How to reduce single-use plastic in your household?

Focus on the items you throw away most frequently: plastic bags (switch to reusable bags), water bottles (use a refillable bottle), food wraps (use beeswax wraps or silicone lids), produce bags (use mesh produce bags), and coffee cups (bring a travel mug). These five changes eliminate the majority…

Replace plastic bags, cling wrap, and aluminum foil with reusable alternatives: silicone food bags (Stasher, $10-15), glass containers with lids ($15-30 for a set), silicone stretch lids ($8-12 for a set), and beeswax wraps for covering bowls and wrapping sandwiches.

Stores like Whole Foods, Sprouts, co-ops, and dedicated bulk stores let you fill your own containers with grains, nuts, spices, cleaning supplies, and snacks. Bring reusable jars or cloth bags and fill only what you need, eliminating packaging entirely.

Replace liquid soap in plastic bottles with bar soap ($3-5). Replace plastic shampoo and conditioner bottles with shampoo bars ($8-15) that last as long as 2-3 bottles. Solid alternatives also exist for deodorant, dish soap, and laundry detergent.

When reusable alternatives are not practical, choose products packaged in glass, aluminum, paper, or cardboard over plastic. Buy the largest size available to reduce the packaging-to-product ratio. Check the recycling number — only #1 (PET) and #2 (HDPE) plastics are widely recycled in most…