This is the second in a series of articles about reducing the amount of the most common materials among household waste.
The top three materials filling American garbage bins are paper, food waste, and plastic. Of the three, plastic may be the most problematic. Not only does its production use nonrenewable natural resources and energy, but unlike paper and food waste, it is neither biodegradable nor easily recyclable. A century ago, plastic was barely a blip in the waste stream. As of 2018, the last time the Environmental Protection Agency counted, it made up about 12% of what Americans throw away.
Going completely plastic-free may be possible, but plastic is so woven into daily life that even the most committed environmentalist has to cut it out in stages. Here are good, better, and best steps you can take to reduce plastic waste. Start wherever you can, and build from there.
Plastic Waste
In 2018, the EPA reported that United States generated 35.7 million tons of plastic waste. Plastic had climbed from 8.2% of what Americans threw away in 1990 to 12.2% in 2018. Most of it comes from durable goods, containers, and packaging.
And recycling barely makes a dent in the plastic tsunami. In 2018, the EPA estimated that only 8.7% of U.S. plastic was recycled. The rate has likely fallen since: after overseas markets closed to American scrap, a 2022 analysis by the advocacy groups Beyond Plastics and the Last Beach Cleanup put it at 5% to 6%. Whatever the exact figure, the rest of our plastic is burned, buried, or lost to the environment.
Beyond the plastic captured in the waste stream, an estimated 8 million metric tons wash into the oceans each year, and millions of pounds end up in the Great Lakes. You may have heard the widely repeated prediction that the oceans will hold more plastic than fish by 2050. It is a striking image, but worth treating with caution: the researchers behind the original numbers have said they were never meant to be projected that far into the future. The direction of the trend is not in dispute, though. The OECD projects global plastic production will nearly triple by 2060 while recycling lags far behind.
Even though plastic does not biodegrade the way natural materials do, it does break apart. As it does, it can release harmful chemicals and shed microplastics, the trillions of tiny fragments that have turned up in the environment, wildlife, drinking water, and even human blood and tissue. They build up in animals that ingest them, and researchers are still working out what that means for human health.
Good
The simplest way to cut most kinds of waste is to recycle, but plastic shows just how hard recycling can be. U.S. plastics recycling is in genuine trouble, partly because of China’s 2018 ban on imported scrap that did not meet strict cleanliness standards. That ban, still in force, reshaped recycling worldwide and left many American communities scrambling to find somewhere to send their plastic.
Some communities still take certain plastics in curbside bins. If yours does, that is a fine place to start. Just avoid wishful recycling, tossing in items you only hope are recyclable. Learn your local rules and follow them closely, because a contaminated load can send an entire batch to the landfill.
Because curbside plastic recycling is so limited, the bigger win is using less plastic in the first place. Start with simple changes to how you shop. Cut single-use plastics: switch to reusable grocery bags, water bottles, and utensils. Before buying plastic household items like storage bins and measuring cups, look for sturdier alternatives. Once those habits stick, you are ready to do better.
Better
To recycle more than your curbside program allows, search the Earth911 recycling database to find a drop-off near you that accepts a wider range of plastics. Set aside a spot in your home or garage to collect those plastics until you have enough to make the trip worthwhile.
As plastic items wear out, replace them with versions made from longer-lasting materials. Browse thrift stores and vintage shops for the kinds of goods people used before plastic took over, and check sites like this one for new plastic-free products.
Tackle one use of plastic at a time: plastic wrap and other food storage containers; straws, toys, and shaving supplies. Pay attention to packaging, one of the biggest sources of household plastic. And try a few homemade cleaners to retire all those plastic bottles and tubs.
Best
By now, the habit that started with bringing your own bags has grown into buying bulk goods in your own reusable containers.
Avoiding plastic packaging entirely usually means stepping away from conventional grocery stores. For some people it also means changing how they eat, trading most prepared and packaged foods for whole ingredients bought in bulk at co-ops or farmers’ markets.
With your everyday habits in place, plan for the less ordinary moments too, like when you fly or host a party.
Going 100% plastic-free is probably impossible today. Plastic hides in places that are easy to miss, such as ballpoint pens and water filters. Some products have no plastic-free version yet, so you will face hard choices about where to make exceptions or do without. When you hit those walls, look for inspiration from people who have already built a sustainable, low-plastic life.
Read part three in this series: Good, Better, Best — Reducing Metal Waste
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on April 13, 2020, and was updated in June 2026.