Did you know it takes 400 years for plastic bottles to decompose? Each time we choose to drink water from a single-use plastic bottle, we unconsciously create a centuries-long impact. Yikes.
Fortunately, more of us are becoming aware of the environmental impact of plastic and are opting for more sustainable options. If you didn’t know, we’re now in Plastic-Free July (yay!) and our goal this month and beyond is to reduce our plastic consumption. Will you join us?
What is Plastic-Free July?
Started by the Plastic Free Foundation in 2017, Plastic-Free July is an initiative with the goal of finding solutions to the ongoing plastic problem by raising awareness and inspiring action. With more than 300 million participants worldwide, people are catching on and doing what they can to reduce their plastic usage.
If you're excited about being part of the solution and looking for ways to reduce your plastic use, here are 6 tips to help your plastic habit get lost in the wind.
6 Tips for Reducing Plastic Waste in Your Routine
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Buy bulk instead of prepacked foods
A ton of plastic waste comes in the form of food packaging. To reduce your plastic waste, you can buy your food in bulk. If you love buying many boxes of dry goods like rice, beans, nuts, or seeds, you can buy a larger quantity of them using fewer bags and producing less waste.
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Get a reusable water bottle
If you’re looking to reduce your plastic waste, start by reducing your consumption of single-use bottled water. There’s nothing better than drinking pure water from a non-BPA bottle. We love glass or stainless steel bottles with water purified by Zerowater’s 5-stage Filter and EcoFilter. Our filtered water tastes just as great as bottled water - in fact, we think it tastes even better! Amazingly, one 5-Stage filter is the equivalent of 150 single-use plastic bottles and one EcoFilter is the equivalent of 900 single-use plastic bottles.
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Use a reusable shopping bag
A good ol’ fashioned reusable bag is a great way to reduce your dependence on plastic. You can now find reusable shopping bags at affordable prices in most grocery stores. It’s estimated that one reusable shopping bag can prevent up to 22,000 plastic bags from being used.
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Switch to reusable straws and utensils
Americans use millions of plastic straws and utensils a day, and of those used, only a fraction are recycled. The rest can end up in landfills or the ocean. You can be more environmentally friendly by switching from plastic straws and utensils to bamboo, paper, or metal straws and utensils.
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Bring a reusable coffee mug
If you’re a grab-and-go coffee person, it could be a good idea to make a reusable mug part of your morning routine. Plastic coffee cups take up to 50 years to decompose. A simple swap to a reusable mug can reduce your plastic waste significantly.
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Swap liquid soap for bar soap
While most people think liquid soap does a good job of cleaning, the bottles they come in leave a dirty environmental footprint. Switching from liquid soap to plastic-free bar soap can give you the same clean experience minus the waste.
Say Goodbye to Single-Use Plastic Water Bottles
Purer-tasting water is a luxury that we all appreciate. But running through single-use plastic water bottles isn’t going to help the environment or your health. A more sustainable option is an at-home water filter.
If you’re looking for the purest-tasting water with nearly zero waste, look no further than the ZeroWater 5-Stage Filtration system. Our filters provide better-tasting water that’s virtually free of all total dissolved solids (TDS) like salt, minerals, and chlorine. It’s also the only pour-through filter NSF certified to reduce lead, chromium, and PFOA/PFOS.
The filter works by using Ion Exchange Technology (a similar process to what’s used in reverse osmosis bottled water), where dissolved ions are removed from the solution and replaced with other ions of the same or similar electrical charge. The result is the purest-tasting filtered water with 99.6 percent of TDS gone in minutes.
Saying goodbye to single-use plastic bottles is more than just good for the environment. It also gives you peace of mind to know that your family and pets are getting the best-tasting water possible — without the waste.
Going Plastic-Free This July is Possible
Reducing your plastic waste is as easy as shopping with reusable bags, switching to plastic-free products, and buying in bulk. If you’re ready to do your part to create a healthier planet and enjoy better-tasting water at the same time (win-win!), you can sign up to join the Plastic-Free July challenge and stay hydrated with ZeroWater’s 5-Stage pitchers, dispensers, or our EcoFilter option.
At Zerowater, we care about being agents of change and providing an accessible way for everyone to refill reusable bottles with delicious-tasting water. You can reduce your plastic waste by filtering your water and using a reusable bottle all month long. The tools are in your hands to reduce your plastic use this July and beyond.