Reducing Plastic Consumption

[MidnightCafe]

Since last autumn, Mane has been on a mission to learn more about the impact of plastic on the world and find alternatives to plastic products and packaging whenever possible. I'm on board with her desire to do this. So, we've made a few changes in our household since then. I'm interested in knowing what others have done and in suggestions for a couple of specific areas.

First, here's what we've done:
- Use our own shopping bags 100% of the time (or no bag at all if we forget ours at home). We've used our own bags for years, but not 100%.
- Stop using plastic produce bags at the grocery store.
- Buy food from the bulk bins whenever possible. Again, we've often done this, but we're getting more faitfhful about it.
- Opt for food brands with non-plastic packaging whenever possible.
- Switch to shampoo & conditioner from the bulk bins at our co-op.
- Switch to bar soap for hand soap. We have LOVED this switch. There's so much to choose from! We can get new scents, local products, handmade, etc... We purchased a vintage ceramic soap dish from the thrift store. ...And bar soaps last forever!!
- Use re-fillable beverage containers or purchase beverages only in glass or compost-able cups when we're out.
- Stop buying canned goods unless we're sure cans are not lined with BPA.
- Use compost-able kitchen trash bags for the kitchen trash can.

Next, I need suggestions for:
- Non-plastic children's summertime outdoor toys. My Bible study group comes over once a week in the summer. The kids play outside, often in water. I'm sadly lacking in toys since my kids are 14+. I don't want to purchase plastic. I don't have a lot of money, but I *do* have some pretty great local thrift shops.

- We need to clean up our camping act! This is the one time when we use plastic water bottles and ziploc storage bags.

We're looking into non-plastic water coolers. Anyone with experience? I'm hesitant to carry a big water cooler. We usually buy packs of water bottles when camping for drinking water. None of us can handle drinking non-filtered water from the campgrounds. Last year we switched to buying gallon jugs, and that's less plastic and less space than a water cooler...but it's still plastic. Maybe instead of a water cooler, we should opt for a filter? Anyone with experience there?

For the storage bag issue: We often freeze meals ahead of time for camping, and we bring plastic bags for storing things in the cooler. I've been saving plastic containers that are of useful size and shape whenever we *do* get food that's packaged in plastic...but, as mentioned, we're trying to reduce how often that happens. Glass is SO HEAVY (and doesn't freeze well) and stainless is expensive. Any other ideas?

Finally, what have YOU done? We love hearing what others have done to reduce plastic consumption, and we're looking for things we might have missed.

[Little Forest]

Neat and good on your DD!

I do most of that but still so hard to avoid it. There is a super neat store nearby called Wasteless Pantry where you can take your own containers in to fill. I am trying to use that store more for what I can.

Waldorf style toys are made of natural materials and avoid plastic on purpose. For low cost, kindies have little baskets full
of sea shells, pine cones, and wood cuttings that can be stacked, etc. Other handmade toys can get pricy. But if you search that you can come up with some inspiration perhaps.
Posted via Mobile Device

[WaitPatientlyOnTheLord]

Way to go!! We're working hard to eliminate or reduce plastic too. We use bronze baking or jello molds that we got second hand for playing in the sand. Like these. I see them in thrift stores all the time.http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-VINTAGE-JE...wAAOSwk5FUyuEO then we also use real, hand sized, garden tools to dig with. I think the sell metal and wooden ones at the dollar store. For water play, I recommend a metal feed trough. They come in all sizes. We had one much larger than a bath tub that we resold recently. We'll probably get a smaller one. I've also seen cute upcycled water and sand tables made from cast off metal sinks and old pallet wood. Check Pinterest.

Good luck!

[mamacat]

Another way to look at it as far as the outside toys go is if you are buying used molded plastic stuff you are recycling and the older toys have already had time to outgas. Ive noticed the older little tyke type toys are a harder plastic than the newer ones seem to be.We use mason jars and get those Pyrex type sets with lids for food storage. You can do things like asking for one of those big soda bottles, poking holes in it attaching garden house to it and looping it up high over branch or clothesline to make an outdoor play shower

[MidnightCafe]

We're not entirely opposed to purchasing used plastic. However, our intent in reducing plastic is multi-faceted, and one intent is to demonstrate that life with less plastic is possible. While the immediate harmful health effects of plastic are definitely of concern to us, the continued production of plastic that will ALL eventually end up as waste is also a significant concern. We're not sure what role second-hand stores play in "encouraging" the production of plastics. Maybe none. I'm not sure. If there was not a market for plastics, used or otherwise, would production eventually decrease? Maybe it's only the new products market that matters? That's an economics question I should explore.

