And so it began. I phased out all plastic food containers in our kitchen, traded plastic cooking utensils for bamboo, started buying peanut butter, maple syrup, mayo, juice, cooking oil, spices, spaghetti sauce and anything else I could find in glass, kept and reused all the empty jars from those products (my version of tupperware), started baking my own bread, refused all plastic shopping bags in favor of my own reusables, bought the chitlins stainless steel thermoses for their lunch, switched from bath poufs to natural sea sponges, pencils instead of pens, cardboard binders instead of vinyl, cardboard egg cartons, skip the straw and lid, use string or rubber bands in place of tape, bought myself a Diva cup and Lunapads for my daughter, generally try to avoid plastic packaging and on and on. This is a relatively short list and there is still much more we could do.
If anyone has successfully weaned themselves off Ziploc sandwich bags and plastic wrap please comment about it! It is going to be a struggle for my family. I use freezer bags to portion our vegetable purees and cut up chicken, store berries and morels, hold the chitlins' pancakes and waffles, and keep a supply of meatballs and individual portions of dough for breadsticks on hand. There is also a plastic bag of flaxseed meal, individually wrapped fruit pops, and three bins I use to organize our meats in there. It is a practical plastic explosion!
Other areas on the "hit list":
2 liter bottles of soda
vinegar gallons
dishwasher detergent
laundry detergent
garbage bags
yogurt, sour cream, milk containers
plastic wrapped cheese
organic sugar, brown sugar, confectioner's sugar and pasta in plastic bags
plastic produce bags
styrofoam meat trays
shampoo & conditioner bottles
plastic packs of cotton balls & q-tips
floss
mouthwash
toilet paper sealed in plastic
plastic packaging!
2009 looks to be a year of change. While Obama is clearing the White House cabinet, I too, will be clearing my white house cabinets. Life less plastic makes me feel fantastic!
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7 comments:
Great job! We've been working on that as well. It's tough, isn't it? We buy the occasional plastic container, but only if the item is not available in glass or in bulk. And we only buy plastic that can be recycled. My hubby loves cereal and we do have the bags that his cereal comes in. I try to re-use those as wax paper in the freezer, but you can only use so much. We do end up throwing some plastics away, but it's few and far between these days. It's a constant battle.
I dream of being able to buy everything we need in bulk (so I can use my own containers). Someday.....
Wow you've really eliminated a lot of plastic. Giving up the baggies was one of my first less plastic changes, but I wish I could do better on the groceries. I do have a store nearby that sells bulk items for some things we use, but I don't have any suitable containers to put it in to bring it home- and their scales aren't set to let us tare for our own containers anyway.
And why does just about every brand of pasta in boxes have plastic windows. Totally not needed. I've been thinking of writing letters to the manufacturers like Beth does. I hope I can be as articulate!
Kel
You are an absolute inspiration! We too are struggling to eliminate plastic. I found a glass insert for my Yogourmet yogourt maker to replace the plastic one. I've also found these incredible KeepEez lids that can adhere to any container, like a regular glass bowl, for storage. Although it is plastic, it is reused over and over (it has a year warranty) and saves me from using cellophane or foil.
Thanks for a great post and I will keep watching to see if you find a solution to replace ziplocs in the freezer.
Ziplocs in the freezer is a hard one. We usually use them on ski tripsin the winter too, so I'm not sure what we'll do this year. We don't use plastic wrap anymore though, just plastic containers.
Your pantry looks good!
I have a question about vinegar gallons. What are you going to do instead? I use vinegar all the time (cleaning and cooking), and I can't find it in anything but plastic. On the plus side, it is curb side pick up for us.
Heather - Yes, it is hard. I totally forgot about the bag in cereal boxes! Need to add that to the "hit list" as well.
Slice of Pie - What's the point of selling bulk if people can't bring their own containers? Too bad! I hear you on the spaghetti boxes. Doesn't everyone know what spaghetti looks like? You should write a letter, or call. Make your voice heard!
Jenni - Thank you! How do you like your yogurt maker? Since yogurt is on my "hit list" I have been looking into making our own, but don't know where to start. I think I have seen those lids on tv. We just use a larger plate or bowl as lids. Good for stacking in the fridge, too.
Jen - So far the only solution I see to the vinegar gallons is buying smaller amounts in glass. I'm afraid it is going to be a costly one. I use vinegar for everything too: laundry, cleaning, dishwasher, windows... I wonder what Beth does?
Sounds like you're making great progress with your plastic elimination. I'm totally with you on trying to cut back, especially on disposable plastics, but I'm still using the non-bpa plastics that I already own (like Tupperware, etc). I've found that, for freezer bags/ziplocs, I can wash and reuse them pretty easily. I'll pitch out bags that held raw meats, but berry bags are fair game for reuse. I also use lots of thrift-stored plasticware to keep in the freezer. I find them easier to stack and keep tidy, rather than bags, anyway.
Good luck with your efforts!
I made yogurt for the first time following this recipe http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/10/you-can-make-yogurt-in-your-crockpot.html
didnt even have to buy any special equipment and only one container of yogurt for starter. I tried using the gelatin to thicken it up and did it wrong & ended up with clumps. Only DD complained.
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