Written by: Victoria Licona Edited by: Kailyn Hayes
Small gestures, big changes. Recently, people have been finding new ways to keep plastic out of the ocean. New sustainable products are coming out every day and with each one that comes out, less plastic will be needed. Using environmentally friendly products and materials every day is a great way to reduce our carbon footprint. Below is a list of products that could be useful and could help us reduce the amount of plastic being polluted in the ocean.
Stainless Steel Straws
In 2018, Starbucks announced that by 2020, they would ban plastic straws in their company. Like Starbucks, many other companies have taken the initiative to ban plastic straws from their companies. Stainless steel straws have been the initiative most companies have taken to reduce the use of plastic straws. Below is a list of why you should switch to stainless steel straws.
- Safe and Durable
- Easy to Clean
- Reusable
One way to reduce the impact of plastic straws on the environment is to simply stop using plastic straws: You can either drink directly from a cup or use a reusable alternative to plastic, like stainless steel straws.
Bamboo Toothbrushes
There are many types of toothbrushes, but the most common is the plastic toothbrush. Every year billions of plastic toothbrushes are thrown away. They are dumped into our oceans or end up in landfills, where they sit around for about 1000 years before finally breaking down. The Bamboo toothbrush is often regarded as the eco-friendliest toothbrush option, the Bamboo toothbrush has a lot of qualities that sets it apart from regular toothbrushes Some are listed below:
- Eco Friendly
- Preserves oral hygiene the same as a plastic toothbrush
- Antimicrobial (bacteria won’t grow on the handle)
No longer do we hear a grocery store employee ask “Paper or Plastic?”. A growing movement around the world is for consumers to purchase and bring their reusable bags to the store to use to carry their products home. This includes any type of bags, even plastic ones that are being reused for the grocery store. Some beaches around Texas, including South Padre Island, have banned the use of plastic bags in grocery stores. Below are some reasons you should use reusable bags:
- Save money
- Useful for more than just the grocery store
- Protect wildlife
All of these products and techniques can be used to help save the environment. This is only a small fraction of the environmentally friendly options out there, so if you haven’t found what you’re looking for, keep looking!