The List (Last updated 02/09/2009)

One of the readers of this blog, Carol, asked me for a list of non-plastic alternatives I have found to get her started. So I thought maybe it was time for a summary of all the changes I've made to date.

This will be an ongoing list that I'll update as I find new ways to reduce my plastic consumption. (You all know how much I enjoy making lists!) I'm organizing it in order of easy changes that make a big impact to smaller, more specific efforts. I'll place a link to this post on the sidebar for future reference.

So, without further ado, here's the list so far:

1. Avoid the worst plastics: Polyvinyl Chloride (#3 PVC), Polystyrene (#6 PS), & Polycarbonate (#7 Other). PVC is found in many, many products and causes a whole host of environmental problems. Read my post about the problems of PVC. PS contains styrene, which is toxic to the brain and nervous system. PC contains BPA. Read more about BPA here. If you must use plastic, make sure it's not #3, #6, or #7 polycarbonate. (Note: #7 is a catch-all for many types of plastic that doesn't fit into the first six categories. Biodegradable plastic is also labeled #7. So when in doubt, ask.)


2. Carry my own reusable grocery bags. I'm a backpack girl, so often I can avoid plastic grocery bags simply by putting purchases in my backpack. But I also carry canvas totes as well as Nylon ChicoBags which come with their own convenient stuff sack attached. If you have a car, keep your grocery bags in it and remember to bring them into the store with you!


3. Stopped using plastic produce bags. Actually, I'd stopped using most produce bags long before beginning this project because they always seemed unnecessary. What are we worried about? That our produce will touch other produce? I think the apples and broccoli can get along without killing each other. Or is it that the produce will get dirty? Hey, it grew in the dirt. and we're going to wash it anyway, right?


4. Carry reusable produce and bulk bags. This step eliminates all the remaining plastic bags. I carry organic cotton eco-bags in my backpack with me at all times because I never know when I might need to shop. The cotton bags are great for keeping produce fresh if you dampen them before putting them in the refrigerator. (I do not use Evert Fresh green bags, for reasons I've explained in this post.) I also use these cotton bags for small produce items like tiny potatoes, green beans, cherries, as well as dry bulk goods like flour and pasta.
   


5. Carry a travel mug with me at all times for coffee and other drinks while out in the world. Besides the plastic lid and plastic straw, paper cups are lined with a plastic coating. In an emergency, if I need to drink and didn't have my mug, I've gotten in the habit of requesting "no lid and no straw."


6. Stopped drinking bottled water and bottled soda. Now, I fill up my stainless steel Klean Kanteen bottle with filtered tap water before leaving the house and refill it wherever I happen to be. Got a Soda Club Penguin soda maker for those times I crave some fizz.
   


7. Return the green plastic tomato baskets to the farmer's market. One reader asked what I do about cherry tomatoes or berries since they can get crushed in a cotton bag. I buy them at the farmer's market in the green plastic basket that I return to the farmer each week for a refill, so I never have to take new ones.


8. Stopped buying plastic water filter cartridges. We had our water tested to find out if we even needed to be filtering it in the first place. Turns out, our Oakland water is fine without a filter. So we can avoid plastic water filter cartridges from now on. For those who do need to filter their water, Brita has teamed up with Preserve to create a way to recycle the plastic cartridges. Here are the details: http://www.brita.com/us/support/filter-recycling/


9. Carry reusable utensils & glass drinking straws in my backpack. I bought this cute little To-Go-Ware utensil set and added a couple of GlassDharma drinking straws. There are also stainless steel travel utensils as well as just plain old cutlery. Why not put a few in your purse, backpack, or briefcase?


10. Brought my own tableware, glass, and utensils to keep at the office. This way, I can avoid all the disposable cups, plates, and cutlery in the lunchroom.


11. When ordering online (which I'm trying to do less and less of), try to include a message to the seller requesting zero plastic or Styrofoam packaging. When this doesn't work, I've started to send back unwanted plastic packaging with a letter of explanation. And I send back unwanted plastic I receive unsolicited in the mail or on my doorstep.


12. Reuse plastic window envelopes that come through the mail for my own outgoing mail. Or send them back with a note requesting to be removed from the mailing list. I'm on a quest to get off of as many paper mailing lists as possible this year.
    


13. Buy from bulk bins as much as possible. As I've mentioned before, we have some great bulk food stores here in the Bay Area (Rainbow, Berkeley Bowl, Whole Foods, for example) and I can get almost all dry foods as well as some personal care products from the bulk bins. These foods include rice and other grains, pasta, beans, seeds, nuts, all kinds of flour, baking soda and other dry baking ingredients, cereal and granola, pretzels and chips, some candy, tofu, oils, nut butters, olives, herbs, tea & coffee, and more things than I can think of right now. The key is bringing my own reusable bags and containers with me to the store. But even if you live in an area that does not have bulk food stores, you can still buy non-perishable goods in large size packages, which will decrease the amount of plastic used overall.


