Much like making a New Year’s resolution, Earth Day is a perfect time to make a pledge to be more mindful of our impact on the Earth.

My pledge will be to use less plastic.

Our landfills are filling up with plastics (only nine percent of plastic in our country gets recycled). Worse than that, our oceans are filling up with plastic. It is estimated that by 2050, plastic might outweigh fish in the ocean. This is our problem that needs our solution.

I pledge to avoid clam shell-style plastic packaging. Currently, clam shell plastic containers are not accepted for recycling. For instance I will buy my lettuce loose, versus in a non-recyclable plastic container.

I pledge to use my own water bottle, avoiding single-use plastic bottles.

I pledge to say “no thanks” to straws.

I pledge to support legislation that aims to reduce single-use plastics.

I’m using Earth Day to recommit to making our planet livable for generations to follow. Hoping you will too.

Susan Vossler

Kirkland