Plastic items to quit

Delaware has made progress in its efforts to quit its reliance on plastics. This year alone we saw the passage of House Bill 130, which prohibits the use of plastic bags in grocery stores, a total of 72 restaurants throughout the state have said “no” to straws, and Grotto Pizza stopped the practice of handing out balloons (which, once in the ocean, are often ingested by endangered sea turtles) in its coastal restaurants. 

And no matter what state you live in, there are a number of items that you can say “no” to as well and replace them with alternatives that are more friendly to our coastal waters. Here is a list of 10 items as well as their alternatives to consider:

Plastic Bags

While HB 130 addresses grocery stores, there are still a number of locations that still use plastic bags in order to gather your goods. No matter where you live, plastic bags can end up in the ocean, where they are often consumed by marine animals. It is estimated that 4 trillion plastic bags are used worldwide annually. Only 1% of plastic bags are returned for recycling

Alternatives: Store reusable bags in a backpack and load them up when shopping. 

Balloons

Like plastic bags, balloons can often find their way into the ocean and subsequently consumed by sea turtles, dolphins, fish or any number of inhabitants. Latex balloons can be marked “biodegradable” but can be made with chemical additives that last for years.

Alternatives: Paper pinwheels, flags, banners, streamers, fresh flowers or bubbles all make festive options.

Straws

As mentioned above, a number of establishments in Delaware have already ditched the straw, as they can produce oceanic waste.

Alternatives: no straw, but if you need one, there are a number of paper, metal and bamboo straws available for purchase. 

Single-use bottles

Humans purchase about 1 million plastic, single-use bottles every minute. Only 23 percent are recycled in the U.S.

Alternatives: Reusable bottles come in all shapes and sizes and usually keep drinks colder (or warmer) much longer than plastic. 

Disposable coffee cups with plastic lids

Paper cups are often not recyclable because they contain a plastic liner, and the lids are most certainly not. It’s estimated that only 1-2 percent of Starbucks patrons bring reusable coffee mugs with them. 

Alternatives: Like plastic water bottles, a number of reusable containers are on the market to haul your java. 

Plastic wrap

Like balloons and bags, it often gets confused as jellyfish once it enters the water. 

Alternatives: Bee’s wrap, which is made from muslin, bee’s wax, jojoba and tree resin, can wrap cheese, vegetables, and baked goods, and silicone food wraps can be used in the fridge and freezer and are microwavable safe. 

Plastic sandwich bags

The average American uses about 540 plastic sandwich bags annually, and most are used one time and discarded. 

Alternatives: Cloth sandwich bags serve the same purpose, but are free of harmful chemicals, have a moisture resistant interior, and are machine washable. 

Plastic toothbrushes

North Americans toss more than 1 billion toothbrushes annually. The typical disposable brush is made with non-biodegradable plastic and nylon, which is usually manufactured with nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas.

Alternatives: No alternative is perfect, but there are a number of companies who are manufacturing bamboo toothbrushes, such as “Brush with Bamboo,” in which every component is plant-based, including the bristles, handle, wrapper, and box. Other options include: Boie USA, Preserve, Bogobrush and Radius. 

Packaged salads

Sure they may be easier, but most greens within have had a longer shelf life and lose nutrients, and the bags can make for a better environment for bacteria to grow. 

Alternatives: You’d have to have a head of cabbage to not know the alternative to this one. Getting fresh, leafy greens that are not stored in bags help eliminate the extra waste. 

Take-out containers

Whether it’s post-meal leftovers or ordering food to go, we are usually provided with options such as plastic or styrofoam, which is then usually wrapped in a plastic bag. And when you are ordering several items for a family of four or more, these items can add up. 

Alternatives: You can bring your own carry-out containers to restaurants when dining. Multi-tiered Tiffin containers offers stackable metal containers that keep separate parts of the meal from touching (for picky eaters) and can clasp together for easy transportability.