Tag: Use less plastic

Plastic is YUCK

This is excellent from USPIRG

When it comes to plastic, what goes around comes around. And not in a good way.We like to think plastic is gone for good after we throw it in the recycling bin or trash can. But plastic doesn’t just disappear. Instead, it finds its way back to us in the food we eat, in the water we drink, and even in the very air we breathe.The more we learn, the more concerned we become about plastic. It’s not only trashing our environment, it’s also getting into our bodies. That’s information you should be aware of and might want to pass on to your friends and neighbors.Let’s take a look at the ways in which the plastic we throw out eventually comes back to haunt us:Plastic is in our food. (Yuck.)Believe it or not, plastic particles called microplastics have been found in countless food items. Marine animals routinely mistake tiny microplastics for food. When we eat fish, shrimp or shellfish, we may eat the plastic these animals once consumed.1Plastic isn’t only in seafood. Microplastics are contaminating soil, and plants may absorb them through their root systems. This means that plastic may be finding its way into carrots, lettuce, potatoes and other common vegetables that we eat.2It's also in our water. (Yuck.)Microplastics are tiny. So tiny, in fact, that they can easily bypass standard water filtration systems. Studies have detected microplastics in tap water samples from cities all over the world.3If you think bottled water is plastic-free, think again. A single liter of bottled water may contain an average of 240,000 detectable plastic fragments, largely shedding from the bottle itself and the capping process.4Plastic is even in the air we breathe. (Yikes.)Because microplastics are lightweight, wind easily sweeps up plastic fibers from car tires, degraded trash and even polyester clothing. These airborne plastics can travel thousands of miles, settling in city streets, parks and everywhere in between. And when they’re airborne, people unknowingly inhale them.5We already have plenty of plastic. But they keep making more and more.If current trends hold, 1.2 billion tons of plastic could be manufactured each year by 2050. To put this number into perspective, the cumulative total would be enough to completely cover the U.S. in a layer of plastic that’s ankle-deep.6At PIRG, we refuse to let this become our future.We’re urging grocers to reduce unnecessary plastic packaging and petitioning the Environmental Protection Agency to enact meaningful limits on microplastics in drinking water. And by raising public awareness of plastic’s problems, we’re working to generate the groundswell of support that’s necessary for meaningful change.But we can’t do it without you. Our work relies on the dedication of members like you who refuse to let the plastics industry dictate the health of our families and the future of our planet.Thank you for standing with us,Faye Park
President

P.S. Problems this big demand all hands on deck. You can help us reduce plastic waste and pollution with a donation today.

1. Lisa Frank, “New study finds microplastics in commonly eaten seafood,” Environment America, January 27, 2025.
2. Kate Peterson, “There is an alarming amount of microplastics in farm soil–and our food supply,” Civil Eats, January 27, 2021.
3. Tao Sun, Yuefa Teng, Chenglong Ji, Fei Li, Xiujuan Shan and Huifeng Wu, “Global prevalence of microplastics in tap water systems: Abundance, characteristics, drivers and knowledge gaps,” Science of the Total Environment, June 15, 2024.
4. Vicki Contie, “Plastic particles in bottled water,” National Institutes of Health, January 23, 2024.
5. Ally Hirschlag and Martha Henriques, “The air throughout our homes is infused with microplastics. But there are things you can do to breathe less of them,” BBC, April 11, 2026.
6. Leslie Kaufman, “The climate impact of our insatiable plastic addiction,” Bloomberg, December 30, 2022.Your donation will power our dedicated staff of organizers, policy experts and attorneys who drive all of our campaigns in the public interest, from banning toxic pesticides and moving us beyond plastic, to saving our antibiotics and being your consumer watchdog, to protecting our environment and our democracy. None of our work would be possible without the support of people just like you.

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Tips To Use Less Plastic

There is always something you can do to use less Plastic!

Hennepin County is challenging people to use less plastic. These ideas are from them:

Why should we reduce plastic?

Plastic has many functions and benefits, and it has been very helpful to society. However, the growth of plastic use and plastic waste is unsustainable for our health and for the environment. Today we are using twenty times more plastic than we did in the 1960s. Plastic is hard to collect for recycling, is usually made from petroleum, and causes substantial litter that contaminates soil, water, food, and our bodies. We need our systems to change, but we can also be more careful about how and when we choose to use plastic in our daily lives.

Choose Glass!

Tips to use less plastic

Because plastic is everywhere, it feels hard to use less. Start with products that are easier for you to avoid, and slowly reduce plastic in other areas of your life. Replace the durable plastic items you own only when they are used up or broken, unless they are hazardous to your health. Here are more tips to get started:

  • Learn to refuse single-use plastics you don’t need, such as plastic water bottles and cups, straws, plastic bags and plastic utensils.
  • When you must buy plastic products, choose ones that you can recycle rather than ones you must put in the trash.
  • Instead of single-use plastic items, choose ones you replace less frequently or not at all, such as steel shaving razors, permanent soap dispensers or refillable beauty or personal product packaging.
  • Buy foods in family sizes or in bulk, then repackage them into smaller portions instead of purchasing individually wrapped items.
  • Try to DIY a few things like condiments, cleaners, and meals made from scratch. Or learn a food preservation method that doesn’t require plastic.
  • Shop bulk items

Shop bulk and fill your own containers

bulk produce
Avoid plastic, purchase produce in bulk without plastic

Easy tips to use less plastic and create less waste

We can make choices with our wallets and our lifestyles that create less demand for new plastic, even if we can’t avoid plastic every day. Be thoughtful about where you shop and how to reduce your plastic footprint.

  • Buy secondhand reusable items to replace single-use plastics, from water bottles and utensils to reusable bags.
  • Look for whatever it is you need secondhand; it reduces the need for new plastics, and it reduces the amount of plastic used for product packaging.
  • Look for reusable, non-plastic items in secondhand stores, such as dishware, wood furniture or home décor.
  • Rent things such as tools or specialty clothing instead of buying them, since most tools have at least some plastic components and clothes are often plastic fiber blends.
  • Take care of the things you own so they need to be replaced less often, from mending clothing to repairing electronics and keeping your cell phone longer between upgrades.

No matter how much time or money you may think you need to spend on avoiding plastic, there is always something you can do to use less.