14. Reuse all the containers that I can. I especially love glass pasta sauce jars but I also save plastic tubs and bottles from products I bought before this project began. Plastic containers are okay to reuse as long as you don't put hot or fatty foods into them. Mostly, I use them for dry grains and beans.


15. Use stainless steel or glass containers in the freezer. I found these great flat-topped airtight stainless steel containers from a company called Life Without Plastic. You gotta love that! I also use Anchor glass refrigerator containers which have glass lids and zero plastic.
    


16. Do household cleaning using white vinegar (which comes in a glass bottle), baking soda (which I buy in bulk), Dr. Bronner's liquid soap (which comes in 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles) and a few essential oils. Baking soda is awesome as an alternative to any kind of scouring powder. I cleaned my refrigerator with it the other day and was amazed how effective it is. I use a mixture of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water as an all-purpose spray cleaner (storing it in a reused spray bottle) and produce wash. I'm using the Bronner's to wash the dishes, but I think I may have ruined it with too much lemon juice. (Does the lemon juice cancel out the soap?) So next time I'll just add a few drops of a citrus essential oil and see if it works better.


17. Use Ecover laundry powder and powdered dishwasher detergent. The laundry powder comes in a cardboard box with a recycled cardboard scoop. No plastic.


18. Switched to compressed natural cellulose sponges for cleaning dishes (instead of synthetic) and other natural scrubbers and brushes. Compressed sponges are often sold without any plastic packaging because they don't need to be kept moist. They expand when wet. Recently I've discovered Skoy cloths which are made from cotton and cellulose, work like a cloth but absorb like a sponge, and can take the place of 15 rolls of paper towels.


19. Gave up all frozen convenience foods except one local ice cream and veggies that come in a cardboard box. This was a hard one. I agonized for a while over which brands of frozen meals used the best containers, but in the end there was just no sound alternative. They all use plastic. I do still buy Straus ice cream because it's organic, local, and uses the least plastic possible. In general, the more we limit our consumption of frozen convenience foods, the less plastic waste we'll generate.


20. Choose mainly plastic-free pet products for my cats:
    • SwheatScoop cat litter is made from wheat and comes in a paper bag. My cats don't like it as well as World's Best Cat Litter (which comes in a plastic bag) so right now I rotate brands.
    
    
    • Purrfect Play makes beautiful all-natural toys made from wool and catnip.
    
    
    • Instead of buying new plastic litter boxes and cat carrier boxes, I found used ones on Craigslist and from thrift stores.
    
    
    • Found a bamboo/sissal scratching post instead of synthetic carpet and cardboard cat scratchers.
    
    
    • Learned how to make their cat food from scratch instead of buying BPA-lined cans that come shrink-wrapped in plastic or dry food in bags lined with plastic.


21. When a plastic item breaks, try to repair it instead of buying a new one. I'm trying to conserve as many of the tools and appliances that I already own instead of allowing them to become obsolete or chucking them when they break.


22. As much as possible, get what I need from second-hand stores, or Freecycle, or Craigslist or borrowing. Car-sharing. Tool-lending. I have no problem acquiring second-hand plastic. I think it's always good to give things as many uses as possible before sending them to the landfill or recycling center. I also look for items made from recycled plastic, for the same reason. Here's a partial list of plastic items I've acquired second hand since my plastic project began:
    • Plastic cat litter box and cat carrier
    • Computer monitor when my old one broke and couldn't be repaired
    • Crock pot
    • Power strips


23. Avoid products sold in liquid form when a solid alternative is available. By doing this, I can reduce the need for plastic bottles and containers. For example,
    • Instead of liquid hand soap, I use bar soap
    • Instead of liquid shampoo in bottles, I use the no-poo method of baking soda and apple cider vinegar. If that seems too hard-core, there are solid shampoo bars (Brands I've tried are Lush shampoo bar, Burt's Bees Rosemary Mint shampoo bar, and J.R. Liggett's Old Fashioned shampoo bar)
    • Instead of deodorant in a plastic container, I use baking soda applied to dry underarms with a powder puff. It really works! Another alternative is Lush solid container-free deodorant.
    • Instead of canned shave gel, I use soap. There are shave soaps especially made for that purpose (Simmons, Williams) but I've found that any rich soap bar will do.
    • Instead of hand cream, I use a hand lotion bar or make my own.
      
    
    
24. Switched from a plastic Venus razor to a second hand safety razor I found in an antique store. More on the razor and the blades here.


25. Use a Preserve toothbrush & toothpaste in aluminum tube. Preserve toothbrushes are made from recycled plastic and are recyclable by sending them back to the company. I tried brushing with baking soda but found it too abrasive, so actually went back to toothpaste in a tube. Right now, I'm choosing Tom's of Maine toothpaste which comes in an aluminum tube (albeit with plastic cap) and can be recycled. The tube does have its drawbacks. But I try to use a tiny amount each time to make it last. More info here.


