Today, the average person living in North America consumes 220 pounds of plastic each year, mostly in the form of packaging. Everywhere we look, there’s plastic. We produce over 300 million tons of plastic every year, 50% of which is for single-use purposes. More than 8 million tons of plastic are dumped in our oceans every year.
It seems we can’t escape the use of plastic, even when we try, after all, plastic is also hidden in many items. But it is possible.

Ready to Cut Back?
If the environment call wasn’t driving you, maybe those extra six thousand dollars in your bank account will. Plus, cutting down plastic is not that difficult. The first step to start is by going through your trash can. Most of the things you throw out can be reused, recycled, or repurposed. Get in the habit of thinking about what you can do with an item before you throw it away.
Why Should You Reduce Plastic?
If the statistics above didn’t make you go Oh My GR8NESS, I have some other reasons why parting ways with plastic should be on your to-do list. First of all, cutting down your plastic use helps the environment. But, there’s more to it.
Reducing plastic can help save you money in the short- and long-term. Take Kathryn Kellogg’s example. While she takes it to the extreme, in her year of zero-waste living, she was able to save an average of about $6,000.