Weekly Wellness ... Breaking Up With Plastic

Visiting Haiti last summer really opened my eyes to the extreme plastic issue in our country.  Riding in the city and seeing piles of trash on the side of the road.  Staying in our hotel and seeing the discarded water bottles floating in the ocean and piled under bushes really just broke me.  They do not have a garbage collection service of any kind and they have to discard the bottles the only way they know how.  A few of the homes we spotted had strung them up as doors and gates and to my surprise it was a fantastic idea.  It is not as though their doors + fences would be breaking down any time soon. As we drove the streets and visited the villages I could not shake the feeling that I had been so selfish and wasteful at home.  If I could only help them with their situation to make it somehow better.    When I came home we changed our mindset, and have kept it ever since! ❤

Plastic water bottles are so prevalent in our country and I don't think I ever really thought about using them as we recycle.  I felt as if I was doing my part.  With the reduction of plastic straws and tops I felt even better about my consumption, but yet again, I was way off.  There are so many reasons to not use plastic, and the amount of plastic existing in our landfills is just one of them.

Plastic products can contain BPA, which when heated, can leak into our food and beverages making it unsafe to consume. Reheating food in the microwave, washing plastic containers in the dishwasher, and leaving water bottles in a hot car are all ways that plastic break down and then any BPA contained can leak into the substance contained. Not all plastics contain BPA, but it is a risk that I really don't want to add to my list.

A few years ago I swapped out using plastic grocery bags at the market for reusable bags and that was just the beginning of the transition.  After we returned from Haiti both my daughter and I swore off plastic water bottles for a refillable cup that we have used time and time again.  I prefer using my reusable travel mug over the paper ones from Starbucks, and have even purchased a Yeti style cup to make sure I have something available for travel.  We have switched out our plastic straws for reusable metal ones to make sure they are safe.  I am doing all I can to make sure we are as plastic free as we can be.

What do I recommend? 

Trade out your straws, purchase a set of shopping bags and decline the plastic ones, instead of Gladware purchase a set of glass containers, take your own ceramic cup to Starbucks and reduce your consumption of plastic + paper cups, and most of all ... instead of purchase water bottles, filter your own water at home and fill your stainless steel cups and bottles there. All of these things make a major difference in your consumption of plastic products which both keep your family safer + reduces the amount of plastic items that end up in the trash and in our landfills.  I know I sound super preachy today but photos and piles of plastic in the streets and on the side of the road will make a major impact on you that is very hard to shake.  If you would like more tips, this list is fabulous.

I have listed some great options for you above ... and in my Amazon shop.  If you find some great options for me, feel free to share!

Have a great Thursday! 

images via Nicole Pearson