October 9, 2022

One idea to keep it slow and simple … Take inventory and tackle ONE thing

You already know that we have it out for single-use plastics—the easy-to-avoid and swap kind. (As ever, if plastics are critical to your well-being, then we don’t consider them “easy to avoid”). You might not know that these single-use items break down to become tiny “microplastics” that end up everywhere, including your body.

If you want to take a small step, start by taking inventory. Go room by room looking for all of the visible plastic. The flower pots in the window, the reusable containers in the fridge and pantry, the board game pieces, the picture frames—all of it.

We’re not going to get rid of every single plastic item. And that’s not the goal anyway. Simply look for the most easily avoided and simple-to-replace items for you and start there. Swap out just one thing. And when it’s time to get rid of the rest, ensure it gets recycled if you can.  

And some extras to click

We love to discover and share, so we’ve added three cool clickables. And just so you know, when we list products, it’s just because we like them. We’re not sponsored by anything but our dreams and imaginations.

• Ever want important issues explained to you like you’re in fourth grade? Or maybe there’s a student in your life looking for a helpful resource? National Geographic Education has you covered.

• Check out this cool explainer from NPR about plastic—what you can recycle and what becomes trash. It might surprise you!

• Poetry is essential medicine for the human soul. Get your daily dose through Instagram.