Bags

• The solution is not a plastic bag ban. This is an emotional response which fails to strike at the heart of the issue; instead of a market-based solution, a ban shifts production to paper bags and compostable bags, both of which have heavy environmental consequences.
• The solution is not switching to paper bags or compostable plastic bags. A study on the life cycle of three types of disposable bags (single-use plastic, paper, and compostable plastic) showed that both compostable plastic and paper bags require more material per bag in the manufacturing process. This means "higher consumption of raw materials in the manufacture of the bags...[and] greater energy in bag manufacturing and greater fuel use in the transport of the finished product. ...The added requirements of manufacturing energy and transport for the compostable and paper bag systems far exceed the raw material use in the standard plastic bag system." (from a peer reviewed Boustead Consulting & Associates report)
• Reuseit supports a multi-pronged approach that discourages the distribution of plastic bags with a tax and a cultural shift away from use-and-toss plastic bags.
• Here's some evidence it can work: In 2001, Ireland implemented a plastic tax (or PlasTax); the first of its kind, this route acknowledges the fact that people will still occasionally use plastic bags. This market-based solution discourages daily, thoughtless use of plastic bags by charging a nominal fee per bag at checkout. In a study by the Irish Department of the Environment it was found that plastic bag usage had dropped 93.5%. This breaks down to a drop from 328 to 21 bags per person each year.
• Each reusable bag can eliminate hundreds (if not thousands) of plastic bags.

Plastic Bottles

• 2008 marked the first year since their introduction that fewer PET bottles and jars were discarded than the previous year (from 2,140,000 tons in 2007 to 1,950,000 tons in 2008).
• The same can be boasted for HDPE bottles, (590,000 tons in '07 to 530,000 tons in '08)
• Each high-quality reusable, BPA-free bottle can eliminate hundreds (if not thousands) of disposable bottles.
• New technologies have been developed in Singapore that will allow manufacturers to use organic chemicals called ionic liquids to pull C02 from the atmosphere (in much the same way plants do) and use these gasses to make non-toxic, BPA-free bottles that are 40% C02 by weight.Not only would such bottles be healthy for consumers, they would in fact remove harmful emissions from the environment.
• New research published in the journal 'Biomacromolecules' has found that by treating BPA-containing plastics with ultraviolet light and heat, we may in the near future be able to dispose of the persistent pollutant much more safely and reliably. After treating BPA-containing plastics with light and heat, they are exposed to a fungus (which is already used for environmental cleanup) and burie. In one year's time the fungi had completely consumed the plastic and left no trace of BPA. While it is not yet in wide use, this treatment and other related research marks the start of a new, greener future.

Disposable Lunches

• Use durable, long-lasting containers that will last years rather than disposable sandwich wraps, chip bags, fruit salad or pudding cups
• Bento boxes are a perfect example of a solution to disposable sandwich wraps; they are compartmentalized, allowing one to bring up to four separate dishes without using a single bag or wrap.
• Stop using disposable napkins and instead opt for durable, washable cloth napkins that won't wind up in a landfill.
• Use a high-quality water bottle to bring a drink instead of a disposable container (like a juice box). Thermal-insulated ones will even keep your drink as cold or as hot as when you packed it.

Around the House

• If each person switched from disposable tissues and paper towels to napkins and handkerchiefs, it would cut down on 3.5 million tons of refuse placed in landfills each and every year.
• Not only are there eco-friendly non-toxic cleaning products available, you can make also your own at home. This can be much cheaper and even more gratifying
• Use high-quality reusable bags on shopping trips; Each reusable bag can eliminate hundreds (if not thousands) of plastic bags.
• If every person switched from disposable dry cleaning bags to bringing their own reusable ones, we would cut down on plastic bag refuse in our landfills by 300,000,000 pounds. The little things add up!
• Eco-friendly cleaning products are often very competitively priced when compared to their toxic counterparts.
• Green cleaning products can be just as strong as traditional cleaning products.
• Additionally, they have little or no odor; tend to lack or use far less of the powerful synthetic fragrances common to traditional cleaning products.
• Most importantly, green cleaning products will not expose you or your household to volatile organic compounds or carcinogens.

Conclusion

The main point that ties many of these solutions together is a change in mindset. The solution is to embrace a cultural shift away from use-and-toss mentality. High-quality, toxin-free products are available for those who care to use them. Each of these long-lasting, durable items in use keeps hundreds, if not thousands, of cheaper disposable products. Additionally, supporting a plastic tax has been proven to help discourage thoughtless use.

Steer clear of traditional, noxious chemicals by buying environmentally-friendly, non-toxic alternatives, or make your own.

By choosing who we do and do not support, each of us can do our part to reduce demand for cheap disposables which only hurt the environment.