Green Guy Greg here. Every Day is Earth Day! The following is the embryonic stage of a "green" guide which will show us how we can make simple, convenient changes in our everyday lives to help shrink our carbon footprints (reduce fossil fuel pollution). This includes plastic.
e.g:
The basics- If plastic shopping bags aren't yet banned in your area, always bring our own reusable bags to the store. Never accept a plastic one, even for produce.
~ Buy a water purifier and a stainless steel or glass water bottle- never buy plastic bottled water again.
~ Always refuse plastic straws for beverages (this gets ridiculed but it's no small effort)... for that matter, ask yourself these questions before any purchase you make: Is this product made of, packaged in or bottled in plastic? If so, do I need it at all? If yes, is there another product that serves the same purpose which is not made of, packaged or bottled in plastic? (By the way this includes clothing/fabrics- Polyester & acrylic are plastic. 'Microfiber' fabric is plastic, as well as 'tri-blend' fabric, which is least 33% plastic. These synthetic fabrics are the leading sources of billions of micro plastics in the ocean, as a result of microfibers shedding from our laundry down the drain in the washer). Then do the research- it's easy with the internet.
~ Reduce packaging by buying rice, nuts , oatmeal, beans etc in bulk. Bring smaller reusable bags for these bulk foods as well. Never tear off and use the clear plastic bags from the rolls provided by the store. Same goes for produce. Fruits and vegetables have their own natural protective coating. When you get home, keep them loose in/on your fridge or counter, then if there's some left over after you cut into them to eat, store the remainder in either a reusable pyrex container or rigid pastic container, AKA "tupperware", if you must use plastic.
~ Seamlessly choose an ESCO (Energy Service Company) that supplies 100% wind/solar-sourced electricity to your home through your local utility company. Your utility co. will provide a list on their website or by mail upon request.
~ Pull out of big oil/gas/coal (fossil fuel) companies in your investment portfolio. Reinvest in renewable energy.
~ More to come! I'm looking forward to making this guide more comprehensive- possibly with help of the blog page- replete with facts and stats, cited soures, and links to websites and articles that inform and motivate you. In the meantime with a focus particularly on plastc, I encourage you to refer to the 22 shocking facts at ecowatch.com as a teaser window into why I feel this is such an important and urgent matter for all. The fossil fuel industry can be weakened by the power of the consumer!