Confession: I just bought a tube of toothpaste!

No Impact Man did it.

Life Less Plastic did it.

Sustainable Dave did it.

Now I have gone and done it. And in a plastic tube, to boot.

Why did I buy toothpaste in the first place? Two reasons. First, my baking soda, wintergreen oil, stevia powder combination had been working fine for many months. But in the last few weeks, I've been feeling like it's too harsh on my gums. My mouth feels kind of sore after using it. And then last week, during my radio interview on Tomorrow Matters, one of the callers said she worked in a dental office and believed that plain baking soda is too abrasive. I had heard this before, but hadn't really believed it until I started noticing irritation in my own mouth.

Second, my dentist really wants me to have some fluoride on my teeth, and since giving up both toothpaste and Act fluoride rinse, I wasn't giving them the treatment he thought they should have. Yes, I know there's fluoride in our drinking water. But is it sufficient? Don't know. Just know my mouth has not been very happy in a while.

So why didn't I buy the metal Tom's of Maine tube instead of the plastic Trader Joe's? Because I compared the ingredients in the two toothpastes and liked those in the Trader Joe's brand better. It doesn't contain SLS, which the Tom's of Maine right next to it did, and it also contains some baking soda (I bought the All Natural, Anticavity, Peppermint Toothpaste with Baking Soda and Fluoride) which the Tom's of Maine didn't.

Okay, before you jump on me, I didn't realize at the time that there were so many other Tom's of Maine choices in other stores. After buying the Trader Joe's toothpaste, I went next door to the brand new Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy and found that Tom's of Maine has put out a few SLS-free versions. Still, I did want some baking soda, which these lack. Blah blah blah.

The ins and outs of which toothpaste to buy are not really the point of this post. I'm sure there are all kinds of options and better recipes I could have tried and other opinions about what I should put in my mouth. And, as always, I'm happy to hear everyone's comments about that. But the main discovery I made, which seems like it should be quite obvious but was a TOTAL BREAKTHROUGH FOR ME was this:

You don't need to use very much at all. Even this tiny amount, about a quarter of a pea, is probably too much. I'll bet I can make this one tube last a whole year. Or longer. After using baking soda for nearly a year, the amount of suds I get from this baby bit of toothpaste feels like washing my mouth with soap.

And I realized that in all my blogging about ways to reduce our impact on the earth, and specifically the amount of plastic we use, I don't think I ever wrote about simply using less of everything. I'm pretty sure Green Bean has a post on this very topic. Yep, she does. It's right here. But it wasn't until I decided to break down and break my no-plastic rule that I actually thought about how using less of everything can help me lessen the environmental impact of that decision.

Oh, I have so much to learn and so far to go! Thanks to everyone who puts up with my baby steps and fickle nature. And speaking of fickle, I've started using the Urban Compost Tumbler again after whining about how sucky it was. More on that in a future post.
 

 

The Vodka Variations

On November 4, I wrote that I had finished up my last bottle of Act fluoride rinse and had decided not to replace it. Several dentists told me they didn't think I needed it. However, I wasn't just using the rinse for the fluoride; it had also served as my mouthwash for the last couple of years, leaving my breath minty fresh. Without it, I needed to find a plastic-free alternative, and since there are apparently no mouthwashes sold plastic-free these days, I decided to make my own.

I found the following recipe on herbsforhealth.com and tried it:

Spicy Sweet Mouthwash

This mouthwash requires a couple of weeks for the spices to steep in the alcohol.

1 cup vodka
1 tablespoon whole cloves
1 tablespoon cinnamon chips (I used ground cinnamon)
1 teaspoon fennel seed (ommited because I didn't have)
1 teaspoon anise seed
1 teaspoon licorice root (also ommitted -- didn't have)

I also added 1/16 tsp of stevia powder for sweetness.

Place vodka and spices into a small glass jar, tightly lidded. Steep for two weeks, giving the jar a shake daily to keep spices from settling. Strain and pour into a glass bottle. To use, dilute 1 tablespoon mouthwash in 1 cup of water. Use as a gargle and mouth rinse and do not swallow.

