5. Skip the Produce Bag
Most grocery stores prepackage produce in Styrofoam and plastic wrap or plastic bags and boxes. When they aren’t packaged, grocery stores always have thin plastic bags to keep items “clean” and separate from other produce in your cart. Instead of these one-use bags, bring your own cloth produce bags, which can be machined washed and reused.
When it comes to dried goods, buy in bulk and bring your own glass jars when you go shopping. Just have the clerk pre-weigh your containers and carry them in a wine bottle bag or box with compartments, which you can buy at your local liquor store.
Personal Care
Hygiene products and cosmetics are so full of chemicals nowadays that the Environmental Working Group has created an entire database on the subject.
Many well-known products are loaded with carcinogens and endocrine disruptors. These chemical are absorbed into your skin and into your bloodstream with every use.
6. Avoid Microbeads
Microbeads are tiny plastic balls used in toothpaste, exfoliating cleansers and acne products. These beads are washed down the sink and go through water processing before making their way into our lakes and oceans.
These beads are too small to be cleared during processing and ends up in major waterways (5). These are then eaten by fish and pass along the food chain, slowly moving towards humans.
Although you probably won’t see beads in your fish filet, you may ingest toxic substances like PCBs, which are attracted to the beads (6).
Instead of contributing to this problem by buying exfoliating products, which read “polyethylene or polypropylene” on the label, make your own toothpaste and exfoliate your skin with natural, biodegradable products like coffee grounds, sea salt, baking soda and sugar.