Ever since I saw this video of a sea turtle with a plastic straw stuck in its nose, I became very into eco-friendliness. When I saw the pain he was going through when it was being removed from his nostrils, I felt like it was my fault. What if my straw from Dunkin Donuts was the straw that ended up harming him?
It is extremely easy to avoid this by simply switching out your unrecyclable/un-biodegradable home and kitchen tools for green ones. Plastic is so harmful to sea life and animals because it takes years and years to break down, and the emissions from factories that produce plastic destroy the climate. Plastic is in everything, but you will probably be surprised to learn that the eco-friendly versions of these everyday objects even exist!
1. Stainless steel straws
If you didn’t know before, after watching that video that poor turtle will probably haunt you. Heres another nightmare of a statistic : Americans use 500 million drinking straws every day, which is enough to fill over 125 school buses with straws every day.
Buying stainless steel straws are such an easy fix because they are available in so many stores now.
2. Bamboo Toothbrush
I hope you are getting rid of your toothbrush every three months, and when the time comes you should consider using a bamboo toothbrush. Okay, it sounds weird to brush your teeth with wood, but it is totally worth it once you understand how wasteful plastic toothbrushes are. Every toothbrush you have ever used in your life is still on this planet in a landfill or in an ocean. One quick search on Google and you will find lots of places to buy your plastic-free toothbrush!
3. Reusable food wraps
Say no to plastic wrap, and say hello to food wrap made from beeswax. Look, I get that these options are sounding a little crazy. But, if you use plastic wrap or Ziplocks you’re letting chemicals like BPA seep into your food. They are reusable with a quick rinse, and unlike plastic, these wraps are biodegradable.
4. Reusable shopping bag
Plastic bags are killers of sea life, birds and other animals. The United States uses about 100 billion plastic bags per year, but only about 2% of plastic bags are recycled in the United States. If you haven’t already, get yourself some reusable shopping bags and help save the Earth, man.
