37 genuinely doable, low-effort ways to use less plastic 

Globally, we’re producing around 400 million metric tons of plastic each year. Nearly half of that is single-use: everything from cutlery and clamshell cases to plates and produce bags. Life is so saturated in single-use plastic that it creeps up in dozens of places we might not even consider. Things like dish sponges, dryer sheets, and teabags. 

This isn’t something we can recycle our way out of. Less than 10% of plastic ever gets recycled, which means waste increases in lockstep with every new piece. According to a 2024 study, for every 1% rise in production, there’s a corresponding 1% rise in the amount of rubbish in the environment. That’s a big climate problem going in (the vast majority of plastics are derived from fossil fuels) and coming out: Plastic is piling up in landfills, and trash entering the world’s oceans is canceling out their ability to store carbon.

With little progress in curbing the flow of fresh plastic from the people in charge, one of the best things the average person can do is refuse as much single-use plastic as they reasonably can. Despite how deeply embedded throwaways are in daily life, there are lots of ways to cut back—many of them easy and cheap. No, you don’t need to go fully zero-waste or overhaul your whole life. This isn’t about being militant. It’s about making smart, simple swaps. Because the more people make them, the better it gets for everyone.

That’s why we created this list of 37 genuinely doable, low-effort ways to use less plastic—at home, at the grocery store, and on the go. No, this isn’t a list of everything you can do. It’s just a place to start. Consider it a crib sheet for cutting plastic in your life. A lot of them you’re probably doing already. But maybe, along the way, you’ll discover a few new habits you actually want to keep.

1. Change your order preferences in DoorDash, Uber Eats, or Grubhub to include the “No plastic utensils, please” option. Better yet, order takeout from restaurants that try to use compostable or reusable packaging. The foodservice industry uses around 561 billion throwaway items a year—that’s more than 1.5 billion every day.  
2. Ask your dry cleaner to skip the thin plastic wrap and hang your clothes uncovered. Bring a reusable garment bag to protect your duds when you pick them up. 
3. Don’t waste a produce bag on items that have a natural skin like bananas, onions, and avocados. They’re durable enough to handle the unbagged life. 
4. In fact, don’t use single-use shopping bags at all. Stash a few reusable ones in your car and one in your bag, so you’re never without them. In some places you might not even have a choice—because bag bans do work.
5. Instead of shelling out for solutions in plastic containers, give dissolvable tablet-based spray cleaners a shot. Plop a tablet into a reusable spray bottle, add water, and spritz away. Here are two of our favorites. 
6. While you’re at it, go for powders or tablets over laundry or dishwasher detergent pods. The sheaths that hold those proportioned pods together? They’re made from a plastic called polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). We tried the dishwasher tablets, and they’re great.
7. Glass > plastic when it comes to containers for your food-storage needs. They’re sold with locking tops, don’t stain or smell, won’t leach chemicals into your grub, and last longer. These are our go-tos.
8. Decline receipts or choose digital ones. Receipts are coated in heat-reactive chemicals, which include BPAs—known hormone disruptors. That doesn’t make them plastic, sure, but who wants potentially toxic paper you can’t recycle? 
9. Skip pre-cut produce in plastic trays or bags. A sliced melon saves five minutes. That plastic tub it’s in will stick around for centuries. (The same rules apply to precut bagged or binned greens.)
10. In general, favor products that come packed in metal, paper, or glass whenever the option is available and affordable. About 40% of all plastic waste comes from food packaging. 
11. Speaking of: Buy drinks in cans instead of bottles. 
12. Are your plastic-handled disposable razors among the billions that go to rot in landfills every year? Try a safety razor. It takes a minute to get the hang of—but the shave is better, and all you need to do is replace the blades every few months. 
13. Skip the plastic cling-film, and swaddle cheeses, cover jars, and wrap sandwiches in beeswax wraps. They’re reusable, come in a bunch of fun designs, and are way grippier than you might think. 
14. Say “no” to glitter in all shapes and sizes. Yes, even biodegradable glitter are nothing more than microplastics that make their way to our oceans. 
15. Drink through a reusable metal or silicone straw—with a carrying case to keep it clean. Get in the habit of bringing it with you. (Here are a few sippers with our stamp of approval.)
16. Buy spices in bulk and refill your jars. Those little containers add up quickly. 
17. Get a good reusable water bottle and bring it everywhere. Yes, everyone says this. But it’s a habit with a huge impact: The world makes around 600 billion single-use bottles a year.. 
18. Try bar shampoo. There are lots of great options for all kinds of hair.
19. And while we’re talking showers: Are you a bodywash person? Switch to bar soap. It’s less expensive, less wasteful, and many smell really good. 
20. Opt for loose-leaf tea instead of tea bags. Most tea satchels are made from plastic mesh, and can release a startling 11.6 billion microplastic particles into your mug.
21. No, you don’t need someone to write your name on a new coffee cup every day. Bring a reusable one. The U.S. goes through 136 million single-use coffee cups a day—each lined with a thin layer of plastic to protect against seepage. Plus, many coffee shops will offer a discount to those who BYO.  
22. Put down the dryer sheets; they’re polyester. Wool dryer balls can usually be used in upwards of 1,000 loads and can even speed up drying times. Added bonus: Fewer microplastics in your laundry. 
23. Yes, they’re nice for workouts, but try to avoid polyester clothes as much as you can. They shed thousands of microplastics every time you wash them. 
24. Kick your pod coffee habit. Use a drip machine, moka pot, or French press. Or at least opt for a refillable pod. Coffee pods, the large majority of which are plastic, amount to 576,000 metric tons of trash per year. 
25. Clean between your chompers with plant-based dental floss instead of the plastic tape. 
26. While you’re at it, put down the plastic dental picks. Try a reusable interdental brush instead. 
27. Did you know that most standard dish sponges are made from plastic? Well, they are. Switch to sponges made from coconut coir, which also have extra antibacterial properties.  
28. That plastic mesh loofah is a wasteful breeding ground for bacteria. Use a plain old washcloth. You could go for a natural loofah sponge, but that won’t fix the microbe woes. 
29. Know that pleasing sheen on gift wrap? Plastic. Opt for reusable or recyclable gift wrap or use plain old newspaper if you have it lying around. You can also swaddle presents in fabric or scarves and nix the cellophane tape, too.
30. Put out real plates for parties and gatherings instead of cheap plastic sets. At the very least, opt for compostable paper plates. But proceed with caution: Disposable dinnerware also encourages more food waste. 
31. Disposable cleaning wipes and dust-fighting sheets are unnecessary. Transform old towels or clothes into rags you can reuse again and again. 
32. If you use period products like pads or tampons, consider switching to a menstrual cup or trying out washable, absorbent underwear. The disposables can be as much as 90% plastic. 
33. This one’s hard, we admit, but worth it: Can you guess what the most common ocean litter is? Give up? OK, we’ll tell you: cigarette butts. Try to quit smoking.
34. Buy some silicone food-storage bags and use ‘em instead of standard press-and-seals. Many are tough, dishwasher safe, and more than capable of storing your snacks and cheese hunks. 
35. Try a rechargeable lighter or pack of good old fashioned matches instead of plastic fire starters.
36. A lot of  popular gums get their chew from petrol-based polymers (aka plastic). Look for sticky stuff that uses chicle (tree sap) instead.
37. Instead of relying on single-use sheet masks to slather on skincare, opt for serums and lotions in (preferably glass!) bottles. You might not eliminate plastic waste from your beauty routine entirely, but it does make a dent.