How I FINALLY Stopped Wasting Plastic

I’m standing at the supermarket checkout and I get that guilty, sinking feeling again. I forgot to bring reusable bags. Between organizing play dates, dealing with a small child’s playground meltdown, trying to cram in a home-cooked meal, and running my own business, surely I can cut myself a break for not remembering to bring canvas bags?

Once I started Common Good, a company that makes refillable soaps and cleaners, this stopped being my inner monologue. My line of work shows me exactly what our plastic consumption habit is doing, and I can't brush it off anymore.

Ever thought about how much plastic surrounds your food products? Skip the plastic packaging and go for boxed items when it comes to things like crackers, pastas and other cupboard items. Also, avoid frozen foods, which are often wrapped in excessive packaging. The glass-encased condiments (as opposed to squeezable jars) have the added benefit of being reusable.

I’m not talking about how many glasses of merlot you have before bed (I won’t judge). Coffee, smoothies, juices, and iced tea might be requirements for your morning dash to work, but all these disposable containers are contributing to the ever-growing mountain of plastic. So ditch the straws, stirrers or lids. If you prefer drinking with a straw, bring a stainless steel one instead.

You can also save some pennies when you BYO thermos or tumbler rather than buying drinks served in disposable cups, such as Styrofoam or Solo cups, which generally have a lifetime span of half an hour.

You can look good, feel good, and do good. Everyone loves a face scrub, but avoid microbeads (which are hiding in the ingredient list under the guise of words like polyethylene or polypropylene). These tiny plastic beads are causing big environmental problems in our Great Lakes.

Recycling is no longer just about separating your cardboard and plastic from the rest of your trash. For those difficult-to-recycle plastics (toothbrushes, cigarette butts, food wraps, beauty products, etc.) that are usually landfill-bound, check out TerraCycle.

Another way to reuse items is to get into the habit of refills—which is not just about another cup of joe. Buy soaps and detergents that can be refilled; Common Good has started a revolution with more than 100 refill stations around the United States.

And at the end of the day, when you’ve put your feet up and cleared your conscience of plastic debris, clear the air with soy or beeswax candles (not paraffin) or incense, which create more ambience than air fresheners in plastic holders.