As I mentioned in a previous post, the most challenging part of avoiding plastic bags is remembering to bring reusable alternatives. Sometimes I'll even have them in my car, but forget to bring them inside a store. The NJ plastic bag ban has really forced consumers to not make this mistake. Prior to the ban, it was all to easy to just use the provided plastic shopping bags and tell ourselves that we'd remember our reusable ones the next time.

Though I do believe we need to put greater focus on reducing plastic consumption, creativity may help us find new uses for our current plastic waste. For example, I remember reading an article online about this incredibly talented artist who uses discarded plastic bottles to create very beautiful jewelry pieces.

At the height of the pandemic, we weren't really going out much anyway. This in itself forced me to almost exclusively make my own coffees and avoid buying out. This had the added benefit of saving me money!

Sustainable fashion brands create fashion in a way that reduces the overall impact on environment and doesn't leave a negative footprint.  Recycled fibers are a much more sustainable option and require no chemical treatment so it's safer to wear and also uses less water and energy to produce.  There are many benefits to the sustainable clothing options and I will make sure to take into consideration when making purchases. 

These families who are forced to live on the frontlines of Big Plastic’s polluting agenda are referred to as fenceline communities. They are given no voice in the corporate decision-making process and often receive serious threats when they try to fight back, as demonstrated in The Story of Plastic. The increased health risks of living near a plastic production site, mainly poor air quality of which Black people bear a “pollution burden” of 56% (excess exposure compared to consumption), also contributes to the death rate of COVID-19 being three times higher for Blacks when compared to white people.