We live in a world that is literally molded in plastic, from beverage and food containers to toys, cell phones, computers, bags and a range of household items. It is everywhere and unfortunately seems to be going nowhere. Not only is plastic non-biodegradable, it is also one of the most toxic pollutants in the world and causes damage to the environment, right from its production to its disposal. In addition, plastics are manufactured using chemicals like Bisphenol-A and Phthalates that can be dangerous to our health.

Every year, trillions of plastic bags, billions of plastic bottles, appliances and cell phones are discarded; a large majority of these end up in landfills or the oceans, where they can take a thousand years to break down. In addition, marine trash, which mainly consists of plastic, currently kills more than a million seabirds and 100,000 mammals and sea turtles each year. We can all play a role in reducing our dependence on plastic, if we started to take some small steps in our everyday lives to be mindful of our plastic use.
Here are 5 simple tips on how you can learn to live with less plastic:
1. Carry reusable shopping bags. This may seem like the most obvious tip, but one look at people in grocery stores and shopping malls will remind you why this practice is far from being widely adopted. Make this easier for you by keeping a few reusable bags in your car, your handbag or briefcase.
2. Don't buy bottled water. According to Food & Water Watch, plastic bottles produce 1.5 million tons of plastic waste per year and requires up to 47 million gallons of oil per year to produce. If you are concerned about water quality, invest in a home water filtration system. When you're on the go, carry a reusable stainless steel bottle or travel mug that you can fill before leaving home and refill whenever you need to.
3. Cook at home more often. This is not only the healthier choice for you and your family, but can also significantly help to reduce the amount of plastic that enters your home. When you cook at home, you're essentially avoiding the plastic packaging that comes with frozen meals as well as the plastic bags, plastic containers, plastic wrapped forks and knives and plastic sachets that takeout food and condiments come packaged in.
4. Compost organic food waste. Home composting is a great way to reduce the amount of trash you produce on a daily basis, and thereby reduce the use of plastic trash bags. Composting your organic food scraps is the best way to return to mother earth the energy that went into preparing your food. Further, composting has several environmental benefits, ranging from drastically reducing the amount of solid waste that ends up in landfills each year to greenhouse gas reduction and soil enrichment.
5. Buy less stuff & reuse what you have. Again, this should seem obvious, but the less we consume, the less demand for products that are made of plastic and consequently, the less chances that plastic will end up in landfills and our oceans. Further, try and buy products that are of a higher quality, so that they last longer and reduce the need to be replaced in a few months or years. Lastly, no matter how hard you try to live with less plastic, you may not be able to avoid it completely. When you can't refuse plastic, learn to reuse! Shopping bags, food containers, zip-lock bags and bottles don't need to end up in your trash or recycling bin, but can be put to several creative uses. (Source: onegreenplanet.com)