I received a sample for this review/feature. Opinions expressed are my own.
For Earth Day this year I am writing to help raise awareness of the importance of establishing a habit of choosing reusable instead of disposable. Step up and make a pledge to use reusable containers instead of disposable ones whenever, and wherever, possible for 30 days starting TODAY. Of course that is much easier to do with the right tools and supplies. Zak Designs has over 40 years of experience bringing you fun and functional dinnerware and they have a HUGE variety of cups and water bottles to help make just a simple change in your life that can make a big impact on the environment.
I completely understand that making this type of pledge isn’t easy but I do feel it is important. Our children and grandchildren are counting on all of us to set an example that future generations can follow. As a Girl Scout leader I also want to set a good example to every girl in each of my troops as well as my own girls! I tell them all the time how important it is to help out the environment so making these little steps is just the beginning to a lifestyle change for the better.
Sticking to your pledge can be as simple as using a reusable shopping bag and a reusable cup. A reusable shopping bag that’s easy to store in your purse or car helps to ensure you always have a reusable alternative to plastic bags close at hand. My girls even like to take a reusable bag to the mall for their purchases. Every time we use a reusable bag that is one less plastic bag that goes to the landfill.
I also really like my NEW stainless steel double-wall, vacuum-insulated Alfalfa tumbler from Zak Designs. Easy to use at home, the office and even on the go. It is vacuum insulated which means ZERO condensation and it can keep your beverage cold up to 14 hours. At my desk and in my car I prefer a cup with a straw. I NEED to be drinking water all day long and a convenient cup makes all the difference in sticking to my plan of drinking more. Fits perfectly in my car cup holder…don’t mind the messy mini van in the background.
Choose To Reuse Staggering Statistics
- Every minute a million plastic bottles are bought around the world (1)
- Not even half the plastic bottles sold in 2016 were turned in for recycling, and only 7% of those were used to create new bottles (2)
- It takes more than 400 years for plastic to degrade (3)
- By 2025, the ratio of plastic to fish in the ocean could be one to three, and by 2050, it’s expected that the weight of plastics in ocean will surpass the weight of fish in the ocean (4)
- 91% of the 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic that’s been produced has not been recycled according to a study published in late 2018 in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances.
- Half of all plastics become trash in less than a year, the same study found.
- The Guardian; June 28, 2017 (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/28/a-million-a-minute-worlds-plastic-bottle-binge-as-dangerous-as-climate-change
- The Guardian; June 28, 2017 (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/28/a-million-a-minute-worlds-plastic-bottle-binge-as-dangerous-as-climate-change)
- National Geographic; December 20, 2018 (https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/07/plastic-produced-recycling-waste-ocean-trash-debris-environment/)
- The New Plastics Economy: Rethinking the Future of Plastics, Ellen MacAruthur Foundation, pp 29 (https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/assets/downloads/EllenMacArthurFoundation_TheNewPlasticsEconomy_15-3-16.pdf )
My girls like to make little posters that they put all over the house to remind us to be a little more green. They have up recycle posters, choose to reuse posters and more. I like that they are eager to get involved as this is an issue that starts at home. Take the pledge and choose to reuse this Earth Day. A few small reusable items can be used over and over again to prevent one time use plastics from filling our landfills.
