Plastic Free July 2017 Recap

| 2018 |

This July is looking pretty hectic, but in a good way! In addition to being in the final stages of wedding planning, we have lots of plans with family and friends to look forward to! I want to be fair to myself and to you, so this year I will not be committing to posting one plastic-free tip each day in July. Instead, you can see the recap of last year's tips here. Happy Plastic-Free July!

Switch to a reusable water bottle instead of using a single-use plastic one!

Even paper cups have a plastic lining that makes them inefficiently recyclable and non-compostable. There are SO many different reusable cups out there! Stash one in your car or desk drawer for those days you forget to grab one from home. Pro-tip: leave one by your keys so you’re less likely to forget!

I know it can be a challenge to remember to bring your own bags – it took me a while too! A few things that really helped me form the habit were: 1. After your shopping trip, leave your bags by your keys or the door so you remember to put them back in your car, 2. Make yourself go back to the car when you’re in the store and realize you forgot them in the trunk (after a few times, you’d be surprised how you suddenly start remembering!), and 3. Invest in some bags that are compact & convenient – the ones I use are ChicoBag (pictured) and BagPodz, but there are so many more out there!

“No straw please!” – three little words to tack onto the end of your drink order that can make a huge impact! Plastic straws are a leading contributor to plastic pollution and harmful to marine life. Skip the straw to save a sea turtle! If going strawless isn’t for you, check out some of the many reusable straws out there, such as metal, bamboo, or glass!

Does anyone actually enjoy using plastic utensils? Skip these single-use disposables by bringing your own cutlery with you! You don’t have to carry around a full set from your kitchen drawer (though you could) – you can opt for a compact spork or travel utensils! They’re much more pleasant to eat with AND help reduce plastic waste/pollution!

Know you’ll be eating out or grabbing takeout? Stash a container in your bag to use instead of disposable to-go boxes! Best part is, you don’t have to wait for your server to pack up your leftovers – just plop them in your container, pay your bill, and go! And depending on your container, you probably won’t even have to transfer your food to another dish when it’s time to enjoy it again!

Plastic toothbrushes are another item that somehow end up in places they don’t belong – try using a bamboo toothbrush instead! When it’s time to replace, just pull out & throw out the bristles, & compost the brush!

Conventional razors are overpriced and chock full of plastic! Stainless steel safety razors provide you with a close shave that’s even suitable for those sensitive parts! The best part is they’re ridiculously cheaper than regular razors are – the handle can be pricey ($25+), but that’s a one-time investment, and the blades can be purchased $10 for a pack of 100. When it’s time to replace my blade, I collect the used one in a jar that will be brought to a scrap metal recycler when full!

Say goodbye to your toxin-laden disposable pads and tampons: switch to a reusable silicone menstrual cup! I know you may be thinking that cups are probably gross and messy, but trust me, they’re not – they are a total life changer! Cups are better for your health, environment, and your wallet! Looking for more reusable options? There are reusable pads and tampons, and absorbent period panties available as well.

Instead of replacing your shower curtain liner with another plastic one, look for a reusable, washable cloth curtain! Cotton, hemp, and linen are ideal materials, as they’re natural fibers, but there are other fabrics available as well. When it’s starting to get yucky, just toss it in the wash! Personally I recommend having two so you always have one in use while the other is soaking and washing.

Your toilet brush may not be something you think about, or even something you replace often, but chances are, the one in your bathroom is made of some sort of plastic. Of course, use the one you have until the need for replacement arises, but when that time comes, look for a wooden toilet brush with natural bristles, which can be composted at the end of its useful life!

Each year, we send enough disposable coffee pods to the landfill to circle the earth multiple times. They aren’t efficiently recyclable, and few people would actually bother to take the pods apart to do so, as that would defeat the convenience! Instead, ditch them altogether. If you or your workplace only have a pod machine, bring your own refillable one and some ground coffee! I used to keep a reusable pod, a jar of ground coffee (from the bulk section!), and an empty jar for used grinds (to be composted) in my desk drawer when my workplace only offered a pod machine. Yes, it’s a little extra work, but well worth it when one considers the high cost of the convenient alternative. Also keep in mind the fact that pod machines are often costly or otherwise impossible to repair, rendering them useless and a bulky addition to the landfill when broken.