Actually, I added one cup of water to the vodka mixture for a 50/50 dilution since that's what the guys did on Mythbusters.

The results? I'm not crazy about the taste. Cinnamon is not my favorite flavor. But I do think it works well. Burns at first. Next time, I'm going to try a mint infusion instead of cinnamon. I think I might like it better.

This week, I also used up my last bottle of hairspray and needed a plastic-free alternative. Once again, I turned to vodka for help. From the web site recipezaar.com, I tried:

Lemon-fresh Hair Spray

2 cups water
2 lemons
1 tablespoon vodka

1. Boil the water in a saucepan.
2. While the water is boiling, peel and finely chop the lemons.
3. Add the lemons to the boiling water, and simmer over low heat until the lemons are soft.
4. Cool, strain, and pour into a spray bottle.
5. Add the vodka, and shake well.
6. If the hair spray is too sticky, dilute it with a little water.

So far, this one doesn't work at all. I mean, not at all. My hair's not even sticky, much less held in place. Don't know what I did wrong. Maybe I didn't cook the lemons long enough. Maybe the lemons were not big enough. Maybe this recipe is a joke just to see if anyone will try it. Who knows? Will keep trying until I find something that works.

In the meantime, there are quite a few other uses for vodka to test. 21 of them, in fact, according to the web page, 21 Uses For Vodka. No, boys and girls. Vodka's not just for drinking anymore. Check it out.
 

 

Beth visits the dentist

Meet my dentist, Dr. Michael Parrett. He's great because he never criticizes or nags or does any of those other annoying things that cause people to avoid the dentist for years. And all his hygienists have the same pleasant, non-threatening chair-side manner. Every time I leave his office, I run my tongue over my teeth and say, "Mmmmmmm... It's a great feeling!" just like in those Pearl Drops Tooth Polish commercials from the 80's. Then I look around really quick to see if anyone heard me.

Anyway, true to form, Dr. Parrett and hygienist Donna were as nice as ever when I presented them with alternative oral hygiene ideas during my appointment today. When this blog left off on July 8, I had switched to baking soda instead of toothpaste (to eliminate the plastic tube) and a Preserve toothbrush (made from recycled plastic and recyclable by sending back to Recycline in free mailer), and I had written to Recycline, the makers of Preserve, to see if they have any programs for dentists who provide toothbrushes to their patients. Since then, Recycline sent me a sample kit to take to my dentist, and today I did just that.

First of all, I asked Dr. Parrett his opinion of brushing with baking soda. He said he thought it was fine for people as long as they don't have gum problems from brushing too hard. I don't. He also wants me to continue to rinse with Act fluoride rinse, since I won't be getting fluoride from toothpaste. The jury is still out on that one, what with the new scare about sodium benzoate, the controversies about fluoride itself, and of course the plastic bottle.

So, happy and relieved about the baking soda issue, I pressed on. First, I returned the unopened/unused Oral B toothbrush I'd received at my last visit, and then I presented him with the Preserve sample pack. Looking at all the toothbrushes, he and Donna seemed genuinely interested in them. They read the material and asked me questions. They approved of the soft bristles, which Dr. Parrett said is the main thing they look for in a toothbrush. I don't know if they'll end up purchasing these toothbrushes for the office or not. But at least they are now aware of them.

If you'd like to request a Preserve sample kit for your dentist, you can contact Recycline at info@recycline.com or use their contact form: http://www.recycline.com/contact.html. It's one thing to make individual personal changes to support the environment. It's even better to create a few ripples to have an even broader effect, and I think this is one way to do it.

By the way, in the interest of full disclosure, I do not work for or receive payment from Recycline, although they did send a bunch of toothbrushes for me along with the kit for my dentist.
 

 

Preserve Toothbrush Update: Response from Recycline

Date: Mon, 09 Jul 2007 14:07:35 -0400
From: "Tever Dooley" td@recycline.com
Subject: RE: Online Information Request
To: beth@fakeplasticfish.com

Hi Beth,

Thank you for your support of Recycline and the Preserve Toothbrush we really appreciate the plug on your blog!

