FWIW I started using a cloth hanky recently and it is much more pleasant on the nose than even plush tissues!
Progress:
Bought paper-wrapped TP instead of plastic-wrapped. These came in individual rolls at 89 cents each, so I’ll continue to look for a more convenient/cheaper no-plastic option. However, it’s good to know that this one is possible.
Not progress:
Got chips and an It’s-it, which means there’s the chip bag (which definitely contains some sort of plastic) and the It’s-it wrapper.
I have gotten almost no alone time outside of work in the past week, as I’ve been hosting guests. That definitely increased the “I need chips” feeling. I’m looking forward to getting tonight alone.
My grandma used to put out clumps of pet fur and yarn clipping for nest building. I think the fur biodegrades eventually, but maybe not fast enough for food compost?
I packed breakfast, morning tea, lunch and after daycare snacks for everyone today… AND made coffee in our thermoses. Wow they stay hot for ages.
I did use plastic wrap on a tub last night because it has no lid, so now I have a new project to source or make lids for some of my tubs. Also to pass on the Tupperware we own that we don’t like using (but is barely used and the super fancy name brand sort).
My mother bought things over for lunch today. Everything was in plastic… but I didn’t make my own lunch.
Rather than being anxious about how much plastic entered the house during our efforts to minimise usage, I am patting ourselves on the back for avoiding most of these products for the other 8 days so far this month. Control what I can. I need to start insisting that I provide the food when they come over.
Did not buy any plastic-wrapped berries despite wanting them
Did not buy celery because it was in plastic; will check the corner store first
Did not impulse buy chocolate because it was in plastic
Not avoided:
Bought yarn for a sweater before I remembered that oh shit, duh, half acrylic means half plastic. I always forget this because it doesn’t feel like plastic, it feels like yarn. However, it is plastic.
What is done is done on the last one. I need to re-commit to natural fibers, though, even if I have to order them and can’t pet them ahead of time.
curry paste (existing) - this was a fail as I thought I had some red curry left in the fridge (but didn’t check, dur). The red curry paste was in a glass jar. There was no red curry paste. I used yellow curry paste instead (in a plastic tub, already opened).
Nothing new purchased.
Thoughts:
Since I had everything else set up for curry, I was unwilling to backtrack (it was really late, and yes that is an excuse) and so used some Mae Ploy yellow curry paste (which comes in a plastic tub and is a much better deal than the little jars of Thai Kitchen). I did, however, use white sugar instead of brown (packaged in paper instead of plastic) and used my fancy soy sauce (in a bottle) rather than the cheap stuff (in the big plastic jug).
I also made sourdough pancakes using butter this time rather than olive oil or coconut oil.
The garbage was super minimal this week - I could have gotten away with a produce bag for it, really. I also put out my green waste bin, which was nearly full from bindweed, blackberry canes, and borage that was pretty spent and that I had ripped out. I usually don’t put my green waste bin out every week, but these three things I can’t compost (and don’t have room far anyway). I didn’t put my recycling bin out… I might hold off until the end of the month to see how much is generated (plastic or otherwise).
I opened the media crema to use for coffee… it really is cream and quite thick. I don’t really like it that much for coffee, but will use it up.
Oh, I found the rice bag too - evidently I had put it under the sink to use for litter box duty. So I do have all my plastic waste, except the cut zip ties which are MIA. (They might be around here somewhere still too, we shall see.)
Recommendations for plastic-free toothpaste? I’m coming up on needing new toothpaste soon and historically have always gotten the stuff in the plasticy tubes.
Note that I actively want fluoride in my toothpaste – I want hippie packaging, not hippie toothpaste.
Yeah, I use sensodyne pronamel, and I’m not switching to homemade baking soda paste. I would love if I could get exactly that in a refillable container.
Toothpaste will be quite far down on my list. I haven’t yet found an alternative that includes fluoride, and I’ve been looking for a number of years. I use ecologically safe toothpaste for camping, but not at home. My dental health has measurable decline when we’ve experimented with using non-fluoridated toothpaste for six months and I’m not willing to compromise that. What doesn’t make as big a difference in my mouth is brushing with my prescription toothpaste once daily instead of twice - so it’d work for my particular mouth to use natural toothpaste for the other brushing.
If I come across toothpaste in a reusable container I will for sure post it everywhere.
Yeah, @MonkeyJenga, I would be so damn happy if my regular toothpaste just like… came in glass with a moisture liner you could squeeze down from the top like some sort of French press toothpaste contraption.
I’d be happy with a refillable tin. I can scoop out toothpaste with my finger, it’s what I end up doing at the end of the regular container’s life to get the last 5 brushes out of it. A tin would be easier to use up completely.
But. Toothpaste and deodorant are two things that I’m just gonna deal with for now.
We had a Christmas in July lunch at my work with some colleagues and instead of using disposable cutlery and plates which people often do because they’re lazy, I scorunged around and found metal cutlery and proper plates No disposable plates or cutlery, hooray!
I purchased bird netting that is packaged in plastic. I’ve been watching secondhand sites and NextDoor pleas and haven’t had luck- last year I lost all my plums to squirrels by 16 July so I just went ahead with it. It is a brand that has very good reviews for not tearing or breaking down in sunshine so I should be able to use it seasonally for many years.
I saved on plastic (not completely plastic free) by cooking for my parents & sister before they took my husband out to see a talk, instead of us getting takeaway.
fertilizer (existing) - today was fertilizing day for the plants, and it is packaged in plastic
sponge (existing) - I broke out a new dish sponge today. I have a rule to change it out once a month, but often go much longer and then they get gross (especially with the amount of dough I often deal with). The old one had been in rotation for over 2 months and really needed to be retired (sooner). I usually buy in 6-packs, and they are packaged together in plastic (in addition to having the plastic scrubby side, I suppose).
paper towel roll (existing) - also had to break out a new paper towel roll, after some gross pet cleanup. I also usually buy these in multipacks (like 6), and this one was no exception.
dog treats (existing) - it occurred to me today that the dog treats I use on walks and for stair exercises (for her legs) are in little plastic pouches. I use them every day. I’m still working my way through some my aunt sent ages ago, although the bag is almost empty. I don’t have any cheese to use as treats right now, so I will continue to use the treats.
Viralys (existing) - for cats (sooooo close to being empty!)
Disposable cup from coffee shop (thought they would give us washable mugs but it was 10 minutes til closing)
Ice cream spoon and cup (I’m going to ask if I can bring my own bowl to this spot, so the next time I’m peer pressured, I can at least avoid that waste)
Thermal receipt from grocery store
Calcium supplement bottles
Used (existing, consumable only)
Pads
Multivitamin
Deodorant
Hand soap
Shampoo
Dish soap
Avoided
Cup when I forgot my water bottle (went without water)
No disposable plates or cutlery, hooray!