How can we reduce plastic?

Reduce, reuse, and recycle + Rethink, Revise.

Reduce: Decide what you really need, not just what you want. Think carefully before you buy, plan ahead. Does it really need to be made out of plastic, are there no other options?

Reuse: Is there another use for this when you've finished its original use; if not, perhaps you can find a choice that can be reused or at least be sure that it can be recycled.

Recycle: Use as many commodities that can be recycled in some way; either you will reuse it yourself or it is appropriate for public recycling. Don't be lazy, especially when you find plastic object (bags, bottles, etc) as litter. Pick it up and dispose of it in the most environmentally responsible way you have available. Plastics left in the environment do not decompose, they eventually find their way into the watershed, streams and rivers, then eventually into the ocean (Ref: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, and the new one forming in the Atlantic).

Rethink and Revise: Do many aspects of your lifestyle lend themselves or create the need to use plastics unnecessarily? Do you really need to take a new bottle of water or juice to the little league game? Do you really need to buy a new bottle for window cleaner or drain cleaner? Most window cleaning products are a mixture of water, ammonia, and a non-sudsing detergent; perhaps you can make your own and reuse that spray bottle for years to come. Have you ever learned how to use a plunger or a snake; trust me, they're not that hard. If you use them regularly as needed you should never need to buy a bottle of chemicals to pour down the drain. If it needs more than these, you probably need a plumberl. There are at least a hundred different things the average family depends on plastic to do; I guarantee that if you think about it, your really don't need that or there is an alternate.