Plastic footprint...you can make a difference!

[MistressMerryweather]

These are some great videos that are short and explain why plastic is so bad for our world. Even a small part can make a difference.

BBC News Plastic pollution

Our today is forever

"Plastic Soup" found in Atlantic Ocean

Make better choices-
Use reusable stainless steel water bottles.
Choose food in glass instead of always choosing the plastic bottle.
Use glass pitchers instead of plastic.
Use reusable bags for your groceries or paper bags if you have to.
So many ways to help.

 

[MIGrandma]

I am trying to use less plastic, but the trouble is plastic is so readily available.

Take my suntea jar for instance. I have had them for years, and needed a new one this year so of course wanted a glass one. I couldn't find one at the store where I normally shop, all they had were plastic ones. So I went to another store and they did have glass ones there, so I bought one.

Why does mayo/Miracle Whip come in plastic "jars" now? They used to come in glass, which is what I would prefer. Olives, pickles, etc. still come in glass why not mayo too?

I do have some cloth reusable shopping bags, but always forget to take them with me. So, I do end up with a lot of plastic bags. But I do reuse them in several different ways, and if I have too many stocked up here at home I take them back to the store to their recycling bin at least.

 

[TwinsinCA]

Why does mayo/Miracle Whip come in plastic "jars" now? They used to come in glass, which is what I would prefer. Olives, pickles, etc. still come in glass why not mayo too?

So you can squeeze it on a sandwich. Mustard and Ketchup are packaged that way, so it makes sense mayo would be too.

Plastic weighs less and doesn't shatter if dropped. I would imagine that is why so many things that were once in glass are now in plastic.

 

[C.Ann]

Can you even buy any kind of food or beverage in a "glass" jar anymore?

 

[LoriABil]

Pickles. I know because I shattered a jar on the patio at our last cookout!

 

[MistressMerryweather]

Check this out for suntea.
Glass pitcher
You can get the same exact pitcher at Wal-Mart for 3.47!

I get applesauce, salad dressing, peanut butter, jelly and some juice in glass. They still make the tiny jars of mayo in glass, but who the heck uses that?

We also traded our tupperware and plastic storage container for glass with just a plastic lid.

Ugh! I *always* forget to bring my reusable bags when I go shopping.

 

[PattnFmly]

We reuse and recycle lots in our house. But I do have to say, those "plastic" water bottles are a lifesaver with children going to sports practices and games. I've bought them "good" "reusable" ones many times. They are lost, stolen, whatever, .. I've never seen some of them again. And cannot keep buying them, they are pricey! We will continue to try our best, but I'm not wasting money on nice ones for them anymore. Sending them without water is also not an option, the coaches won't let them play if they don't have water so .. I'll stick with the disposable ones for those times for now.

 

[C.Ann]

We reuse and recycle lots in our house. But I do have to say, those "plastic" water bottles are a lifesaver with children going to sports practices and games. I've bought them "good" "reusable" ones many times. They are lost, stolen, whatever, .. I've never seen some of them again. And cannot keep buying them, they are pricey! We will continue to try our best, but I'm not wasting money on nice ones for them anymore. Sending them without water is also not an option, the coaches won't let them play if they don't have water so .. I'll stick with the disposable ones for those times for now.

I understand completely what you're saying.. There was another thread recently about plastic bags and a law in CA that would require customers to pay for them at the supermarket and such.. Anyhow, I won't go into the whole long, drawn out story, but I have a need (not a "want") to have cases of bottled water here at the lake and of course they're plastic..

I think we all do what we can - recycle various things when we can - make adjustments where we can - but there also comes a point where finances rule and you just have to do what you have to do.. Your post is a perfect illustration of that..

For the most part, I think people are pretty good about doing whatever they can to preserve the earth and our environment, but in many cases, not "all" things are possible..

 

[Aisling]

I'm not a "green" fanatic, but I'm really aware of the plastic situation and how wasteful using all that plastic is. When I put them in the recycling bin on garbage day, I really hope they're truly being recycled and not just thrown in a landfill. I use cloth bags for 99% of my shopping. The other 1% is for plastic bags to pick up my dog's poop and to line the household trash cans. I can't see buying pastic hefty bags just to end up throwing out with the trash.

For some reason, the plastics really get to me, so that's where I'm reducung my plastic footprint.

 

[MistressMerryweather]

I think we all do what we can - recycle various things when we can - make adjustments where we can - but there also comes a point where finances rule and you just have to do what you have to do.

(((nods))) Every small part helps.

 

[SandrA9810]

i'm really bad about reusing my cloth bags. I've gotten several free ones with coupons at the grocery store, and sometimes they're sitting in the car. But i'm like other people, why should i spend money on garbage bags when i can use those. There's sometimes when i do a major cleaning, like out of the fridge that i'll need a big bag. And they're great for poop bags. My last apt complex had the doggie bags/trash in the wort spots. So i'd rather bring my own down, and then toss them into the truck bed to take to the dumpster later.

And mayo generally doesn't come in a squeeze bottle like ketchup and mustard. It's not meant to be squeezed out. But i think the stuff is gross, so what do i know?


Even with glass we need to be recycling it. And i think the restaurant industry could help a lot. At qdoba and cracker barrel for sure and i'm sure other places are guilty too. When it comes to the glass bottles, A1 sauce, hot sauces, CB's mini syrup bottles, ketchup... Those things never get recycled. How hard is it to set up a glass recycling in the store??


Disney goes to extensive lengths to recycle in the parks and make it easy for CM's to bring their own stuff from home to be recycled.

IBC root beer still comes in glass. I love that soda. Some maple syrups do. Vinegars do. As well as some of the other things mentioned before.

 

[JoShan1719]

(((nods))) Every small part helps.

That's my thinking. I've been *trying* to take whatever steps I can to minimize our plastic use. I'm building up our collection of reusable shopping bags and have started saving certain food containers when we're done so they may be reused later (EX. those containers that French's Fried Onions come in, and any juice containers that we finish). I'd like to stop buying anything in plastic, but like PPs have said, they're so available it's difficult. But I know the little steps add up to big results