4 Ways To Be Zero-Waste
- 7 min reading time
5 MINUTE READ How many times a day are you using single-use or throw away plastics? From the time you wake up until you go to bed, you’re surrounded by convenient, disposable plastics. Sadly, a lot of that plastics end up in our oceans, harming wildlife. Or, releasing toxic compounds into the atmosphere as it sits in a landfill. So, how do you make a difference in plastic pollution? A great way to start is by working towards a zero-waste lifestyle.
5 MINUTE READ
How many times a day are you using single-use or throw away plastics? From the time you wake up until you go to bed, you’re surrounded by convenient, disposable plastics. Sadly, a lot of that plastic ends up in our oceans, harming wildlife. Or, releasing toxic compounds into the atmosphere as it sits in a landfill. So, how do you make a difference in plastic pollution? A great way to start is by working towards a zero-waste lifestyle.
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Switch your toothbrush.
Every year, we throw away 1 billion toothbrushes, in the United States alone. You may have noticed that your toothbrush is almost entirely made out of plastic? Plus, the American Dental Association recommends getting a new toothbrush every three months. At that rate, if you’re still brushing your teeth at 75, you’ll throw away 300 toothbrushes in your lifetime (then, remember that there are over 300 million people in the United States living with the same recommended guidelines, yikes!). That’s not even the toothbrushes that get dropped or lost and need replacing early.
Not that we don’t think your dental health is very important, we do, we love fresh breath. But, we do believe in considering a greener alternative to plastic toothbrushes.
- Biodegradable Toothbrushes: MABLE makes bamboo toothbrushes, that are almost entirely biodegradable. They use sustainably-harvested bamboo to make non-toxic, naturally antibacterial toothbrushes. The only part of the brush that isn’t biodegradable are the bristles. But, they’re non-toxic, BPA-free nylon bristles. They can be easily and quickly plucked outand recycled at select facilities.
Choose earth-friendly lunch containers.
Trying to pack a lunch without plastic can be difficult for many people. The single-use plastic snack bags are convenient sure, but so painfully wasteful. Reusable plastic containers may seem harmless as long as you don’t microwave them, but that’s not always the case. If a container says it’s BPA-free that doesn’t mean it’s safe to use, let alone wrap your food in. There’s a long list of endocrine disruptors that the EPA hasn’t evaluated thoroughly. Many are not regulated in their use of plastic products.
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Sustainable Snack Bag: Wave goodbye to plastic snack and storage bags. Stasher bags are here to stay, literally, you can re-use them time and again! Wait, before you mention their long lifespan sitting here on Earth there a few things to note. Stasher, like Silipint, uses 100% food-grade, platinum cured silicone. It’s free of BPA, BPS, phthalates, lead, and other harmful toxins. Instead of buying containers and bags over and over again, a variety of Stasher bags will be all you need.
- Also, like Silipint, if you’re ever done using your Stasher bag you can send them back to the company. They’ll recycle and repurpose the product for you. Find a variety of sizes for snacking, storing, freezing, and even cooking! You can put them in the dishwasher or hand wash them for re-use.
- Green Lunch Box: So, we know not every lunch can go in a bag, but skip the plastic containers! Ecolunch Box makes stainless steel and glass lunch containers. Instead of using plastic lids, they’ve switched to 100% food-grade silicone lids. They’re safe for the freezer, microwave, and dishwasher. Prefer stainless steel over glass lunch containers? We get that, some of us are more prone to drop things than others. Bring a microwave-safe Silipint Squeeze-a-Bowl with you to reheat your lunch.
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Bring your own cup, everywhere.
Whether you’re picking up a morning cup of jo, trying to stay hydrated, or grabbing a smoothie at lunch, it’s important to avoid single-use containers. Be prepared by bringing your own cups, lids, and straws everywhere you go.
TIME published a study that tested plastic contamination in various water bottles. Out of 250 water bottles, Microplastic contamination was present in more than 90% of the samples. They believe these small plastic particles, which you’d be typically be ingesting, came from the plastic bottles.
- Earth-Friendly Coffee Cups: Silipints are a sustainable alternative to your commuter cup. They insulate hot and cold. They’re non-porous and free of BPA, BPS, phthalates, lead, and other toxins found in petroleum-based plastics. Plus, you only need one because it will last you a lifetime. If you ever want to part with your Silipint, you can send it back to us. We have a resource partner, ECO USA, that takes in silicone products and processes them for reuse.
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- Greener Coffee at Home: If you like to brew your coffee at home, we have to ask, are you using a Keurig? If so, consider reading our blog, Going Green in the Office. The statistics on K-Cups are devastating. There are sustainable alternatives you could look into, including a French Press.
- Say No to the Plastic Lids and Straws: Choose Sili-Straws and Silicone Travel Lids instead! Those plastic straws do more damage than you could imagine. This National Geographic article explains the detrimental effects straws have made in a short period of time.
- Need a bigger water cup?: If you’re a big water drinker, grab one of our newest Silipints, the 22oz Bomber. A 16oz Silipint is also a great choice and is versatile enough to hold any beverage. Leave a Silipint in your car and at your office with a Silicone Travel Lid. You’ll never have to regrettably buy a plastic water bottle again or use a disposable plastic, paper, or styrofoam cup!
- Replace the single-use plastics that you drink from. Whether it’s coffee, smoothies, sodas, or festival beverages, bring your own unbreakable Silipint. It will last you a lifetime of safe reuse.
Avoid plastic at the grocery store.
Talk about plastic overload. Produce, bulk ingredients, almost all your groceries get wrapped in plastic before coming home. Most of that plastic isn’t accepted in your roadside recycling bin. If you’re an eco-conscious consumer you might find one or two more uses before throwing it away. But, inevitably it will find its way to a landfill or in our ecosystem.
- Bring Your Own Bulk Containers: Buying in bulk is a great way to reduce food waste, so that’s awesome! But, our hearts break when we put 1 tablespoon of brown sugar into a giant plastic bag. There is a greener solution though! You can buy bags and jars that are sustainably made. They include a tare weight to make buying in bulk easy and eco-friendly!
- Bring Your Own Grocery Bags: The Water Co. is an amazing company. They’re constantly spreading the word on why it’s important to replace single-use plastics. They carry many products to help replace common items used every day. Including, a reusable bag made of washable paper that is very durable.
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Small Steps Make a Difference
If everyone consciously made more earth-friendly decisions every day to refuse plastic and choose a sustainable alternative, we’d be leaving this world a much better place. There would be less plastic, more thriving, and a healthier atmosphere.