I am very happy to say that we do work with several dentists nationwide who offer their patients the environment-friendly Preserve Toothbrush. We are unable to imprint on our regular Preserve Toothbrush due to the curve in the handle, however, we do offer a flat-handle toothbrush that is also made from 100% recycled plastic and 100% recyclable that dentists can have stamped. I see that you are going to your dentist at the end of the month. I would be more than happy to either send you our dental intro packet for you to share with your dentist or we can send your dentist one directly and mention that you recommended we contact them. Please let me know which you prefer.

Recycline®, has been in business since 1996. We design and market environment-friendly products that are manufactured in the U.S. utilizing 100% recycled materials whenever possible. Our Preserve Product line is made up of Preserve Toothbrushes for Adults and Children, Preserve Razors, Preserve Plates, Tumblers and Cutlery and Preserve Flavored Toothpicks.

Please let me know if you prefer a soft, medium or ultra soft brush as our way of thanking you for all of your support and promotion of Recycline.

Thank you again and I look forward to hearing from you.

Tever Dooley
Sales

Recycline, Inc.
681 Main Street
Waltham, MA 02451
Phone: 781-893-1032
Fax: 781-893-1036
Email: td@recycline.com

PS Please consider the impact on the environment before printing this e-mail.

 

Homemade Tooth Powder: a DIY project that actually worked! (plus info on Preserve toothbrushes)

Well, I said I'd do it and I did. I used up the last of a tube of Crest (and believe me, I squeezed out every delicious bit before sending the tube to plastic purgatory) without having found a plastic-free replacement product. So I made my own tooth powder with the ingredients pictured above:

1 cup of baking soda
1 cup of salt
1 tsp of stevia powder (an herbal sweetener)
1/2 tsp (give or take) of wintergreen essential oil

I shook it all up in a parmesan cheese container that I rescued from plastic purgatory and set it lovingly in its new home in the bathroom cabinet beside Michael's shaving cream and my bottle of Act fluoride rinse.

(Act fluoride rinse is another product I'll have to worry about eventually. But I still have 2 bottles left, so won't think about it just yet.)

And then... and then... with no small amount of trepidation... I tried it. I sprinkled a little in my left palm and with my right hand, ran my wet toothbrush through the powder and then over my teeth and gums.

And I liked it! Big surprise!

Okay, it's not yummy like Crest, but honestly, my mouth felt cleaner afterwards. And my gums felt all tingly in a good way, probably from the salt.

Now, after doing some research online, I see that there is disagreement as to whether brushing with baking soda can harm tooth enamel. Some dentists say yes, others think it's fine. Most agree that the biggest mistake people make is to brush too hard, regardless of what toothpaste is used. And most dentists seem to agree that the toothpaste is not the important component in tooth cleaning anyway, but simply the brushing and flossing. (Floss... another item to deal with... later.)

So I'm going to keep using my homemade version, at least until my next dental appointment, which is July 30. Then, I'll see what my dentist has to say about it.

I'm also planning to return to him the free Oral B toothbrush I got at my last visit and tell him about Preserve toothbrushes, which are made from post-consumer recycled plastic. There's a great article about Recycline, the company that makes Preserve toothbrushes, over at Sustainable Is Good: An Eco Blog.

And finally, while I was typing this post, I got inspired to write the following e-mail to Recycline via their contact form:

Hi. My dentist gives out free Oral B toothbrushes imprinted with his name and phone number on them. I was wondering if you have any program for creating custom imprinted toothbrushes for dentists to give away. Consumers may not want to buy toothbrushes if they can get them free from the dentist. It would be great if you could get dentists to switch to Preserve toothbrushes for their patients.

Please let me know your thoughts on this. I have been promoting Preserve toothbrushes on my blog, www.fakeplasticfish.com.

Beth Terry

Hopefully they'll have some info for me before the 30th that I can take to Dr. Parrett. It's worth a shot, right?
 

