How to Give Up Plastic

This is a very practical beginner's guide for reducing the amount of plastic coming and going in your life, with plenty of statistics and anecdotes, though I did find some new ideas for things I'd like to try to swap out, as someone who has already made quite a few changes to reduce the amount of plastic we use and discard. It does reference those who need plastics (such as straws) due to disabilities, and while it gives the end-user tips, it never loses sight of the fact that it's ultimately bigger corporations that have to take steps to reducing their plastic packaging and find another solution to their dependency on plastics.

It also includes guides for creating bigger change, such as petitions, letter-writing, sending back plastic packaging to corporations, doing beach/neighborhood cleanups, putting your dollars toward companies that use fewer plastics, and more.

One kind of major bummer though is that the pandemic has kind of ruined some of the options that would be great under normal circumstances. Like in theory, yes to drinking fountains! But in pandemic times, keep your face away from everything! Also, yes styrofoam is bad and takes a bazillion years to break down, but in pandemic times, every time I order takeout, it comes in a clamshell that then gets sanitized with Chlorox wipes, which are probably not good for the oceans either, but public health crisis? So, while I in general feel good about the ways we already avoid plastics (reusable grocery bags/mesh produce sacks, silicone sandwich baggies, bar shampoo/soaps, using our own coffee mugs and water bottles, etc.), there's definitely a weighing of what's reasonable in weird times, and hopefully someday we'll be able to do better again.