Before I start this, you’ve got to know something important:

You matter. And no matter how small it is, what you do has an impact.

In this rubric, we help you make it happen.

Okay so now that we got this clear, let’s get started!

Under the light of UN’s #BeatPlasticPollution Challenge,

Today on Hacks For A Better World, here are three plastics you can easily get rid of:

1.Plastic bags:

Whether you’re buying from a supermarket or from the local grocery store, it’s very easy to take a grocery bag with you.

With this first step, you’ll get rid of a good chunk of your plastic bags consumption.

Try not to forget the grocery bags you already have. Always try to have at least one within reach (in your car, in your bag, whatever. You’ll never know when you might need one.)

At first, you’ll probably keep on forgetting, but with some rigor, it soon won’t be an issue anymore.
If you’re buying from a local convenience store (which you should do more often, it supports families rather than multinational corporations), and if they offer you plastic bags, refuse.
Same if it’s for buying fruits and vegetables. You seriously don’t need to put each one in a specific plastic bag. People have been putting fruits and vegs over each other for centuries and humanity didn’t go extinct so it’s safe to assume that mixing everything in the same bag didn’t kill anyone.

On that note, products that risk being dispersed and squished (like, let’s stay, strawberries) can be gathered in a paper bag. That too, never killed anyone.

In Tunisia, a problem might be garbage plastic bags since there isn’t really an alternative to it. A solution to this might simply be to consume less, recycle more. And one of the many ways to do so is composting your organic waste and feeding it to some plant. Bonus: it might give a sense of purpose and productivity to your summer. So why the heck not?

2.Straws

Seriously, why do we even need those? It does much more harm than good. To everything and everyone. Here, it’s possible. We can prove it:

3.Plastic bottles

I know, that one is not easy either: running water in Tunisia isn’t exactly what we would call a treat to the palate. Many of us prefer to it the one conditioned inside plastic bottles. Tastes better, but also has more plastic. Way more. And that’s bad for everyone, not just you.
We can come up with at least 3 solutions to that. That said, you will always need to buy a reusable bottle (Tupperware, aluminum, whatever. Just look around in a supermarket, the possibilities are endless).
Now, let’s see those solutions!

1. Water filters, if you are ready to invest.
2. Go back to the good old days where everyone used glass water bottles. If you can find those, jackpot! You’ll still need your reusable bottle though.
3. Bigger water bottles (2L and up) that you will then use to fill your reusable bottle. There is still plastic, but that’s less plastic.

Now that you know the basics, don’t hesitate to take on the #BeatPlasticPollution Challenge! Share with us your experience and remember! Big changes start with small actions.