With today being National #SkipTheStrawDay, we felt inspired to share some of our favorite tips and guidelines that we use to avoid straws and plastics in our lives so that we can continue protecting our Mother Earth!
Every year, 8 million tons of plastic trash end up in our ocean; and, as of recently, it is estimated that Americans alone use 500 million straws DAILY. These statistics raise concerns from ocean conservationists on how detrimental this can be for sea creatures, and sheds light on the importance of banning plastic straws for good, along with many other single use plastics.
Although straws may seem insignificant compared to other plastic items out there, they almost never make it to recycling bins-- which means they are accumulating in our oceans at an alarming rate. Due to their small size, straws are one of the most dangerous polluters in our oceans because they entangle marine animals and are often consumed by fish.
So, now that you know how detrimental straws can be to the environment, here is a list of ways you can skip out on them, and the other unnecessary plastics out there.
⟁ Opt for reusable straws & utensils (we love bamboo ones), and always have them handy when you are out to eat, going on a road trip/vacation, etc.
⟁ If you are out at a restaurant or ordering take out, make sure to catch whoever is serving you beforehand to let them know you don’t want any plastic utensils (including straws in waters!!!)
⟁ Invest in some reusable produce/grocery bags for your shopping trips. Skip the plastic produce bags whenever possible, especially for items that have thick skins around them (avocados, bananas, oranges, etc).. If you are concerned about germs and bacteria, soak your produce items in filtered water with a little apple cider vinegar when you get home to remove any unwanted particles.
⟁ Buy a reusable water bottle or repurpose an old glass bottle to drink your water out of. Not only is this good for our planet, but it’s also way better for your health!
⟁ Make your own home goods such as toothpaste, cleaning products, etc. to skip out on plastic packaging
⟁ Support companies who are investing in the health of our planet by using biodegradable/recyclable materials in/for their products
⟁ Purchase second-hand items such as kitchen utensils, clothing, furniture, etc. whenever possible! There are so many items like these that get thrown into our landfills every year and never biodegrade… so might as well make the most of them if they are still functioning properly.
These are just a few of our favorite tips to combat the plastic problem we are dealing with every single day!
We hope this inspires you to make mindful and conscious efforts to skip the straws & other single use plastics whenever possible so that we can preserve the beauty of these lands that we call home.
Please share this post with your friends/family and spread the word! Also, let us know in the comments below what your favorite ways to skip out on plastics are :)
With love and gratitude,
The Cymbiotika Team
