© 2024 WRVO Public Media
NPR News for Central New York
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

I ditched plastic for a week. Here's what I learned

Becky Harlan/NPR

Plastic is everywhere, but it's not great for your health or the planet. NPR's Claire Murashima cut out single-use plastics for a week. Here are her tips if you're looking to do the same.

1. Look for easy swaps where you can. Fill up a reusable water bottle instead of buying a bottle of water. Use bar soap instead of body wash in a plastic container. If you menstruate, consider using a menstrual cup instead of pads or tampons.

2. Cut down on the plastic you ingest. Microplastics and the chemicals from plastics can find their way into your food from packaging, cutting boards, cookware, water bottles and more. Avoiding storing food in plastic containers and swap plastic utensils with alternatives made from wood, glass or metal.

3. Remember: going completely plastic-free is unrealistic. Plastic is everywhere. If you want to make a change, go slow. See what's in your cabinets and trash can so you can make decisions that work for you.

More resources from NPR:

This episode of Life Kit was produced by Margaret Cirino. Our visuals editor is Beck Harlan. Our digital editor is Malaka Gharib. Meghan Keane is the supervising editor. Beth Donovan is the executive producer. Our Production team also includes: Andee Tagle, Clare Marie Schneider and Sylvie Douglis. Engineering support comes from David Greenburg and Tiffany Vera Castro.

Copyright 2024 NPR

Claire Murashima
Claire Murashima is a production assistant on Morning Edition and Up First. Before that, she worked on How I Built This, NPR's Team Atlas and Michigan Radio. She graduated from Calvin University.