A few years ago I watched an
amazing series from
Vice magazine (<-- go watch it right now!) about "
garbage island," the huge floating mass of plastic floating in the Pacific Ocean. It was eye opening to say the least, and ever since then I have made a real effort to reduce my plastic usage. It's so easy to throw something away and forget about it since you'll never see it again. But every sandwich baggie, toothpaste cap, and Barbie that you ever threw away, still exists out there somewhere in some form. Some wastes we can't avoid as part of modern culture, but if we all reduce a little bit it can definitely make an impact.
If you checked out my guest post on
Nicole's blog, then you might have seen the post below it from Trisha from
veranellies. She wrote about plastics consumption, and a few easy ways that we can reduce our use. She started a 30 day plastic bag challenge, where we just say NO to plastic bags for 30 days. Brilliant! I would say that I'm already pretty good (usually) about toting my own bags, or else doing an awkward dance to try and carry all my stuff out of the grocery store. But if you still find yourself always forgetting your reusable bags at home or not even thinking about it until you feel the guilt pangs as the cashier puts one thing in a plastic bag, then start small and challenge yourself to say NO more plastic bags for a month!
On her own blog, Trisha posted a list of other plastics alternatives to consider (originally from the
Bag It movie website). Some of these I already do (saying no to plastic produce bags, buying from bulk bins), and some I would like to work on (making my own seltzer, making sure I choose phthalate free products). I'm going to use my 30 days to see what other plastic reducing I can do in my life. So, come on, join me! Whether it's remembering to grab that reusable bag, or filling up a reusable water bottle, let's do this thing! Oh, and
grab a button from Trisha and help spread the word.
A LIFE LESS PLASTIC
TEN ALTERNATIVES
1. Carry reusable shopping bags
Whether you're shopping for groceries, clothes or electronics, be sure to bring along the reusable bag(s) of your choice. Keep
them in your car so you don't forget to use them. We recommend the
Chico Bag—small
enough to fit in your pocket or purse!
2. Give up bottled water
By drinking your water from a glass jar or a
reusable bottle,
you
can help reduce the environmental costs associated with producing
bottled water and save money while you're at it. Unlike bottle water,
the
quality of your tap water is
regularly monitored by
your city. Click
here to learn more about your
local tap water supply.
3. Say no to plastic produce bags
Bagging your produce is generally unnecessary. If you do want a
separate bag for produce, cloth options are available. Some alternatives
are
EcoBags,
Acme produce bags
or making your own from old t-shirts.
4. Buy from bulk bins
You can find almost all dry foods, as well as some personal care
products, from bulk bins. If you can't find bulk bins in your
neighborhood,
you can still buy non-perishable goods in large packages, which will
decrease the amount of plastic used.
5. Make your own seltzer
When it comes to carbonated drinks, you can avoid high intakes of
high fructose corn syrup AND the need for purchasing disposable bottles
by
making your own seltzer. We recommend adding a splash of juice
to your homemade soda to create a delicious bubbly drink. Kids love it!
6. Pack food in reusable containers
Bring reusable containers to restaurants to take home your leftovers.
Ask the butcher or deli server at your grocery store to package your
food in your reusable container. Use them to pack your lunch, and don't
forget to carry along
reusable utensils. We
love these containers from
LunchBots and
Life Without Plastic.
7. Choose milk in returnable glass bottles
Many communities have local dairies that provide milk in returnable
glass bottles rather than plastic or plastic-coated cardboard. All
cardboard
milk containers are coated inside and out with plastic, not wax. Check
out local dairies in your area to see if this is offered, or ask them to
start
a co-op.
8. Use bar soap and shampoo
Make the change from liquid to bar! Try
Lush shampoo bar,
Chagrin Valley shampoo bars,
Burt's Bees, or
J.R. Liggett's Old Fashioned shampoo bar.
9. Choose lotions and lip balms in plastic-free containers
Organic Essence
is packaging its body lotions in compostable cardboard jars
and its lip balms in ingenious cardboard tubes that squeeze from the
end. There are also lotion bars and lip balms and glosses that come in
glass or metal
containers. Or you can even
make your own products.
10. Make sure your personal care products are phthalate-free
Phthalates, which are plasticizers, have become standard as additives
to scented products because they help fragrances last longer.
But research has shown reasons to be concerned about
the impact of phthalates on our health .
Use
this list to find phthalate-free products
