Considering most people live busy lives, it can be hard to avoid plastic especially because it can make life more convenient. Plastic and pollution are definitely not on many people’s minds, even mine, but as humans, we tend to consume tons of products not really knowing what they are made of. We tend to buy things that we want just to keep up with trends and don’t realize the impact it can have on earth and even on us. What really matters is whether someone would change if given the chance and resources to do so. I want to believe that most people would definitely try.  I am willing to take the necessary small steps to become less plastic-dependent on Earth since I have the capabilities to do so. Especially learning about it in depth through my college in a class called Swimming in plastic soup, I think it is important to try and take the steps and try to live a plastic-free life to the best of my ability.

 I cannot deny that I use plastic products. But there are some things I do already, to help be more sustainable for the environment. I use

a water bottle like a thermos flask instead of using plastic water bottles. I also use my own bags or just carry the stuff without a bag when I go to the store. I also have just recently bought cloth masks that I can reuse and wash instead of buying disposable masks. It’s not much and the amount of plastic items I use definitely doesn’t compare but I like to believe that starting somewhere is better than not doing anything at all. I am willing to make as many changes as I can. I think by starting off, I can make little changes by informing others about plastic and what they can do to limit how much plastic is used, like convincing others to buy a water bottle and refill it, instead of buying the plastic bottles or going to farmers markets and bringing your own reusable bags or even buying bar soaps instead of plastic bottle shampoo bottles. The List can go on. Informing other people can also help me start to change my lifestyle and what plastic alternatives I can use. Starting off slow is a great way to a bigger and brighter future in sustaining the earth and making it a safer place for not only humans but for the environment itself.

I have come up with a list of items for my class and even added more to that list of items that I am willing to change for a less plastic alternative. Most items that I use are personal care items. Some that I am willing to change are my Deodorant, hair masks, and even my toothbrush.  I use the brand Degree for my deodorant which has extreme plastic packaging. I heard that Lush, which is a handmade cosmetics store, sells deodorant, hair masks, even shampoo and conditioner soap blocks that are not wrapped in plastic packaging. It will be easy for me to switch to using products like this because I have used their products before for a decent amount of time. I would also use hair masks there as well but I feel like instead of buying more products and spending more money I could try to make my own hair masks with many ingredients and put them in glass containers for multiple uses.       

For my toothbrush, I use the brand Colgate which is made out of plastic.  I heard of a brand called Bite which not only has toothbrushes that are 100% plant-based but all of their products are not made of plastic. This includes deodorant and toothpaste capsules instead of the plastic packaged ones. I also use a lot of other items that are made of plastic packaging, specifically food items.  I feel like one of the hardest things to get rid of is the plastic packaged meals that I keep in my dorm room. It can be very difficult to try and live a plastic-free lifestyle at college because as a college student who is struggling financially and doesn’t have access to a car, it can be challenging in many ways to access certain materials like fresh food items which can be more expensive. Also living in a dorm I have very limited space in the mini-fridge they provide us especially living with 3 other girls there really isn’t that much space. Having packaged food that doesn’t need to be refrigerated is very convenient for me.

I can be very scared of change. Being new to college and still getting the hang of things, more change can be very intimidating. However being in this class has made it an intention to try and live a plastic-free lifestyle, not only for myself but for everyone around me. The advice would give is definitely should try to find multiple plastic alternatives and help out your environment. It doesn’t hurt to try!

Credits for images:

Bite toothbrush:

Bamboo Toothbrush by Bite – All Natural + Sustainable. Zero waste.

Lush Bar soap: Jason And The Argan Oil | Shampoo Bars

Can find both of these on their website ^^