Everyone knows that plastic harms the environment. And most people would love nothing better than to do their part to eliminate plastic waste. But they do not know how to start.

In truth, giving up plastic is a process. You can’t do it all at once. Just take it one step at a time and, before you know it, all the plastic in your life will be gone. If the task seems truly herculean, consider the following tips:

1). Stop using plastic straws. There are plenty of reusable straws on the market that do not feature plastic components, and no one will stop you from using one in a restaurant.

2). If you love coffee, buy a flask. People discard billions of plastic coffee cups every year, and most of them can’t be recycled. Rather than contributing to this problem, find a coffee cup you can reuse or just get a reliable flask.

This same rationale applies to plastic bottles and cutlery. Get reusable utensils.

3). Plastic bags take up to a thousand years to degrade. So the next time you go shopping, carry your own reusable bag. Your supermarket will probably offer you a plastic bag for free but you don’t have to take it. 

4). Stop chewing gum. Gum is made from a type of rubber, and it is designed to be chewed and then discarded. That doesn’t do the environment any favors.

5). When it comes to products such as milk, detergent and the like, prioritize items that are packaged in boxes rather than bottles. Boxes are easy enough to recycle. The same cannot be said for plastic bottles.

6). Most toothbrushes are plastic and that is a problem. A billion toothbrushes are thrown out annually. Don’t add your own toothbrush to that number. Get a bamboo toothbrush which has a handle that degrades very easily.

You cannot force the world to abandon plastic. But you can reduce or even eliminate your own contribution to this problem.