 

Store Report: Elephant Pharmacy

Just like Whole Foods, this natural pharmacy contains very few items that are not packaged in plastic. Recycled toilet paper in plastic. Recycled napkins in plastic. Natural cellulose sponges in plastic. Natural cleaning products in plastic. Natural cosmetics, drugs, foods, bric-a-brac in plastic. Here are the few plastic-free items that I found and bought:

2 boxes of BioBags, 3 gallon size. BioBags are made from corn and are 100% biodegradable and compostable. We are going to use them in our kitchen garbage can instead of the plastic grocery bags that we have been using. Hopefully, we won't be putting much into them anyway. We put all of our food waste into the green compost bin; we put all of our paper, cans, and curbside-recyclable plastic into the gray recycling bin; and since the beginning of this plastic project, I have been saving all the non-recyclable plastic "for later."

Ever since I heard about Casabella natural cellulose scrubbers, I've been searching for them in area stores. I finally found them at Elephant Pharmacy... in a 3-pack packaged in plastic! Feh! I stood in front of the scrubber display and pondered this dilemma for a full 5 minutes before I noticed the cute Loofah-Art scrubbers above them. (Short people like me often miss things that are over our heads.) Loofah-Art scrubbers are made from organically-grown loofah, and the only bit of plastic in the packaging is the tiny thingy that connects the loofah to the cardboard backing card. (What are those tiny thingies called?) I thought I could deal with a tiny thingy of plastic. So this scrubber is what we will use to clean our dishes from now on.

And finally, I spent way too much ($19.99) for this Bag-E-Wash plastic bag dryer. You put it on the counter or hang it under the cabinet and leave your washed plastic bags on it to dry. It could be useful. Or it could be a good idea that gets pushed to the back of the counter and gathers dust. I'm not much of a dish-washer to begin with. Just ask Michael. Yeah, I do my dishes, half-heartedly, eventually, and this could be just too much for my non-domestic nature to handle. But why think negatively? It could be fun, right? Or it could be that Michael will do it! Now there's a great idea!

And here's an awesome looking product that I didn't buy: Burt's Bees Rosemary Mint shampoo bar. It smells wicked cool, and it comes in a cardboard box with zero plastic. I didn't buy it because I'm already using the Re-Incarnate shampoo bar from Lush (more on that later.) But it's on my list. As soon as the current shampoo bar is gone, that thing is mine!

Eventually, I found myself once again in a toothpaste aisle opening boxes of toothpaste hoping to find something without plastic. No go. I don't think such a thing exists anymore. Not in the U.S., anyway. And no mouthwash that's not in a plastic bottle either. So when I got home, I looked up recipes for homemade tooth powder, and here's one I found on the Yes! Magazine Web site:

Combine equal parts salt and baking soda. Add a tiny bit of stevia for sweetness (1/16th tsp stevia per 2 tablespoons baking soda/salt.) For flavor, add a few drops of peppermint oil or 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon. (I wonder if peppermint extract would work as well as oil.)

So, I'm gonna do it. If I haven't found any other alternative before my current tube of toothpaste runs out, I'm just going to make my own. Martha Stewart will be so proud.
 

 

Store Report: Whole Foods, Berkeley & E-mail Response

I took a notebook, pen, and some canvas bags with me today and went on a fact-finding mission to Whole Foods Market on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley. I wanted to find out what non-plastic options were available at this hipster natural foods mecca. And mostly what I found were shelves and shelves and shelves of plastic. Unless you stick to the produce or bulk foods sections, which inhabit about 1/4 of the store, you will find it difficult to find much in this store that is not contained in or does not contain some type of plastic. So, here's a run-down, section by section.

1) Outside -- the garden section. I was curious to find out if I would be able to purchase plants for my roof garden that were not contained in plastic pots. While Whole Foods does carry herbs and vegetables grown in biodegradable Eco-Forms pots, all non-edible flowers and plants come in plastic. I wonder if I'll ever be able to buy another shrub or if must stick to planting seeds from now on. Seeds are not so bad. I have a beautiful money plant that I planted 2 summers ago, and just look at it now!

