In Pursuit of Less Plastic

One of my early school writing assignments was a biography of my cousin ten years my elder who was pursuing her environmental law degree. She has been my own Rachel Carson inspiring me for decades to care about the health of Earth and the impact we have on the only environment in which we live and depend on for survival. From a young age I knew that polluting water, land, and air was dangerous for all living beings and I was acutely and painfully aware of the many ways people do not clean up after themselves.

As a young adult I was an early adopter of recycling and using fabric shopping bags. I nearly ruined one of my first cars driving around to college dormitories picking up bags of aluminum soda and beer cans to take to the recycling center. There is a special smell that mingled soda and beer remnants make in a hot car! I’ve recently added to my collection of cloth grocery bags and cloth produce bags a set of bulk goods glass jars pre-marked with the tare weight and their own carrying bag.

For decades now in my home we’ve used cloth instead of paper napkins, rags instead of paper towels, and more recently silicon covers instead of plastic cling wrap or aluminum foil. I can’t remember the last time we purchased a box of lock-top baggies but we seem to have an ample supply that came with items we’ve purchased. The bags are washed and re-used until they wear out. This bag drying rack has been key to making that process easy and sanitary.

We compost our vegan food scraps, separate the “recyclables” (not sure how much is actually recycled anymore), use composting garbage bags, and bundle all plastic food bags to place in the grocery store plastic bag recapture bins. We use reusable drinking cups and water bottles, glass straws, handkerchiefs instead of tissues, and try to live and consume minimally. I carry bamboo utensils in my purse to avoid plastic single use utensils when I’m out and about and take the right size ounce cup with me to my favorite smoothie and juice shops so that I can avoid using a single use plastic (compostable or recyclable) cup.

So when I read articles, blog posts, and advice columns about reducing household plastics, I know that we’re well into the process, however, THERE IS STILL SO MUCH PLASTIC in my home and it depresses me! With the inspiration of Colleen Patrick-Goudreau and her zero-waste packing video, I have started to up my plastic-reducing game starting with the bathroom.

I purchased Plaine Products (affiliate link which gives you 20% off your order) shampoo and conditioner in aluminum bottles that can be returned to the company for reuse. The pumps are plastic however they are only sent once, not every time, and can be reused. These products are cruelty-free, non-toxic, and vegan which sings all the right notes for me and a subscription service can be set up for automatic scheduled shipping. So easy! No more plastic shampoo and conditioner bottles in my house.

I love these Bite all-natural, vegan toothpaste tablets! They come in a glass jar and refill tablets come by subscription in a compostable pouch which you put into the jar. You bite on the tablet to chew it up (it’s hard not to swallow at first!) and then use your wet toothbrush to get the foam going. Once you’re brushing, you’ll be amazed how foamy it gets. No more plastic toothpaste tubes for me!

I have been contemplating transitioning over to a battery operated sonic toothbrush per the advice of my dentist husband but I’ve stuck with a regular toothbrush. I’ve been tempted to convert not because I think my teeth will be cleaner and gums healthier but because his bathroom mirror stays so much cleaner than mine. Clearly I’m a messy brusher! But I’m going to continue to spray my bathroom mirror with bits of toothpaste but now with my bamboo toothbrush!

I decided on the Brush with Bamboo brand because they are organic and have plant-based bristles, handle, wrapper, and box. Most bamboo toothbrushes still have nylon bristles which are not compostable or recyclable. And when the brush is worn out, the bamboo handle can be used as a garden marker!

And lastly, ever since I listened to Jonathan Fields interview Suzy Batiz, I’ve wanted to try the Supernatural cleaning products that are essential oil concentrates that you mix with water in glass spray bottles. There is NOTHING that doesn’t impress me about this company from their branding, website videos and media graphics, ingredients, commitment to minimal plastic (spray nozzle only), and whimsical packaging. These will help me reduce plastic bottles of cleaning agents (counter spray, bathroom spray, mirror/glass spray) and keep my house smelling wonderful. The glass & mirror cleaner is currently parked under my bathroom sink on the ready to remove all the forthcoming toothpaste spots on my mirror.

I’m well on my way to minimizing plastic in my home. The pantry and refrigerator are going to be a whole other project to tackle. So many of the foods we eat and prefer come in plastic clam shells (berries) or plastic bags (Ezekiel bread). It’s going to be tough, and every step toward zero waste matters.

It was in 2014 that the film Cowspiracy was released. It explores the negative impact that animal agriculture has on the environment. It is a large part of why, as an environmentalist, that I committed to a vegan lifestyle on January 1, 2015. It makes sense that we continue to do whatever we can to mitigate and reduce pollution whether through diet, plastic reduction, clean transportation, renewable energy, and other safer, cleaner lifestyle choices.

If you have plastic-reducing tips to share, please do so in the comments below. I’d love to know what has worked well for you. Thanks in advance!