26. Make my own homemade mouth wash and homemade lotion to avoid yet another plastic bottle.


27. Make my own condiments. Most are not difficult. This year, I've made my own chocolate syrup, mayonnaise, mustard, and plan to make my own ketchup once the stuff in the plastic squeeze bottle is used up. I also squeeze fresh lemon and lime juice and keep it in glass jars in the refrigerator. And we make our own hummus, either from dried chick peas or from the dry mix in the bulk bin at Whole Foods.
    
    
28. Olive oil lube! Who'd have guessed?


29. Switched to buying cases of Seventh Generation recycled individually wrapped toilet paper. It's recycled, plastic-free, and I can get a great deal on it through Amazon.com.


30. Try to choose only wine bottled in glass with natural cork stoppers. This is kind of a trial and error project since you can't see the stopper until you open the bottle. But I am keeping a list of wines and the types of stoppers they have for future reference. If you haven't already, please read this post about endangered cork forests and why it's important to support them.


31. Buy fresh artisanal bread which comes in paper bags. Yes, it's a bit more expensive. But to me, it's worth it. And since I'm buying so few new things these days, I can afford to spend more for quality, plastic-free food.


32. Make my own yogurt without a yogurt maker!. It's easier than you think using only a Thermos, a pot, a thermometer, some milk, and some yogurt from a previous batch. (Your first batch can be store-bought.) See recipe and instructions here.


33. Bought a soy milk maker and only make my own soy milk. I couldn't find any soy milk that wasn't packaged with unnecessary plastic, so I just decided I'd make my own from now on. Full soy milk saga here.


34. Buy CFL lightbulbs in a cardboard box with no plastic packaging. I found GE CFLs at Ace Hardware in a 5-pack box. There isn't even a plastic window!


35. Use plastic-free feminine hygiene products.


36. Bought a 100% recycled plastic Urban Compost Tumbler, and started composting. This solves several plastic problems. First, since we no longer put wet stuff in the garbage, we don't need plastic garbage bags of any kind (bio- or petro-based.) And the composter gives me soil for my garden that I don't have to buy in plastic bags.
    
    And as for plants, I don't buy them in plastic pots anymore. I can get veggies in compostable pots or plant them from seeds.


37. Switched to refillable fountain pens with converters. Now I don't have to throw away disposable plastic pens and cartridges.


38. Pick up my prescriptions from the pharmacy rather than having them mailed to me. Unfortunately, the Kaiser Permanente mail order service sends prescriptions out in plastic mailers. While I can't avoid the plastic prescription bottle (unfortunately, it's illegal for pharmacies to refill them in CA), I can avoid the mailer by walking to the pharmacy to pick it up.


39. Avoid buying CDs and DVDs. They are made from plastic, after all. Instead, I download music when I want it and borrow DVDs from Netflix or the library.


40. Find ways to wrap gifts without plastic tape. Here's a method I discovered for myself. And use paper tape for other types of packaging needs.

Well, that's my list to date. Here are a couple of other lists:

Things I've given up (in no particular order):

• Granola bars and energy bars. (I only eat cereal now instead of packaged bars.)
• Pita bread. I did try making my own, but haven't in a while and don't know if I'll try again.
• Most frozen foods.
• Pudding, applesauce, cottage cheese, yogurt, etc. that is packaged in a plastic tub or cup.
• Emergen-C packets.
• New plants in plastic containers and potting soil in plastic bags.
• Garbage bags. We don't line our cans with anything anymore.
  
• Venus razor & disposable cartridges.
• All crackers except Wasa crisp bead, which seems to be plastic-free.
• Most household cleaners.
• Bottled water & bottled sodas
• Water filter cartridges
• Prepared soy milk.
• Canned foods. Almost all food & beverage cans are lined with a plastic that contains BPA. I opt for glass whenever possible.
  
• Plastic-wrapped cheese. Several people have suggested that I have it sliced behind the deli counter and wrapped in paper. First, the large blocks of cheese are wrapped in plastic already. But more important, I am unable to find organic cheese that can be sliced and wrapped in paper. The few places that will do it use a paper that is actually lined with plastic. At this point, I'm just not buying cheese.

Plastic I can't, or am not yet willing to, avoid:

• Prescription bottles (It's against the law for pharmacies to refill them in CA)
• Refresh Endura eye drops
• BART tickets. (Yes, suddenly they're made from plastic instead of paper.)
• Caps from various glass bottles & toothpaste tubes.
  
• Tyvek race numbers. (If I ever run again, that is!)
• World's Best Cat Litter in plastic bags. Our cat simply will not use any other kind.
• Plastic envelope windows. While I've managed to get off many mailing lists, there are a few that I can't avoid.
• Tags and tag hangers from otherwise plastic-free items.
• Milk and ice cream cartons. All cardboard food cartons are lined with plastic. While I've given up most, these are two I still buy and discard into our green city compost bin.
• Glass bottle & jar lids that contain an inside plastic lining.
  

I hope that this list is helpful and not overwhelming. If each person who reads it does a few things from the top of the list, maybe we'll change the world. And if each person who reads it sends it on to one more person, the change could be awesome!