We're back at it again, discussing plastic in our weekly newsletter! This is because plastic is everywhere. Luckily there are many choices we can make to help reduce the plastic in our own homes. This week we will focus on plastic wrap and single use plastic bags.
Plastic wrap certainly preserves foods, but it’s difficult to recycle and often ends up in landfills. In addition, scientists have learned that the chemicals it is comprised of is unfortunately good at picking up metals and bacteria, further harming animals that mistake the plastic for food.
Luckily there are some great alternative options on the market that keep food as fresh as plastic wrap. One of the newer items on the market is beeswax wrap, which is formable and used in lieu of plastic wrap. It is made with cotton, beeswax, jojoba oil, and tree resin, and is washable, reusable and compostable. Bee’s Wrap and Etee both make beeswax wrap. Other options to keep your food fresh are glass containers, silicone stretch lids, and reusable sandwich bags.
While it may sound like old news, single use plastic bags are still a problem. It's estimated that Americans use 100 billion plastic bags a year, and 12 million barrels of oil is needed to manufacture all those bags. Thanks to the many efforts of hardworking individuals, 8 states have banned single use plastic bags while many other states have enacted plastic bag legislation. Many cities also have plastic bag legislation.
There are so many great reusable bags these days to replace your plastic ones, such as Baggu or BagPodz. There are also options for reusable produce bags. Sometimes reusable bags won’t work if you need to take out the trash or take your dog on a walk, so consider compostable bags for those products.
Change can be hard and feel overwhelming, but we encourage you to have fun with simple changes that can result in making a big difference to our environment. Often times those changes will result in saving you money as well!
*7GA is not affiliated with any of the products mentioned. They are simply suggestions and 7GA encourages reader to do their own research before making any purchases.
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