There are many different ways to bring it and make efforts to reduce how much single-use plastic you use!
Here are some practical tips to help you bring it:
- Make & take your own coffee from home in your to-go cup. Many local coffee-shops sell their coffee by the bag so you can still support local from the comfort of your own kitchen. Pro-tip: skip the disposable k-cups and go for fresh ground or whole bean and grind yourself.
- Did you know that Charlottetown has some of highest quality drinking water in the world? Don’t get caught paying a 300% price-mark up for a single disposable bottle of water. Bring your own reusable water bottle and refill it throughout the day. Staying hydrated also has a number of mental and physical health benefits so bring it every day!
- You can have the convenience of take-out without the added waste of disposable cutlery and straws! Go ahead and get take-out from your favorite local restaurant but tell them to hold the fork, spoon and/or straw and just bring your own instead.
- Craving an ice-coffee but want to avoid the disposable plastic cup, lid, and straw that it comes in? You can bring it for that too. At our pledge booth we’re giving away a reusable tumbler with a reusable straw suitable for all your cold drink desires. Just let your barista know you brought your own cup when you place your order and ask them to refill it. Easy peasy, lemon (ice-tea) squeezy!
- Sometimes you just need a straw for that super thick smoothie or for health reasons. You shouldn’t feel bad for choosing to suck – just bring your own reusable straw instead of opting for a single-use disposable straw. If straws are your jam just make sure that you bring it and leave the guilt at home.
- By now you’re probably great at remembering to bring your reusable bags to the grocery store, but may still end up leaving local retail shops doing a juggling act with all of your items or have to pay extra for that paper bag. The best option is to bring it and our pledge booth makes it easy – we’re giving away convenient and compact reusable bags that fit in your pocket or purse. Bring it with you all the time.
Remembering to bring your reusable items can be the biggest challenge of all. In fact, our recent survey found that forgetting to bring reusable alternatives was the biggest barrier to reducing single-use plastic items. In our survey we also asked what might help you remember and we used that feedback to develop some materials that can serve as helpful prompts. At our pledge booth you can pick up a door hanger or car mirror hanger that reminds you to bring it, a magnet that reminds you to bring it you can stick on your fridge at work or at work, and stickers that you can stick wherever will be most helpful for you!
Other tips to remember:
- Set a reminder to take your reusable items on your phone and schedule it to go off before you plan to leave the house.
- Throw your reusable bags, straws, and cutlery in your purse, laptop/school bag, or in your vehicle so they’re always there when you need them. Make sure you keep bringing it by placing them by the door or in your bag immediately after you wash them.
- Be mindful of your daily habits/schedule and pre-plan to set yourself up for success... For example:
- If you often crave a mid-day coffee or smoothie get in the habit of tossing your reusable to-go tumbler in your lunch bag or whatever you take with you when you leave the house.
- If you know you’ll be grabbing food on the go that day take your cutlery set and straw with you so you can just say no to single-use plastic disposable cutlery and straw.
- If you don’t have time to make your coffee or smoothie at home but know you’ll be stopping to get one grab your hot/cold to-go cup
