Clearing Out Plastic – A Few More Ideas

Now that I am on a mission to clear out plastic – I’m finding it’s NOT easy – I see evidence daily of plastic in my home.  I’m seeing it in places where I’ve not observed before.  I thought I’d share a couple of new ideas for keeping plastic out of our environment.  Have you started the process yet?

Here’s one – Q-Tips.  Did you notice this one?  I guess I did but didn’t realize that little blue or pink strip between the cotton ends is PLASTIC my friends!  How can we still clean our ears and un-smudge our mascara?  Purchase the Q-Tips with the paper center – recyclable!  You can also find bamboo ear spoons if this is the main reason you buy Q-Tips.  Don’t forget using swabs in our ears can be dangerous  – so please do not be sticking anything down into your ear canal.

As I was reorganizing my cupboard I noticed that rice, beans, pasta, nuts, etc…all come wrapped or bagged in plastic.  An area where it could be more difficult to stay away from plastic.  Then I had a thought – buy these products in bulk when possible!  In the stores where I shop they offer paper bags in which to carry your bulk purchases.  Bingo!

If buying those products in bulk is not an option I’ll buy them in cardboard boxes if possible and forgo the plastic.  Items like nuts, cereals, granola, grains , flour, nut butters, rice and beans can usually be found in bulk though and my next goal is to begin to buy said items this way.  It will also cut down on waste since I can select only what I need for two people.

I will be traveling in the near future and I promise you I won’t buy a plastic bottle of water when I get through security at the airport.  No, No, No – I will carry my own stainless steel water bottle and fill it up on the other side.  Now you may say, “all airports don’t have the filling station for that bottle”.  And you are right not all airports offer this service but it sure is handy when they do!  Here is how I get around that obstacle.  I take my bottle, go up to the bartender at the nearest bar (these are not hard to find in the airport) and nicely request him or her to fill my bottle with water.  I have never been turned down!

If you are a brown bagger, you know taking your lunch instead of eating out while at work, there is no need for plastic cutlery.  We all have non-plastic utensils at home.  If you are concerned that your good utensils won’t make it back home pick up a set or two of cheap ones at a rummage or yard sale and either carry them with or leave them in your desk. You’ll never be without a fork, spoon or knife this way.

And my last tip for today.  Plastic toothbrushes.  YUCK!  Bamboo is the answer.  A bamboo toothbrush will need to be replaced regularly as does a plastic one.  The difference?  The handle of a bamboo toothbrush will biodegrade back into the environment in about 6 months whereas a plastic one will NEVER biodegrade back into our environment.  Nope, it will live on forever.  So sad…..

Photo – Greenpeace