2) Bulk Foods -- There is one aisle of bulk foods. It's not as extensive as Berkeley Bowl or Rainbow Grocery (Oh how I miss shopping at Rainbow Grocery when I lived in San Francisco!) but it does contain a fair selection of nuts, dried fruits, flours, salt, sugars, broth mixes, granola and cereal flakes, rice and other grains, beans, trail mix and candy, honey, and you can grind your own peanut butter. I was thrilled to find bulk pretzels, but when I got them home I discovered they were stale. There was a bin labeled "chocolate chips," but it was empty. And surprisingly, there wasn't any bulk pasta at all. There were both plastic and paper bags available for the bulk items.

3) Frozen Foods -- I addressed the problem of frozen meals in my previous post. It's impossible to tell what plastic is inside the box without opening it, so I bought a Seeds of Change brand frozen meal this time, just to test it out and see. I'll let you know after I open it. Vegetables -- surprisingly, all the vegetables except for one brand were packaged in plastic bags. What ever happened to the cardboard boxes covered in wax paper that used to contain spinach and peas and french cut green beans? I got excited for a second when I noticed the square Cascadian Farms box of spinach, but then I noticed the label that read "microwaveable flavor seal pouch" inside.

I did discover one excellent-looking non-plastic enclosed brand of vegetables: Stahlbush Island Farms Fruits and Vegetables. These vegetables are flash-frozen and are packaged in natural kraft paper bags. Unfortunately, Whole Foods only carried 2 varieties: cauliflower and butternut squash. Nothing green, although, according to the web site, Stahlbush also produces spinach, peas, broccoli, corn, and sweet potatoes, as well as fruits. I'll have to do some research to find out where else these products are sold. (7/13/07 update: The "natural" kraft paper bags are lined on the inside with a layer of plastic!)

The other important frozen item I checked out was ice cream. Ben & Jerry's comes with a plastic seal around the lid. Haagen-Dazs has a plastic film under the lid. I surreptitiously pulled up the lids on 2 other pints of ice cream -- Stonyfield and Strauss Family Creamery -- and the winner is: Straus Family Creamery! There was nothing but creamy, inviting, chocolate ice cream under that lid. I can't wait to finish up the Ben & Jerry's I already have so I can buy some of that!

4) Bottled water -- My favorite drink during the day is 2/3 sparkling water mixed with 1/3 fruit juice. Here, the choices were better. Besides San Pellegrino mineral water, which is just expensive, Whole Foods also carries its own 365 brand of Italian mineral water which comes in your choice of plastic bottles or glass bottles with metal caps. I think we know what my choice is. There were other flavored sodas in glass bottles as well.

5) Personal care items -- Several brands of soap are sold plastic-free, including Sappo Hill bar soaps which have no packaging at all. All of the deodorants come in plastic. All of the toothpastes come in plastic. I saw something called Eco Guard bandages (an alternative to bandaids) and when I looked them up online I saw that they were made from recycled PVC plastic. How much of it is recycled content, they don't say. Whole Foods also carries Preserve toothbrushes, which are made from recycled Stonyfield yogurt containers and are 100% recyclable, and also Natracare feminine hygiene products that are biodegradable and non-chlorine bleached. (i've been using their panty liners for years.) Another product I'm going to check out are BioBag trashcan liners. They are made from corn and according to their web site, 100% compostable. Does anyone know anything else about these? Are they legit?

5) The Dairy case -- All the refrigerated soy milk cartons have plastic caps with one exception: the quart-size carton of Wildwood soy milk. However, the Wildwood half gallon does contain the plastic cap. What is up with all these plastic caps on milk cartons these days??? I don't want to pay extra to buy quart-size cartons when I go through a half gallon a week! (If I don't find a better alternative, I may stick to Silk even with the plastic cap.) Also in the dairy case, yogurt and cottage cheese -- all in plastic tubs. Milk cartons without caps (but I've been told that some milk cartons these days are coated with plastic.) And butter. Good old butter in cardboard and waxed paper.

6) Pasta -- Every single cardboard box or paper bag of pasta in this section contains a plastic window. Why do we need this? Why do we need to see the pasta inside? We don't get to look inside cracker boxes to see the crackers; we rely on the picture. We don't look inside cereal boxes or cookie boxes or any number of other packages of dry foods. What makes pasta different? Can anyone answer that question? So, since Whole Foods has no bulk pasta and no packaged pasta without windows, I'll be buying pasta elsewhere.

