Plastic Free July

[robinb]

I just read an article about Plastic Free July and it sounds intriguing. The article linked to this website:

https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/

The increase of microplastics has me concerned and I think I may try to make some changes in my own consumer behavior when it comes to single use plastics. I currently use refillable water bottles and I have mesh vegetable bags that I use in my fridge but I've not used while shopping (yet).

What kind of things do you do to reduce single use plastics?

 

[TippyThomas]

I started using a reusable filter for my Kcup type coffee maker. All those plastic containers just seemed wrong to me.

Edit to add: It's a good tradeoff because the coffee is so much cheaper that way too.

 

[georgina]

I also have some mesh bags for fruits and vegetables, especially good for the berries at the farmers market because they reuse their green paper boxes. I try to get my greens there also, but when at the grocery store it is so much more convenient to get the 1 lb plastic tubs instead of the loose greens, I am working on that! It is impossible to avoid plastic containers for many things like strawberries and blueberries at the grocery stores I shop at.

I have several silicone storage bags for the refrigerator and some silicone lids for open containers/microwaving.

I have reusable shopping bags I take to all stores. CVS, Target, Home Depot, etc, in addition to grocery.

Looking at solid shampoo and conditioner. I have a scalp condition in the winter though, which needs a special shampoo.

The microplastic news is very depressing, it’s everywhere and I don’t think we can avoid it.

 

[jalapeno_pretzel]

I use shampoo and conditioner bars. And regular soap bars too, not shower gel. We have glass hand soap dispensers and tablets to mix with water to refill. Mesh produce bags and reusable grocery bags. Refillable water bottles. Sometimes I'll carry silverware to use if we know it's a place with plastic cutlery. I tried dissolvable tabs for toilet bowl cleaning, but they don't work nearly as well.

But it's still a lot of plastic we get, going through milk, produce that comes in plastic packaging, prepared foods, takeout, etc. Seems like what I do is just a drop in the bucket.

 

[LoveDaisy]

In addition to the items mentioned above I have started to get all my dairy products from a local farm. The milk, heavy cream, half and half, and yogurt all come in glass. I return the glass bottles every week I have also started buying soda and seltzer from a local place and they use glass bottles that I return to them.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

I also use mesh bags for produce at the grocery store. We have a plastic bag ban in my state so of course I don't use them, but they still allow plastic produce bags. I've had a couple of instances of pushback from cashiers when I've put my mesh bags on the counter for the stuff to be weighed, actually.

We recently began buying our meats from the local supermarket around the corner from me, and their butcher wraps our purchases in paper and string. I also use refillable cups-our tap water is pretty good so we've stopped buying cases of water.

 

[georgina]

In addition to the items mentioned above I have started to get all my dairy products from a local farm. The milk, heavy cream, half and half, and yogurt all come in glass. I return the glass bottles every week I have also started buying soda and seltzer from a local place and they use glass bottles that I return to them.

We get our dairy in paper cartons, which our recycling company takes, but you never know what happens after that. Reusable glass sounds like a better option. I remember the days of returning soda bottles to the store for a deposit.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Switched milk and half & half to cartons, thats a high volume purchase in this household, they are more expensive but I get organic so I know it is better for us.

I have a separate garbage pail for recycle items and reuse paper bags to collect the items.

I switched to using compost bags in our our small bedroom and bathroom garbage pails, easy switch.


I'm tryin