A friend of mine just suggested used metal pots & pans & a wooden crate for outside toys. Her kids enjoy pretending to cook outside, and they use a crate turned on its side as a play stove/oven.

[WaitPatientlyOnTheLord]

I recently read this article on freezing without plastic. It was helpful.http://www.treehugger.com/green-food...t-plastic.html.

I purchased several commercial stainless steel pans that can go from freezer to oven to stream table. I got 10 used ones on eBay for like 40 bucks or something. I highly recommend them as "plastic lite" as the lids are plastic. I still need to order lids for mine, so far I've been using seran wrap. well, there are metal lids but those wouldn't work in the freezer. Anyways, I love them.They are incredibly durable, they stack inside of each other really well and my set of ten barely takes up more room than my single glass Pyrex casserole dish. They are also light weight. I got the half pan size, but they come in a wide range of sizes and capacities. Hers the kids of pan I'm referring to:http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-COMMERCIAL...gAAOSwQjNW~EZE

[Dandelion]

I love your and your daughter's thoughtfulness. I go through phases of trying more or less with reducing our plastic consumption. This might motivate me to try harder again.

Freezing is definitely a challenge for me. I would love to follow your journey as you continue to brainstorm and reduce.

[Michele123]

I freeze stuff in my glass containers with silicone lids (Pyrex). Why can't you freeze in glass?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Singingmom]

Maybe you can find a croquet set at a second hand shop. If the kids are old enough, those are a lot of fun. Sidewalk chalk is great if you have a spot for it. Homemade bubble solution in glass jars...maybe not safe though...what could you store bubbles in that won't break or spill out? I'm enjoying your thoughtful questions and answers.

[Dandelion]

Why can't you freeze in glass?

I do freeze in glass, but I have had a lot of glass break when it was frozen. I think it happens mostly when frozen containers bang together so I try to be extra careful where I place things in the freezer. But I also find that glass just isn't practical when freezing loads of stuff.

[Michele123]

Huh. I've frozen lots of things in my Pyrex glass bowls and never had anything break. Interesting


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[kiloyd]

I use re-usable shopping bags probably 90% of the time. I still use plastic grocery bags for the bathroom trash cans and when I scoop the litter box.

I don't buy bottled water. I have a Brita filter at home. We have stainless steel water bottles to take out.

I have glass storage containers. Still some plastic too though. I usually use the glass storage containers for leftovers, instead of zipper bags.

[MidnightCafe]

On the glass question: I believe pyrex is made for the freezer. Glass jars are not, and I've had several friends tell me their horror stories of breaking glass in the freezer or upon taking it out of the freezer. I would never, ever freeze things in glass that I intended to take camping. 1) the glass would get jostled around in the cooler, and 2) glass is just too heavy for camping.

I believe you can freeze in the stainless containers that have the stainless lids with a silicone gasket to make it airtight. (Just found those yesterday...not ready to invest yet. ...but my birthday is coming....)

It JUST occurred to me that we could take a Britta pitcher (or something similar) camping. Then we don't need a huge water cooler OR bottled water in order to get clean-tasting water. (We're water snobs. We have an under sink reverse osmosis filter for drinking water at home. It's *really* hard to drink water away from home.) Since we're not backpacking, this should work just fine for us.

I love the idea of getting a croquet set. Unfortunately the kids who are coming are mostly toddlers & preschoolers.

Mane & I spent a good chunk of the morning yesterday reading lifewithoutplastic.com. That was a super fun rabbit trail!

---------- Post added at 09:14 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:41 AM ----------

Originally Posted by Dandelion

I love your and your daughter's thoughtfulness.

We spent some time talking about callings/mission/purpose a few months ago, and she told me that she feels that she's called to do something about the environment. She understands that the environmental issues are tied up with health and social justice for people. She's also very interested in writing. So, we're beginning to explore some environmental writing - Annie Dillard, Rachel Carson, Henry David Thoreau, and Barbara Kingsolver. She also listened to chunks of Grandma Gatewood's Walk on audio with me.

[greengirl19]

Life without plastic is a very inspiring place to start! I'm on their email list and have seen ideas I never ever would have thought of!

Bean bags for yard games! I've made my own beans bags out of old jeans, throw at an old sheet with targets drawn on it.

[MidnightCafe]

Oh, BEANBAGS!! Of course! Why didn't I think of that?