In order to live more sustainably, I cut out my use of plastics. Instead of buying plastic bottled drinks, I carried a YETI rambler bottle. I went straw-less, as well. I also invested in reusable bags for when I go grocery shopping. The issue around plastic is that plastic never goes away. Today billions of pounds of it can be found in swirling convergences making up about 40 percent of the world’s ocean surfaces. Every year thousands of seabirds, sea turtles, seals and other marine mammals are killed after ingesting plastic or getting tangled up in it. My triumphs were that it made me feel good as a human being that I had the thought of I am making a difference every time I did not use plastic. My struggles were not shopping online and constantly having to clean my YETI rambler for multiple uses. I think more people use plastics because of the same reasons why people use paper plates instead of actual plates; NO DISHES! Haha, but I felt really good by myself with this change. I do think I will continue with this change because of the impact it does have, especially in Charleston with the ocean nearby. You can start cutting down on your plastic waste in a few simple steps: always bring reusable bags when you shop, ditch one-time use water bottles and avoid products made from or packaged in plastic whenever possible (e.g. select unwrapped produce at the grocery store, shop local, cut down on online shopping.)