What Can We Do to Move Towards a Vision of a Plastic-Free World?

In honor of Earth Day 2023, here are 23 things we can do in our everyday lives to move toward a vision of a plastic-free world. This list is a compilation of suggestions from my sister, Christine Lenches-Hinkel, zero waster consultant and Founder of 301Organics, Less Plastic and our own Sunkissed Pantry:

1. Bring your own shopping bag.
2. Carry a water bottle with you.
3. Say no to single-use plastic straws & utensils by carrying and traveling with bamboo or stainless steel cutlery sets.
4. Skip the plastic produce bag.
5. Bring your own travel mug.
6. Pack your lunch in reusable containers… a good old fashion lunch box.
7. Choose soap bars over soap bottles.
8. Use dishwashing bars over dishwashing soap bottles.
9. Skip the plastic produce bag.
10. Store leftovers in glass jars.
11. Buy in bulk by filling your own containers. Try Sunkissed Pantry for items you would never have thought you could buy bulk!
12. Invest in a stainless-steel razor from our local Sunkissed Pantry.
13. Invest in the reusable Q-tip from Last Object. These are super cool and innovative.
14. Choose tooth and hairbrushes made of bamboo.
15. Shop and support your local farmer’s market & bring your own bag.
16. Avoid plastic bottles at home and at the workplace by providing unlimited filtered water, i.e. install a water cooler station or a high-quality filtration system.
17. Avoid traditional toothpaste tubes by using toothpaste tablets.
18. Ordering large quantities for the workplace? Request that suppliers use less plastic packaging.
19. Bring your own snacks to work in reusable containers. Buy in bulk by filling your own containers. Try Sunkissed Pantry for items you would never have thought you could buy bulk!
20. At a restaurant choose glass, cans, bottles or on-top over plastic cups.
21. Use vegan dental floss.
22. And my new favorite: detergent sheets like the ones by Earth Breeze…..they come in a small flat paper “box” that can be composted simply by burying it in the dirt of your backyard.
23. Share these tips with your community!

And why work towards a plastic-free world?

1. Plastic is made from fossil fuels.
2. Plastics have a huge carbon footprint.
3. Plastics will still be here in hundreds of years.
4. Only a small percentage of plastic actually gets recycled. Of the 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic that has ever been produced, 6.3 billion metric tons has become plastic waste. Of that, only 9% has been recycled. The vast majority—79%—is accumulating in landfills or sloughing off in the natural environment as litter. Meaning: at some point, much of it ends up in the oceans, the final sink. Published by natgeo.com on December 20, 2018.
5. Plastics leach toxins into food and drinks.
6. Plastics cause hormone disruption and cancer.
7. Plastics pollute our oceans.
8. Plastics kill marine animals and birds.
9. Plastics enter our food chain.

Here’s to more sustainable lifestyle habits and a happier planet!