7) Herbs, spices & teas -- Whole Foods sells bulk herbs, spices, and teas. I bought some Frontier organic loose Earl Grey tea that smelled just great! Most of the packaged boxed teas are wrapped in plastic. I didn't really bother checking them too much. Whole Foods also sell herbs and spices in glass jars with metal lids, but do not be fooled! Under the lid is a plastic bottle cover with holes for sprinkling. Stick with bulk, I think. And oh, I was happy to see that you can still buy vanilla extract in a glass bottle with a metal lid, just like in the old days.

8) Meats and Cheeses -- They only way to purchase these plastic-free is to order them fresh from the meet or deli case. Not much more I can say about that.

9) Hot prepared foods and salad bar -- Whole Foods has a large hot foods section, soups, and salad bar. They use brown cardboard boxes for the salad and cardboard cartons for the soup, but the hot food is served in honkin' big plastic trays and all of the packaged prepared foods in the refrigerator case, including salads, are in plastic as well. I don't know if you can ask for a non-plastic option when you purchase hot food.

10) Chocolate candy aisle -- One of the most important sections in the store, if you ask me. There are large bars wrapped in paper. But if you want something small to fill your candy dish, you're out of luck. I'm giving up my favorite candy dish filler, Whole Treats dark chocolate Belgian Little Bites. They are velvety and rich and tiny -- only 25 calories each -- but they come in a plastic bag and are individually wrapped in plastic covers. I can't justify them, although I'd like to.

It was these last two items, the Belgian Little Bites and the hot food served in plastic, that prompted me to write to Whole Foods Market a few days ago before my excursion today. I don't have a copy of the e-mail I sent, but here is the response from Whole Foods:

--------------------------------------------------------

Subject: Green Mission and Private Label Packaging
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 15:39:45 -0500
From: "PrivateLabel Customer Service"
To: "Customer Questions (CE CEN)" ,

Dear Beth,

Thank you for your email.

The reason the Whole Treat Dark Chocolate Belgian Bites are packaged the way they are is to make single serving easier. They are meant to be able to grab a piece of chocolate and go. This way you the customer does not have to worry about the chocolate melting in their hands or pockets before it ever gets to their mouths.

As far as green mission goes, we are currently working with our package designers and outside firms to help us better walk the walk. We want to be as green as our customers expect us to be as it is one of our Core Values.

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/company/corevalues.html
Caring About Our Communities & Our Environment

Sustainable Agriculture
We support organic farmers, growers and the environment through our commitment to sustainable agriculture and by expanding the market for organic products.

Wise Environmental Practices
We respect our environment and recycle, reuse, and reduce our waste wherever and whenever we can.

Community Citizenship
We recognize our responsibility to be active participants in our local communities. We give a minimum of 5% of our profits every year to a wide variety of community and non-profit organizations. In addition, we pay our Team Members to give of their time to community and service organizations.

Integrity In All Business Dealings
Our trade partners are our allies in serving our stakeholders. We treat them with respect, fairness and integrity at all times and expect the same in return.

I have logged your comments in our customer/product database, which is forwarded to the buying and product development team on a regular basis. It is comments like yours that help us constantly review and improve our products. "Satisfying and delighting our customers" is a core value at Whole Foods Market. We are always interested in hearing what our guests are saying about our products. We take everything into careful consideration when reviewing product lines. Thank you for your insightful input on our product.

Thank you,

April Riggs
Product Information Associate, Private Label
550 Bowie l Austin , TX 78703 l (p) 512-477-5566 x: 20020

------------------------------------------------------------------

So, that's my Whole Foods report. Seems like they as a company, like many of us individuals, are somewhat conflicted. They sell organic food in plastic containers. They compost their waste and sell it to gardeners in plastic bags. Their Berkeley store is solar-powered, yet they sell regular light bulbs. I guess shopping at Whole Foods is better than shopping at Safeway, which I guess is better than shopping at Walmart.

Maybe tomorrow I'll report on Market Hall, which is just down the street from me in Rockridge. Good night.