3 Ways to Have a Plastic Free Summer, by Cindy Lou Negron, VLCE

As vegans, one of the things many of us attempt to keep working on is living a more eco-friendly lifestyle. I personally struggle sometimes to maintain the most ecological household. Even if it is easier said than done, at home we’ve tried in many ways, and continue to do so. For example, when my baby was born, we used cloth diapers as an eco-alternative to regular ones. I’ve owned 3 keepcups up to date (I keep breaking them) to minimize my coffee footprint. I’ve also ditched the conventional (or rather plastic) menstrual pad, and I currently alternate between the cloth ones and the cup, 5 years and counting. All these are examples of how I keep working towards a more ecological lifestyle.

So here are my tips on having a plastic free summer;

1. Get metal or bamboo straws. I currently own one bamboo straw and I carry it in my purse all the time. I have a small brush to clean it on the go or at home. Do you know how many straws we use daily? 500 million in the U.S. per person annually! — that is just crazy!

2. Get cloth sandwich bags (and napkins and grocery bags while you’re at it). I love these and I bought them in late April for the first time. Not only are they convenient, they can store everything from a sandwich to any snack and they’re easy to clean. We’ve been using them at our summer picnics a lot.

3. If you’re like us and you like to picnic, make food at home or use plastic-less containers. We’ve been having picnics where we just take food prepared at home in crystal containers and we take our utensils (bamboo or silver). When I say plastic-free food, I mean fruits and veggies that are commonly fresh and unwrapped. You could easily buy them as they are or bring in some cloth grocery bags to weigh them. You’ll be amazed at how much plastic and wrapping is involved in most foods.

Days before writing this I learned about the Plastic Free July Challenge. This is new for me, I’m still learning all about it. If you like challenges, why not take this one up? If you’re vegan, you’re already saving the animals and the planet, but why not take it a step further for one month. Maybe you’ll learn how much plastic we really use on daily basis, or you’ll learn that you are more eco friendly than you thought already. Whatever you decide enjoy the summer!

Cindy Lou Negrón, VLCE is the owner of Veganizalo a small local business that sells vegan comfort food. As a vegan educator she gives workshops, demos, and attend fairs, veganizes Puerto Rico’s local recipes on her Youtube channel. You can find her on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube.