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plastics

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How to recycle plastic grocery bags

If you recycle, you probably already know that most communities don’t accept plastic bags in their weekly curbside pick-up bins. This creates a problems for just about every household. After all, even the most diligent of us wind up with a few plastic bags when an impromptu grocery shopping trip breaks out. Throwing bags in the garbage may seem like a solution, but plastic bags aren’t biodegradable, meaning they can take hundreds of years to decompose. The best thing you can do is recycle them. So if curbside recycling won’t accept them, how do you recycle plastic bags? It’s as easy and taking them to a nearby store. National retailers like Walmart, Whole Foods, Target, JCPenney, Kohl’s, Home Depot, Lowe’s, and many regional retailers like Giant Eagle, all offer onsite plastic bag collection bins and boxes. No need to separate where your bags came from, as these retailers will accept…

15 easy ways to use less plastic in your life

Straws are having a major moment. Not only are national fast-food and restaurant chains looking at reducing or eliminating them entirely, but individuals across the country are saying ‘no’ to sipping from the wasteful plastic single-use item. While the straw ban will certainly help, it’s really justย the beginning. If you’re interested in other easy ways to cut back on plastic consumption, here are a few ideas. Recycling is great, but the best thing you can do for the environment is use less plastic to begin with. What’s great about reusing materials is that in most cases, you end up saving some cash for your efforts, too. Here are 15 waysย to cut out plastic from your life: 1. Stay away from straws. Major corporations like McDonald’s and Starbucks have started to eliminate plastic drinking straws from their restaurants, while whole cities have put a ban on them as well. Only…

U.K. proposes ban on plastic straws, drink stirrers and cotton swabs

In a sweeping movement to help reduce the amount of non-recyclable consumer waste, the U.K. government has announced plans to ban the sale of plastic straws, stirrers and plastic-stemmed cotton swabs. “Plastic waste is one of the greatest environmental challenges facing the world,” Prime Minister Theresa May announced in a statement on Wednesday, in which she called the U.K. government to be “a world leader on this issue.” Downing Street also said in the statement that it would work with industry in developing alternatives and ensuring “there is sufficient time to adapt.” The proposal would exempt plastic straws used for medical reasons. The ban is a small step in an overall effort to reduce plastic pollution from finding its way into the Earth’s oceans. According to the announcement, 150 million tons of plastic find its way to the water each year. This trash isย responsible for killing one million birds and…