If nothing else, China’s almost two year ban on recycling the world’s plastic has made us rethink recycling. Recycling has never been the answer. If you look at the Three R’s, recycling is last for a reason. Reduce is the first R and that’s how we should approach our relationship with plastics. There are many ways to do it but you have to make it a habit. Start leaving your reusable grocery bags, coffee mug and water bottle right next to your keys so you remember them each and every day. Next steps, use drawstring bags for produce, carry around either a bamboo utensil set or keep a metal fork in your desk drawer. Switch from plastic ziplock bags to one of the many reusable bags to put snacks into.

Forget recycling, reduce your use of plastics instead