Remember my intent to focus on sustainable living this year? Can you imagine me awkwardly clamoring onto my soapbox to talk about the impact of making small changes to our daily lives for the betterment of the planet for a hot second? Obviously there are so many ways that we can live sustainably, but as I was outlining ideas for this series, the use of plastics immediately stood out — it was like the plastic water bottles sitting on my counter were screaming “pick me, pick me!” So in my next series on living sustainably, let’s talk about plastics!

Whew – the pictures in this one may not be, well, aesthetically pleasing, ya know what I’m saying? That’s because plastic pollution is a real, daunting problem that is impacting the health of our planet on the daily. In fact, the sad facts of plastic pollution are almost overwhelming to me. Let’s take a look at the facts, shall we?

Living Sustainably – Let’s Talk About Plastics & Pollution

• We produce 300 million tons of plastic each year.
• Single use plastics make up half of that number.
• Plastic remnants have been found in 60 percent of sea birds and 100 percent of sea turtle species.
• By 2050, the amount of plastic in the ocean will exceed the amount of animals living in the ocean (we are currently dumping a garbage truck worth of plastic into the oceans every minute).
• Humans inevitably end up consuming plastics as a result of consuming animals that have ingested plastics.
• Most plastics are non-biodegradable – taking more than 400 years to break down.
• Even then, plastics never entirely degrade – only breaking into smaller pieces that are consumed by wildlife all over the planet. So, yeah, consider that these plastics last forever.

Hold On – Aren’t Plastics Recyclable? And Don’t They Do *Some* Good?

Yes and yes. A majority of plastics can be recycled. The problem is, only 9 percent of plastics produced are currently being recycled and the majority of plastics that are causing pollution are single use plastics. Think water bottles, plastic grocery sacks, plastic straws, packaging, etc. There is no doubt that plastics have had a positive impact on our lives — especially in the medical world. The introduction of plastics led to innovations in the medical world — providing us with products that save lives and are more hygienic. The truth is that plastics *have* made our lives better and more convenient in a lot of ways. But at what cost? How can be balance the positive use of plastics with their obvious catastrophic impact on the environment?

Living Sustainable: Using Plastic Responsibly

So, what can *we* do? For the sake of this series, I’m going to share ways that I can reduce plastic consumption in my life. But I encourage everyone to research ways that you can have a larger impact (think local government/communities) to create systemic change. Remember that small change *is* change. It does make a difference and it’s where we must start!

• Recycle. It’s difficult to go plastic-free. Become plastic-aware and take five seconds to toss that plastic bottle into a recycle bin.
• Stop using plastic grocery bags. Just don’t do it. Switch to paper or better yet, use reusable cloth bags.
• Forgo plastic straws. Many restaurants have moved to straw-less to go options. As a family, we use reusable/washable straws like this.
• Pay attention to what you’re consuming. One of my goals this year is to seek out products that intentionally use biodegradable packaging and are plastic-conscious.

When I talk about living sustainably, it’s important to me to make changes that will last long term. Living sustainably should not be a fad — it’s a choice that should last a lifetime and make just as much of an impact. What are ways that you can try to reduce your consumption of plastics? What keeps you from making those changes? Do you have ideas to reduce the amount of plastics in our oceans? Share with me, friends. As always, peace, love, and light! Check out more on my sustainability series, here!