Want to reduce your plastic consumption but think it is too hard? Or maybe you don’t know where to start! Start with one-use plastic– like plastic bags, plastic straws, and plastic water bottles! Here are five easy steps to begin reducing your plastic consumption and reduce overall plastic demand!

1. Bring your own bag to the grocery store and while shopping! If you forget a bag, ask the cashier for a paper bag! Foldable, reusable bags like these Nylon Totes are easy to throw in your pocket or a purse to carry with you.

2. Be sure to tell your server and bartender at restaurants, NO STRAW! Restaurants often serve straws with your drink, and half of the time the customer takes it out of his/her drink and places it on the table. If you don’t care to have a straw, ask for the server to NOT BRING YOU ONE!

3. STOP purchasing bottled water. Normally it is no cleaner than your tap water. It’s expensive and wasteful. If you start carrying a reusable water bottle you can oftentimes fill it up where you are, like in water fountains on campuses, in airports, in gas stations, in malls, and at the pool. AND IT’S TOTALLY FREE!

4. Vote with your wallet! If we begin reducing our plastic consumption, and buying eco-friendly products, corporate America will take notice and begin changing their products to match consumer demand!

5. TELL YOUR FRIENDS and the world! Share why reducing plastic pollution is important for our environment! They may want to take the same steps and in turn tell their friends!