Stop Waste Before It Starts: Choose to Refuse

Plastic Free July may be over and has been a timely reminder about reducing the use of plastics, but the momentum should not end here! Under the City's adopted Sustainability and Climate Action Plan, Priority 5: Toward Zero Waste, the City sets forth goals to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in the landfill. A local community of solutioneers, organized as Reusable Reno, embrace reuse and are working together to reduce single-use plastic waste every day at home, work, school, and even at your favorite pub or cafe; all of which helps sustain a healthy ecosystem and contributes to a vibrant community.

How can you make the switch from single-use, throwaway products to reusables year-round? Below are a few simple and practical steps you can take to move closer to zero waste and reduce single-use plastic pollution - list compiled from our friends at the National Reuse Network, a nationwide coalition of solutioneers.

START HERE! Reusable Solutions, Strategies & Switches

1. Skip The Stuff with your take-out food orders; take to-go accessories that you really need and leave the rest.
2. Support restaurants that are committed to sustainable practices; when dining in a restaurant their service should include reusable plates, cups, utensils, and napkins.
3. Bring your own reusable shopping bags. There are so many great options out there. Some pack up teeny tiny to allow you to easily carry one in your backpack or purse. Others are larger fold up sturdy models that you can stash in your car to make sure you're never without them. If you're concerned about buying US-made, check out our list of reusable bags made in the USA.
4. Bring your own reusable produce bags. Same arguments as above. There are tons of options out there - both cotton and plastic although we'd recommend buying cotton because washing plastic adds microplastic particles to our water supply. Our spreadsheet offers lots of good USA-made options.
5. Carry a reusable water bottle. We strongly suggest that you make it either glass or stainless steel to avoid the chemicals in plastic water bottles. There are a lot of options out there but we like that Kleen Kanteen offers two largely plastic-free tops as early research indicates that the plastic tops on plastic water bottles may be the primary source of microplastic particles in the water.
6. Carry your own reusable cutlery. There are some really nice metal and bamboo kits available or, if you're on a budget, just put a fork, spoon and knife from home in a little bag and you're all set. It may not be glamorous but it will work.
7. Say no to plastic straws. Carry your own reusable metal straw or just, you know, use your lips to drink.
8. Buy in bulk. Did you realize you can buy things like oats, beans, grains, flour, sugar, salt, spices, pasta, granola, dried nuts, dried fruits and more foods in bulk using your own reusable bags and containers? It takes a touch more planning but feels great, is cheaper, and will lighten your plastic and carbon footprints considerably. Store these things in reusable containers at home. You can also buy cleaning and personal care products in bulk - everything from shampoo and conditioner to moisturizers, dishwasher detergent and hand soap and more. Bring your empty bottles back to the store and refill them - it's cheaper and better for the planet. Not sure where you can refill? Best bets are your local natural foods store or coop but you can also check this listing from common good or try a Google search for "buy in bulk" or "refill my __" along with your location. Don't forget to bring your reusable bags and containers with you! For those of you, who prefer to order everything online, there are refillable options popping up for you, too. Check out LOOP - they're expanding to more and more cities and regions and adding new products all the time.
9. If you are a coffee or tea drinker, bring your own reusable mug to fill up at the cafe or cafeteria instead of taking a disposable cup. You can also make your own at home (think of the savings!) and take it with you in your insulated mug (again, we recommend either glass or metal, not plastic due to leaching concerns). Please do not ever drink anything hot from a polystyrene cup - studies show that styrene, a likely carcinogen, can leach from StyrofoamTM cups and containers when heated. One nice bonus is that your reusable insulated mug should keep your drink hot a lot longer than a to-go cup can.
10. Stop buying certain problem items. Top offenders include anything packaged in a plastic clamshell - berries, greens, tomatoes, peppers, grapes, sandwiches and more and other fruits - this packaging is often totally unnecessary and it will NOT ever be recycled. Avoid buying chips and bars packaged in non-recyclable foil and plastic layered wrappers and bags. You can ask your grocery store or coop to stop using so much plastic packaging - use our sample letter.
11. Pack your or your child's lunch in reusable containers. Thanks to great companies like Lunchbots, Planetbox, U-konserve, LunchSkins, Beeswrap, Abeego, Stasher, and more, this is not hard! Again, we recommend metal or glass over plastic (metal has the added bonus of being a lot lighter and less breakable than glass - two good qualities, particularly where kids are concerned.) Please note that this is going to be better for your health and theirs because there are serious concerns about toxins in plastic foodware. Find more info in this Consumer Reports article.
12. Bring your own reusable take-out containers. If you're dining out (or even if you're just buying some coleslaw at the deli), bring your own reusable containers with you to avoid disposable foam, plastic or paper containers. Take note that even containers labeled "compostable" contain plasticizers that are likely toxic - see this fact sheet from Oregon explaining why they don't accept "biodegradable" and "compostable" plastic bags and packaging in their compost and this study from the American Chemical Society about toxic PFAS chemicals in compostable food containers. Try storing a stainless steel multi-tier tiffin in your car for this purpose. That way, you can run out to get it if you forget to bring it in. If that fails, try wrapping up your leftovers in a paper napkin or place mat until you get home as the restaurant is just going to throw those things away anyway. You might get a funny look or two from the waitstaff but then again, you might also get some admiring glances as you help raise public awareness of the need to shift away from a throwaway culture to one of reuse.

There is a new FREE Guide for restaurants that provides all the info and tools to reduce plastic! This guide offers practical advice, tools, resources (including funding sources), and case studies to help any restaurant interested in reducing plastic make meaningful changes and successfully communicate those changes to their customers, potential diners, reporters, and more. Access your free guide from our friends at Beyond Plastics.

Switching to reusable versions of single-use products - things you use once, then throw away - such as bags, cups, forks, straws, plates, storage containers, and more - is an easy way to help prevent wasted resources, avoid toxic chemicals, and reduce both plastic pollution and climate change emissions. Making the switch to reusables can also create significant cost savings, particularly for businesses. See these case studies from our friends at Clean Water Action Network for some examples.

Recycling, while very worthwhile for items made from metal, cardboard, and glass, is unfortunately, largely a myth when it comes to anything made from plastic. 91% of all plastics will end up being buried, burned or floating in ever smaller pieces in our oceans and waterways. Reuse is a simple, commonsense, sustainable solution that we all need to embrace.

Reuse Cities are key to an Indisposable Future. Let us shift our throwaway culture to something much better - Together we can make a difference. Interested businesses can join Reusable Reno or contact [email protected] for more information.

Blog Author: Linda Miller of Reusable Reno, with contributions from City Staff.