14 plastic bottles can be turned into enough insulation for one ski jacket, and the average person goes through 13 bottles each month. If everyone properly recycled their plastic bottles, each person could insulate one ski jacket every 30 days! Instead of being tossed away, recyclables can now keep us warm. To be involved, you can make sure to properly recycle your bottles once they are empty, being careful to read any specific recycling instructions on the individual labels.

Besides plastic bottles, plastic bags are also an issue. One way you can reduce this problem is by bringing your own reusable bags when you go shopping. This may sound obvious, but if everyone brought their own bags, we could eliminate the 100 million plastic bags that get used in the U.S. every year. Non-reusable bags can end up in the ocean, harming marine species, or in landfills, where they could take up to 1,000 years to decompose.

Plastic is endangering the planet more than one might think, but there is still time to minimize its negative effects. Besides recycling bottles and investing in reusable bags, you can also purchase reusable Ziploc bags, buy foods that are in paper rather than plastic packaging, and store leftovers in Tupperware instead of plastic wrap. All the little efforts will eventually add up and can make a huge impact, aiding in the restoration of our planet!