End Plastic-Free July with the Plastic Calculator
Did you know that in 2023, the US sold more than 100 billion single-use plastic beverage containers? Or that it takes several times as much water to manufacture a plastic water bottle than fits inside the bottle?
This week, Plastic-Free July is coming to a close, but any changes you’ve made still matter. Here at Waste Not, Want Not, we’ve written before about plastics in your water and plastics in your food, the unfortunate fact that recycling plastic doesn’t work well, and the need for us to reduce our plastic use instead of continuing to manufacture so much material we can’t effectively or even just safely dispose of. The End Plastic Pollution campaign has compiled a terrific toolkit of resources to help people rise to the challenge of ditching plastic!
Making a change is easier when you can see your results, which is why End Plastic Pollution offers a plastic calculator. If you buy an average of two plastic water bottles a week, that’s 101 bottles a year! If you use an average of 1 Ziploc® bag a day, that’s 365 bags a year! Looking at it from this perspective, you can see why it matters enough to remember that reusable bottle or container. (And if you’re having trouble remembering to bring it, then try placing it in a location that makes it easier to remember!)
The End Plastic Pollution campaign also has their own blog dedicated to plastic pollution. Check out their articles on reducing plastic consumption in the bathroom, how microplastics affect babies’ health, how the manufacture and consumption of plastic disproportionately affects marginalized communities, and more!
The New York Times’ Wirecutter has great advice for people who want to cut back: focus on one routine first, and then another, instead of trying to do it all at once. For example, focus on your laundry or dishwasher first: powdered detergents are significantly more environmentally friendly than liquid ones (which are encased in heavy plastic and comprise mostly of water). Next time your detergent runs out, can you buy a powdered version?
Or, if you drink coffee, you might focus on your coffee routine. The disposable cups used by coffee shops—even if they seem like paper—are actually made of plastic in order to be waterproof. Can you carry a thermos to put your coffee in? Many coffee shops, such as Starbucks, will put your order in your own cup if you ask!
Join the Environmental Action Committee as we work to justly affect climate change with the ultimate goal of preserving democracy by maintaining the health of our one and only planet and all that lives on it. Email us at environment@lwvchicago.org for access to our next meeting!