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How to Avoid Single-Use Plastics

Pile of single-use plastic items on the left and pile of reuseable items on the right
Pile of single-use plastic items on the left and pile of reuseable items on the right
Pile of single-use plastic items on the left and pile of reuseable items on the right


If you’re reading this blog, chances are you may have heard some of the facts about plastic before: how it permeates the world’s oceans, how it can take hundreds of years or more to break down, and how nearly invisible pieces of plastic – microplastics – show up in everything from the food we eat to the air we breathe. A lot of plastic pollution comes from single-use plastic, which is plastic designed to be used once or for a short time. 

There’s no easy way to say it: we’ve got a problem, folks. It’s called plastic. It’s everywhere you look and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

 

What is single-use plastic?

Simply put, they’re plastic items – such as water bottles, food wrappers, to-go packaging and plastic grocery bags – that are designed to be used one time and then thrown away or recycled. Of the roughly 80% of plastic in the world’s oceans that comes from land-based sources, the majority of it is composed of single-use items.

So, what do we do about all this single-use plastic pollution? Using less single-use plastic in your everyday routine can be a challenge, but it’s not impossible.

Here are single-use plastic pollution solutions you can work into your life starting today.

Carry a water bottle wherever you go.

So much single-use plastic is used to hold liquids, from bottled water to fast food to-go cups. Even worse, the amount of energy that it takes to produce, fill, package and ship the average water bottle gives this single-use plastic item a hefty carbon footprint. However, you can avoid adding to the waste stream by simply filling up a reusable water bottle before you leave the house and carrying it with you throughout the day. Water bottles come in all shapes, sizes and materials, but we recommend going the extra mile and going with a reusable water bottle made from metal or glass.

Replace your cleaning supplies with all-natural products in reusable or compostable packaging.

Many cleaning products come in single-use plastic bottles that are tossed once the product runs out. One simple way to reduce single-use plastic at home is to look for cleaning supplies that use reusable bottles, refill packs, concentrated tablets, powders or compostable packaging. You can start small by replacing everyday products like dish soap, laundry detergent, hand soap or all-purpose cleaner as you run out.

Switch to reusable shopping bags.

This one’s an oldie, but we’ll keep shouting it from the highest rooftop until everyone gets on board. Did you know that most single-use plastic bags only get used for about 15 minutes before they’re tossed out to spend the next 500 years as trash? Next time you’re at the store, bring reusable shopping bags to carry the groceries home. The planet will thank you.

Buy in bulk.

There are tons of everyday items that usually come in single-use plastic packaging that you can easily purchase in bulk. Everything from spices to snacks to coffee beans is available in the bulk aisle of your grocery store. Buying in bulk greatly reduces the amount of packaging needed for the product. For an even more eco-friendly shopping trip, bring your own reusable containers to fill up.

Refuse plastic whenever you can.

Single-use plastic shows up in so many places that it can be hard to keep it from coming into your life. But there are simple ways to reduce how much of it enters your daily life. 

For example, you can:

  • Refuse a straw when ordering a drink.
  • Decline plastic utensils with takeout orders.
  • Opt out of utensils, straws and condiment packets when ordering through a food delivery app.
  • Choose restaurants that use compostable or more sustainable packaging when available. 

A few simple choices can help reduce plastic waste and keep unnecessary items out of your home. 

Reusable swaps that actually stick

Reducing the amount of single-use plastic you use doesn’t have to be complicated. Start with a few everyday swaps that fit naturally into your routine. Here are some you can start with:

 

 

Single-use plastic examples  Reusable swap 
Plastic water bottle  Stainless steel or glass water bottle 
Plastic grocery bag  Reusable shopping bag 
Produce bag  Mesh or cotton produce bag 
Plastic straw  Stainless steel, silicone or bamboo straw 
Plastic utensils  Travel utensil set 
Plastic wrap  Reusable food wrap or lidded container 
Disposable coffee cup  Reusable coffee tumbler 
Snack bag  Washable snack bag or small container 
Disposable cleaning bottle  Refillable cleaning bottle 
Travel-size toiletry bottle  Refillable travel container 

Now that you have the single-use plastic facts, hopefully you’ll find it easier to reduce single-use plastic use in your life. By choosing reusable items instead, you’re helping keep countless items out of landfills and waterways each year.

Frequently asked questions

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Start small. Carry a reusable water bottle, keep shopping bags in your car, choose products with less packaging and use reusable containers for leftovers. Once those habits feel easy, add another swap. No need to become a zero-waste wizard overnight. 

You can replace single-use plastic items with reusable alternatives made from materials like stainless steel, glass, silicone, bamboo, cotton or other durable materials. Because they can be used again and again, these materials often generate less waste over their lifetime compared to single-use plastic products. 

Single-use plastic has a very short job and a very long afterlife. A plastic bag might carry groceries for 15 minutes, but it can stick around in landfills, waterways or the environment for years. When plastic breaks down, it doesn’t simply disappear — it can become smaller pieces called microplastics, which can move through water, soil and ecosystems. Single-use plastic also takes resources to produce, package and transport — all for an item that’s usually tossed after one use. 

Some examples of single-use plastic items include plastic water bottles, grocery bags, straws, utensils, food wrappers, takeout containers, disposable cups, lids, plastic wrap and produce bags. These items are usually designed for short-term use, which is why reusable alternatives can help reduce waste over time. 

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