Teach Your Family to Save the World

4 Tips To Reduce Plastic Waste

Plastic is everywhere. It's affordable, convenient, and durable. Unfortunately, plastic is terrible for the environment. It doesn't biodegrade over time, which means that it takes up space in landfills. If people throw their plastic bottles or bags onto the ground, they can make their way into the ocean where they can add to pollution and even hurt marine life. Luckily, you can do your part to reduce plastic waste. Here are four tips to get you started.

1. Recycle bottles.

If you're like many people, you might like to have a soda as a midday treat. Having just one soda every day can add up to a lot of plastic over time. Within five years, that equals over 1,800 bottles! Instead of throwing your plastic bottles in the trash, recycle them. Just make sure to take the tops off and rinse the bottle before putting it into the recycling bin. The tops of plastic soda bottles are made of a different kind of plastic, and it's not recyclable.

2. Reuse plastic whenever possible.

Recycling is great for the environment, but it does use up resources. Whenever possible, reuse your plastic goods. If you like to paint, you can reuse disposable plastic cups to hold the water to wash your paint brush. You can even reuse the produce bags you get from the store; keep them clean and bring them back to the store the next time you want to buy fruits or vegetables. Just don't reuse single use water bottles, since they contain chemicals that can leech into your water over time as the plastic degrades.

3. Recycle plastic scrap.

You may not know that you can even recycle other plastic goods through plastic scrap recycling companies. If you have unwanted storage bins, laundry hampers, or other household plastic goods, those can be recycled. A scrap plastic recycling service will melt your plastic junk and turn it into plastic pellets which can be used in various industries. You'll be able to get unwanted, unused items out of your house, and you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that you did your part to reduce the amount of new plastic created.

4. Reduce your plastic consumption.

Finally, you can reduce plastic waste by limiting your plastic consumption. Buy reusable grocery bags and bring them to the store each time you go shopping. Ask to have your drink without a straw in restaurants, and forgo plastic utensils. Use glass containers to store your leftovers rather than plastic bags.

For more information, contact plastic scrap companies near you.