Earth Day 2018: Commit to Using Less Plastic!

Earth Day is TODAY – Sunday, April 22nd this year. And I have a new mantra:

“The only plastic I carry is in my wallet.”

Our earth is full of plastic in oceans, landfills, and accumulated litter. This past year, I committed to eliminating plastic from my life as much as I can by using refillable water bottles, steel straws, and cloth bags.

I’ve made so much progress that I mostly touch plastic to earn points & miles.

I believe we can interact peacefully with the earth and help it heal. There is too much plastic pollution

The travel and hospitality industries are incredibly wasteful. If everyone took a small step to offset plastic use, imagine how much we could save from ending up in oceans, hurting animals, or going into a landfill.

“The only plastic I carry is in my wallet.”

In particular, single-use plastic items are the worst offenders. That includes:

Grocery bags
Water bottles
Straws
Produce bags
Food service wrap
To-go coffee lids
Iced drinks
Utensils
Travel-sized toiletries

There are tons more. Think of all the times you touch a piece of plastic and throw it in the garbage after using it once.

Here are a few simple tweaks that will save so much plastic waste. Since I’ve incorporated these into my life, I’ve turned down plastic so many times. It’s one of those things that’s everywhere once you start to notice it.

1. Refillable drink containers

Link: Hydro Flask
Link: Corkcicle

I’ve gotten into the habit of drinking coffee at home. Not only does it save time and money, but it saves hundreds of cups and lids from being tossed out every year – and that’s just me!

Hydro Flask makes tons of containers for every type of liquid

I like the Hydro Flask brand. They make:

32 oz water bottles (I fill mine up at least 3 times a day)
12 oz coffee cups
Thermoses for hot foods and soups
Everything size in between

These things keep hot drinks hot for 6 hours, and cold drinks frosty for 24+ hours! I put ice in my drink at night and it’s still there when I wake up in the morning.

They’re double-wall insulated, lined with stainless steel, and free of toxic substances. They also have a “powder coat” which makes them easy to grip.

They make every manner of accessory from sippy lids, straws, clips, straps, you name it. But the best part is you can use them thousands of times.

Better than bottled and so much better for the environment

If you get a water filtration system at home (I use this Brita pitcher), you can fill up a 32 oz bottle – that eliminates nearly 3 bottled waters per day. Over a week, you can spare dozens of plastic bottles from going into the trash – and the water quality is just as good.

I like these styles, too

I have another one I use primarily for coffee. It’s 12 oz and fits into my car’s drink holder. I use it to take coffee to the airport or around town. Even better, I can give it a rinse and fill it with water while I’m out. Or if I’m at an airport lounge with a self-service bar, I treat myself to a pre-departure bevvie of my choosing.