One thing you may notice when looking in your trash bin is that packaging is a big offender, especially food packaging. One way to reduce food packaging waste is by bringing your own container to the bulk bin section of your local health food store, or anywhere else you may find package-free items!

Have you noticed how nowadays so much of the produce section is overpackaged? Combat this wasteful practice by choosing loose, unpackaged produce and/or shopping at the farmers’ market! And don’t forget your cloth produce bags!

Instead of a plastic scrubbie pad for your pots and pans, opt for a metal stainless steel or copper one that can be recycled at the end of its useful life!

Say goodbye to yucky plastic sponges and say hello to cotton sponges that you can toss in the laundry! Enjoy the feeling of having a fresh, plastic-free sponge every day!

Switch out those dish plastic brushes for natural, compostable ones instead!

Cling wrap is both frustrating and wasteful! Beeswax wraps are great for wrapping food or covering bowls! You could even try making vegan wraps using candelia wax!

Whatever your access situation is, you can opt for products packaged in metal, glass, and paper over plastic! Paper is both recyclable and compostable, and metal and glass are infinitely recyclable, and the more people purchase and recycle glass, the higher the demand for it will be and the more valuable glass will become to recycling facilities and manufacturers!

Did you know that most disposable tea bags are made of a plastic-infused material? Skip the plastic toxins and opt for loose leaf tea and a metal infuser instead!

Skip the disposable plastic or plastic-coated paper plates and opt for classic reusable tableware for your daily needs!

Not only do many personal care products come packaged in plastic, but they also come full of concerning ingredients. Know what you’re putting on your body and eliminate the packaging by making your own!

Just like personal care products, many cleaners come packaged in plastic and contain harmful ingredients. Instead, use natural items like vinegar, baking soda, lemon, and castile soap to cover all your bases!

Just like personal care products, many cleaners come packaged in plastic and contain harmful ingredients. Instead, use natural items like vinegar, baking soda, lemon, and castile soap to cover all your bases!

Just like microbeads, microfibers that shed from synthetic material in the washing machine are polluting our waterways and causing a big mess up the food chain. While we urge for industry to find an upstream solution to this problem, a few things within our control are doing our best to select items that are made out of natural fibers instead of synthetic ones, like cotton, hemp, linen, and wool, using fiber-catching inventions, and installing a filtration system on our washing machines.

If you’re not ready to give up meat, fish, and dairy altogether, try bringing your own container to the butcher and deli counters to be filled in order to avoid the styrofoam trays or possibly-plastic-lined butcher paper!

If your family drinks dairy milk, look for milk sold in returnable glass bottles instead of plastic jugs or hard-to-recycle cartons! For non-dairy milk, try making your own nut milk with package-free nuts from the bulk section! Allergic to nuts? Give DIY coconut or oat milk a shot!

Instead of buying toilet paper that’s wrapped in plastic, look for rolls that are individually wrapped in paper! If you can get your family on board with family cloth or install a bidet attachment on your toilet, that’s even better!

Ditch the tangles of plastic dental floss and consider a water flosser that can be used over and over again! If water flossing isn’t your thing, there are other options out there for you to explore too, such as thread or dental sticks!

Beating the heat with an icy cold treat? Opt for a cone instead of a cup!

My final PFJ tip is to make more from scratch. Sometimes there are things that we just can’t find package free, and when that happens, one option we have is to go back to basics and make them ourselves. Now, of course it isn’t realistic to make EVERY item we can’t find without packaging, but I guarantee there are a few that you can work into your routine! It even helps to use cooking as a means of spending quality time with loved ones! One item we try to avoid buying packaged is tortillas. They’re really easy to make, but a bit time consuming – but making them together makes it a breeze!