Earth Day 2024, The Planet vs. Plastic
This year’s Earth Day is dedicated to tackling systematic plastic use problems, aiming to eliminate single-use plastics by 2030 and achieving a 60% reduction in plastic production by 2040. So, what can you do to help achieve those impressive targets?
The first step is to understand your plastic usage. This year, the Earth Day Organization has made available an online calculator to help you identify your daily and monthly consumption of specific single-use plastic items, such as bottles, cling film, and food containers. Based on your answers, the calculator will automatically estimate your yearly consumption. Once you have that information, it’s time to look at all the places where you use plastic and find alternative solutions.
One million plastic bottles are bought every minute worldwide (Source: The EcoExperts)
Below are some small changes we have made that are making a big impact in our effort to help the planet:
- Avoid single-use plastics such as straws, stirrers, cups, table covers, and Styrofoam food containers. Seek sustainable alternatives.
- Eliminate cling lap in your kitchen; use bees wax wraps
- Remember to use reusable bags when shopping
- Buy more bulk food and fewer packaged products
- Replace plastic food storage containers with glass or steel containers
- Avoid using cosmetics that use microplastics, buy a biodegradable brush, and wear natural fabrics
- Compost your food scraps
- Use dishcloths instead of sponges
- Use reusable towels instead of paper towels
- Invest in a good travel mug
- Use reusable shopping bags
- Trade lunch bags for lunch boxes
- Shop at farmers’ markets
- Grow your fruits and vegetables
- Use wool dryer balls instead of dryer sheets
- Use laundry sheets instead of liquid laundry detergent
- Donate your unwanted clothes and accessories
- Go paperless with your billing (bills you receive and invoices you send)
- Check out more library books
- Skip the plastic liner in trash cans
- Refill your printer ink cartridges
- Use refillable pens instead of disposable pens
- Recycle your paper waste
- Think before you print
- Repair where you can rather than throw away
Based on current rates of plastic entering waterways, by 2050, there could be more plastic than fish in the ocean, which means all life depending upon the oceans will be consuming plastics (Source: The World Economic Forum)
If you have no choice but to buy or use a plastic bottle or container, remember to reuse it if you can, and if not, recycle it! Our last tip is to share this post (electronically) with family and friends.
Plastic pollution is a real problem that affects us all—our environment, health, and well-being. By making these changes, we can all make a difference.
Every minute worldwide, over 2 million plastic bags are used, and the average time that a plastic bag is used in its lifetime before being discarded is 12 minutes (Source: EcoWatch)