Cheat Sheets for Reducing Your Plastic Consumption
“The situation the Earth is in today has been created by unmindful production and unmindful consumption. We consume to forget our worries and our anxieties. Tranquilizing ourselves with over-consumption is not the way.” Thich Nhat Hanh
Studies have shown that an average American will produce about 18,252 pounds of plastic waste in their lifetime. The oil industry continues to push recycling to answer the single-use plastic problem, but only 10% of the plastic produced to date has been recycled. Signaling a system that is in crisis. Plastic that is lucky enough to make it through the recycling system can only be downgraded instead of items like glass and aluminum that can be used time and time again.
The plastic of today is clogging our landfills, littering our natural spaces, and pilling up, creating floating islands in our oceans. If you needed another reason to ditch plastics, the chart to the left shows harmful effects the plastics we use are found to have by leaching into our food products.
The first step is to cut back on single-use plastics in your life. Small gains made today will pay big dividends down the road and compound as our community grows.
We recommend taking small steps on the journey to Developing Plastic Free Habits! We have created this cheat sheet to make switching to non-plastic items a little easier!
The cheat sheet below lists ten easy steps you can take in your life today that will have a long-term impact! Once you have completed this list, you can move on to our more comprehensive checklist with more ideas as you grow in your personal journey! Make the changes that you can, so they can be maintained and become a part of your lifestyle to maximize your impact.
The biggest thing is to use what you already have whenever possible. If you already have a plastic toothbrush and want to replace it, wait until you need a new one before throwing it away. Your plastic food containers can work just fine if that is what you have been using. We have found for people starting out once, seeing how easy it is to replace a few items, you become motived to find what else you can cut from your life. Always look at the items you are regularly buying in a week, month, year, and see if there is a way to cut it out.
Here is a more comprehensive list of items that you can find that will greatly impact your life and help increase Nature's share!
Also, check out these resources to help you on your Journey!
Earth Hero (Sustainable Shopping)
Sustainable Jungle (Blog)
Plastic Footprint (Calculator)
My Little Plastic Footprint (Counter)
How To Use Less Plastic With Amazon
Being Part Of The Solution,
At Natural Dividends, we believe you vote with your dollar and with your actions. Choosing to support sustainable and plastic-free products can have a lasting effect on our economy and environment. With enough people buying alternatives, major brands will notice. Start voting with your dollars and actions today.
Amplify Your Voice!
Taking on the mission for yourself? Let us know about it! Join us on social media and share your journey and stories with us on Facebook and Instagram. Post your success on Instagram and tag us #naturaldividends #increasenaturesshare. We might share your story and help inspire others to make the jump to increase nature’s share.
