Happy plastic-free month! While plastic became a household staple less than a century ago, it has quickly become one of the top environmental polluters - an estimated 17.6 billion pounds of plastic enters the oceans each year. To make matters worse, it takes anywhere from a few decades to a few hundred years to decompose. Luckily, there are many simple ways you can reduce the amount of plastic in your life. To get you started, we shared five easy plastic-free swaps you can incorporate into your conscious lifestyle, and keep doing good while you look good!

    1. Reusable water bottle instead of single use plastic 

This one might seem obvious but single-use plastic beverage bottles are everywhere and can take up to 450 years to break down. Grab a water bottle that you can refill on the go! Some of our favorites are:

• Ocean Bottle
• Swell

Grocery shop in style with some chic, reusable bags made from natural, biodegradable fibers such as hemp or cotton. 

• EcoBags
• Hemp Go Green

What better way to clear out the clutter of clunky shampoo, conditioner, and soap bottles in your bathroom than replace them all with plastic-less bars. 

• Meow Meow Tweet, another Brooklyn based brand
• Ethique

Frankly, trying to cover bowls or food with plastic wrap was always a hassle - the way it would just instantly cling to itself and turn into a useless ball. These beeswax sheets are much more user friendly and have fun designs! 

• Bee’s Wrap
• Feeling crafty? Make your own beeswax wrap with this DIY article. 

Reminiscent of camping utensils from your childhood, these nifty biodegradable bamboo sets are perfect to pop in your bag for anytime you find yourself grabbing food to go. 

• 4Ocean plus the case is made from post-consumer recycled bottles that would have ended up in the ocean!
• Sister Collective, BONUS: this set contains a straw and cleaning brush.

Feeling inspired? Try composting to eliminate biodegradable waste from your trash bin, reducing the amount of trash bags you go through - the earth and your garden will thank you. 

You can find plastic-free swaps at any of these stores:

• Zero Waste Store
• Earth Hero
• Package Free Shop
• Your local drugstore - many are starting to carry plastic-free alternatives

This month, take one step to reduce your use of single-use plastics. It's not about doing everything, it's about starting small and building a big difference- there are so many easy ways to use less plastic within your life!⁠
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If we all take a small step to change our habits, we can reduce plastic pollution for our communities, our oceans, and our planet!