减少塑料垃圾的简单方法

减少塑料垃圾的简单方法

Although recycling can help reduce the amount of garbage that ends up in landfills, waterways and ecosystems, only a few types of plastics can be recycled by most municipal governments. The fraction that does get recycled still requires a lot of energy and water which just isn’t a good proposition when it comes to single-use items. Plastic garbage that ends up in landfills and oceans take hundreds of years to degrade, and there’s increasing concern about the toxins they release into the environment.

尽管回收可以帮助减少垃圾填埋场、水道和生态系统中的垃圾数量，但大多数市政府只能回收很少的几种塑料。回收利用的部分仍然需要大量的能源和水，当涉及到一次性物品时，这不是一个好的建议。最终被填埋在垃圾填埋场和海洋中的塑料垃圾需要数百年的时间才能降解，人们对它们释放到环境中的毒素越来越担忧。

But in our modern lives, plastic surrounds us and cutting it out can seem daunting. Below are some super easy ways to get started.

但在我们的现代生活中，塑料围绕着我们，切断它似乎令人生畏。下面是一些超级简单的方法。

© Margaret Badore. Decorated tiffins. Margaret Badore. Decorated tiffins.

1. Bring your own shopping bag

自己带购物袋

The usefulness of these thin and easily ripped bags is extremely limited, yet according to one estimate, somewhere between five billion and one trillion plastic bags are used each year around the world. Although free to shoppers, these bags have a high environmental cost and are one of the most ubiquitous forms of garbage. Bringing your own plastic bag is common but good environmental advice, such good advice that some governments implemented policies to encourage more people to do it. Disposable shopping bags have been banned in a number of cities, like San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

这些又薄又容易撕破的塑料袋的用途极其有限，但据估计，全世界每年使用的塑料袋在50亿到1万亿之间。虽然对购物者是免费的，但这些袋子的环境成本很高，是最普遍的垃圾形式之一。自带塑料袋是很常见的，也是很好的环保建议，因此一些政府实施了政策鼓励更多的人这样做。一些城市已经禁止使用一次性购物袋，比如旧金山和华盛顿特区。

2. Stop buying bottled water

停止购买瓶装水

Unless there’s some kind of contamination crisis, plastic water bottles are an easy target for reducing waste. Instead, keep a refillable bottle handy.

除非有某种污染危机，塑料水瓶是一个很容易减少浪费的目标。相反，在手边准备一个可重复使用的瓶子。

3. Bring your own thermos to the coffee shop

去咖啡店时自己带保温瓶

Speaking of refillable, bringing your own thermos for to-go coffee is another way to reduce your plastic footprint. Disposable coffee cups might look like paper but they’re usually lined with polyethylene, a type of plastic resin. In theory these materials can be recycled, but most places lack the infrastructure to do so. Then there are lids, stirrers, and coffee vendors that still use polystyrene foam cups—which can all be avoided with your own mug.

说到可重复使用，自带保温瓶装外带咖啡是减少塑料足迹的另一种方式。一次性咖啡杯可能看起来像纸，但它们的内衬通常是聚乙烯，这是一种塑料树脂。理论上，这些材料可以回收利用，但大多数地方缺乏这样做的基础设施。还有杯盖、搅拌器和咖啡摊贩仍然使用聚苯乙烯泡沫杯——这些都可以用你自己的杯子避免。

4. Choose cardboard over plastic bottles and bags

选择纸板而不是塑料瓶和塑料袋

Generally speaking, it’s easier to recycle cardboard than plastic, plus paper products tend to biodegrade more easily without adding a lot of weight to the product the way glass or aluminum can. So, when you have the choice, pick pasta in the box instead of pasta in a bag, or detergent in the box instead of the bottle. Even better would be to check for companies that source their cardboard sustainably or have a strong stance on deforestation.

一般来说，纸板比塑料更容易回收，再加上纸制品往往更容易生物降解，而不会像玻璃或铝那样增加产品的重量。所以，当你可以选择的时候，选择盒装的意大利面而不是袋装的意大利面，或者选择盒装的洗涤剂而不是瓶装的。更好的方法是检查那些以可持续的方式使用纸板的公司，或者对砍伐森林持强硬立场的公司。

5. Say no to straws

对吸管说不

Whether for home use or when you’re ordering a drink at a bar or restaurant, plastic straws are often a single-use item that's just not necessary.

无论是在家里使用，还是在酒吧或餐馆点饮料时，塑料吸管通常是一次性的，没有必要使用。