Each year, over 300 million tons of plastic are produced. Only 10% of this plastic is recycled, and seven million tons end up in the ocean each year! 

For a lot of people, plastic is essential for their lives. But they are many ways to use less plastic or replace plastic with reusable products. 

A very large number of plastic bags are used in supermarkets and clothing stores, but that could easily be changed. People could simply buy a reusable bag and take it with them every time they go shopping. Moreover, plastic bottles could be replaced by reusable bottles. Instead of buying sodas and juices, individuals could do a homemade juice or smoothie and put it in a reusable bottle. That will reduce the use of plastic. All over the world, but especially in the U.S., plastic straws are used in almost all fast foods and restaurants. Each year, around 500 million straws are used every single day only in the U.S.! Straws are not essential in life and all citizens could easily drink something without a straw. If some people love drinking from straws, they could use a reusable metal straw. Another product that contains a lot of plastic is frozen food. By stopping buying frozen food, the population around the world could decrease the production of plastic but also eat more healthy. 

There are many other ways to use less plastic, and all of those examples are only asking for a little effort from every individual. 

Let’s do this!