Avoid use of plastic in holiday events

Please consider the environment when planning holiday celebrations and shopping. Household waste increases 25 percent from Thanksgiving to Christmas.

A new major study published recently and reported in the Daily Herald, estimates that every one of us has contributed at least 700 pieces of plastic to our oceans. Thanks to us, there are 5 trillion pieces of plastic, weighing more than 250,000 tons, floating in our oceans.

Although we live in the Midwest, our plastic garbage can make its way into our lakes and rivers, which can lead to our oceans. Have you seen our roadsides lately, especially across the street from Countryside Landfill in Grayslake?

Small steps can be taken to help stop the flow that makes up this plastic soup. Please use reusable bags when shopping. Consider buying gifts that do not come overly packaged in plastic. Take a pass on the plastic utensils, plates and cups for your holiday feast. Do not buy plastic water bottles when on the go while shopping; bring a reusable bottle.

And that paper coffee cup you got in the drive-through lane? It contains plastic, too.

Please try to avoid single-use plastic altogether. Small steps made by you can make a difference. Please be the change in this throwaway, addicted-to-convenience world. Thank you.

Abby Goldberg

Grayslake