Eliminating plastic from our everyday lives is very important to both my husband and me for many reasons. Plastic is a huge issue for not only our landfills but as well for wildlife and the planet. Finding plastic bag alternatives was something we began looking into even before we decided to go vegan.
5 Facts About Plastic
- 1 trillion plastic bags are used around the world each year
- Enough plastic bags are thrown away each year to wrap around the earth four times
- 97% of plastic ever produced is still in existence
- Animal fat may be lurking in your plastic bag – the slippery agent in plastic to reduce friction often comes from animal fat
- Approximately 1,000,000 seabirds and 100,000 mammals are killed every year due to plastic in our oceans
Other than avoiding taking plastic bags when possible, we’ve also found a few reusable products to replace day-to-day plastic bags.
Our favourite plastic bag alternatives:
Stasher is a line of reusable storage bags that we use to replace sandwich bags. We use our bags for everything from lunches, to store leftovers, to freeze food and so much more. They come in a variety of sizes and can be used with hot foods, in the microwave, and in the freezer. They also have a zip tight seal. These bags are a little pricey, however, they work really well and are very versatile. We typically buy these bags from Amazon.ca or Well.ca when they are on sale. Take a look at the Stasher website and read about how to take a plastic-free-pledge.
Flip & Tumble specialize in reusable bags that are made to last. I am a big fan of their reusable produce bags and never go grocery shopping without them. These bags are made of a mesh material with a drawstring close and are machine washable. We use these bags to purchase all of our produce, including beets and after the bags go through the wash they come out white and clean. I would highly recommend these bags and they are a great way to immediately cut back on your plastic consumption.
If you have any other products that you use to replace plastic we would love to hear about them! I am always looking for ways to leave behind a smaller environmental footprint!
Xo. Sigourney.
I love this post! I have adopted the reusable produce bags now, and the last time we grocery shopped, my fiancé forgot to use them, and I told him “We gotta get with the reusable program here!!”
When you start to think about it you notice all the ways we can use plastic during the day. Being on the road for my job, I always need water and unfortunately use cups or bottles to stay hydrated. For Christmas this year I got a S’well bottle and I’m trying to use that daily. I even brought it on my recent flight and when they offered me a plastic cup since at that time she couldn’t fill my bottle, I told her I’d rather not take the cup…
It’s small changes but we gotta start somewhere! It’s awful to learn that we can wrap the earth 4 times with the plastic bags thrown away each year.