The Next Step in Shrinking Your Plastic Footprint
Written by Kristina Meek
Many of us can agree that the amount of plastic entering our environment is alarming. We know the individual actions we can and should take, like reducing our reliance on single-use plastics and recycling the plastic we must use. If you’re following MAR, there’s already a good chance that you’re sipping from your reusable water bottle as you drive (or bike) to the store with your reusable produce bags tucked inside your cloth tote bags. That’s awesome!
Your small actions, like refusing straws or bringing your own to-go containers really do add up. Research even shows that these individual conservation-minded actions can spread to your friends and peers.
But, be honest, do you ever feel like it’s a drop in the great big plastic bucket? Big companies like those that package our food have the power to make a much bigger difference, and we can feel insignificant in their shadow.
However, you are not powerless. Here are a few ways you can think a little bigger when it comes to reducing plastic.
Drinks All Around
You use that reusable bottle for yourself, but are you ever in a position that you’re supplying drinks to lots of other people? Hosting a party? Bringing drinks to the kids’ game? Planning a big work meeting? This is a chance to make a bigger impact.
You might supply water, coffee, or other drinks in large, reusable coolers or urns and request that everyone bring their own bottle or cup. (Supply a few for anyone who forgets.) Another option is to shop for drinks packaged in paper cartons, glass, or aluminum. While plastic can be recycled only once or twice, other materials can be recycled many times or even indefinitely if they are disposed of correctly.
If you manage a place of business where you offer coffee and tea to guests, consider setting up a mug library. It takes a little extra effort to wash dishes, but can save a lot of plastic over time.
Mixing Business with Plastic
If you’re a business owner, particularly in restaurants or retail, your sustainability decisions can have a wide reach. Naturally, you need to balance cost with conservation, but take a good look at where you can make changes in your packaging, shipping, or food service. When you reduce the amount of plastic you’re handing out, people notice. So in addition to the direct reduction, you may set a good example and earn goodwill from your customers.
You also have influence over your suppliers. Let them know you would like to see them take positive action to reduce waste, too. B Lab, the organization that certifies B Corporations, offers a lot of helpful resources for businesses seeking to improve their environmental and social impact.
On the flipside, when you shop at a store or eat at a restaurant that takes action to use less plastic, let them know you notice. Thank the coffee shop for using porcelain mugs or filling customers’ own cups from home. Celebrate the restaurant that uses paper to-go bags and only gives out straws and utensils when asked.
Avoid Poll-oops-tion
Most of us don’t mean to pollute by dumping plastic waste directly into the environment. However, if you’re not careful, you could do it by accident.
Make sure your trash cans and recycle bins are secure, especially during the rainy season. An overturned recycle bin floating down a flooded Pinellas County street is not an uncommon sight during heavy downpours. Keep your bins close to the house and secured in between pickups. Make sure the lids can’t blow open, letting waste blow away. If high winds or a tropical storm are in the forecast, bring them inside a garage or shed to be safe.
You can take this tip to the next level if you are active with your neighborhood association or live in a condominium complex. The goal is not to accuse people of doing anything wrong, just to remind them they can make a difference. Advocate to get the broken latch on the communal trash bin fixed or remind everyone to make securing their cans part of their storm prep.
Get Involved Locally
You can benefit your local watersheds and natural spaces by helping us take action for regeneration, whether planting trees or removing invasive plants. While fighting plastic pollution is not our central mission, you’ll see that we find a boatload of discarded plastic when we conduct these activities. You can help by supporting MAR as well as other local organizations working to both clean up waste and reduce its entry into our beautiful landscapes.
Make sure each step on your sustainability journey leaves a little smaller footprint.
