According to Scientists, Sea Turtles could be extinct within the next decade. Ten’s of millions of marine life, including endangered Sea Turtles are killed each year as a result of it. And the problem is only getting worse with millions and millions more of these being dumped into the oceans every year. Do you know what it is?
Killer Plastic Straws. (seriously)
How sad is that right? Something as simple as plastic straws, which nobody ever thinks about, represents one of the leading causes of death in marine wildlife, such as endangered Sea Turtles – which mistake straws and other plastic as food. The result for Sea Turtles is a slow, painful death by asphyxiation. It makes me really sad to think about.
When I learned about how much damage I was causing with my own day-to-day habits, I felt so guilty that I decided to make some changes. I immediately changed from plastic straws to reusable straws. I then incorporated other reusable products into my habits in place of wasteful and destructive, single-use products. As a result, I’ve eliminated almost all of my waste — and it feels a lot better.
Here are 3 easy product substitutes which I made the switch to, and that you can easily incorporate into your life to quit producing so much waste which kills Sea Turtles and other marine life.
1) Switch from plastic straws to reusable straws
I know, I know, it’s less convenient… But by switching to reusable you are saving wildlife such as endangered Sea Turtles, using healthier BPA free straws, and saving money.
I prefer these reusable straws which are made of silicone. They are easy to clean and safer for kids than plastic straws and other reusable straws that I’ve tried.
My fav reusable straws which I found on Amazon
No more killer straws in the ocean = Turtles saved
2) Switch from plastic toothbrushes to biodegradable toothbrushes
Sure, you’re used to your plastic toothbrush. But just think about it, every single toothbrush you’ve ever used and thrown away is and forever will be in a landfill or in the ocean. Even if it’s just for travel, an eco-friendly, compostable toothbrush is a great way to reduce waste. My preferred plastic toothbrush alternative is to use bamboo toothbrushes, here is one option available on Amazon:
No more toothbrushes on the beach
3) Switch from single-use Sweeper sheets to a multi-use microfiber mops
Honestly, this one is a no-brainer. After making the switch, I found that microfiber is an awesome alternative which works way better at cleaning, saves money, and the mops themselves are a lot stronger and make cleaning faster and easier. No more filling up landfills and the ocean with single-use cleaning sheets
There are several options available, such as this heavy-duty metal mop:
Microfiber Mop I use from Amazon
No more one use mop sheets in the landfill
It takes all of us doing a little, which adds up to making a big difference in helping to save our planet. If we want the next generation to live in a world with Sea Turtles and a healthy ecosystem, it’s important that we quit making excuses and incorporate reusables into our lives.
In Summary, here’s a quick list of the product I switched to:
There are a lot of other ways you can reduce your waste. I recommend you look around your house to figure out where else you can switch to reusables. But this is a good place to start.
