A Day Without Plastic

The Palisadian-Post has partnered with locally founded environmental organization Resilient Palisades to deliver a weekly “green tip” to our readers. This week’s tip was written by Nika Nazarizadeh.

As we go through our day-to-day lives, we don’t realize how often we use plastic.

Two weeks ago, The New York Times ran an article by a journalist who tried to get through the day without using plastic. His task proved impossible. What he realized, though, is that while it’s impossible to live without plastic, it is possible to avoid wasting plastic, and to specifically avoid single-use plastics like plastic bottles, straws and bags.

Single-use plastic takes about 1,000 years to degrade, and even then, microplastics are left behind to roam in the atmosphere. Microplastics can have long-term health issues for wildlife and damage coral reefs.

The key to avoiding single-use plastics is an “ecokit”: a kit that contains plastic-free essentials like bamboo silverware, metal straws, a steel cup and a reusable shopping bag.

When you go to get your coffee, you can ask the baristas to put your coffee in the stainless steel cup you brought along with you. Top that drink off with a metal straw, and you’re ready to tackle the rest of the day without single-use plastics.

It can be challenging to come out of a grocery store without food in single-use plastics, but many food items have alternatives in glass or cardboard containers. And it goes without saying: Please do not purchase water or other beverages in single-use plastics.

Another grocery alternative is the farmers market. Our Pacific Palisades Farmers Market makes it convenient to buy groceries while avoiding single-use plastics.

Hygiene products are also often packaged in plastic. When shopping for toothpaste, deodorant or shaving cream, try to purchase from a sustainable brand that limits the plastic they use to package their products.

An excellent deodorant alternative to traditional brands is PAPR Deodorants, a sustainable deodorant brand packaged in paper. PAPR even takes the initiative to help the planet by planting a tree for every new subscription.

Simple switches can help establish new routines that avoid single-use plastics.