To think there is no real alternatives to plastic right now?

[speakout]

Like many I have been horrified by the videos of plastic floating in our oceans. I have been thinking about my own plastic use. I recycle ( council waste collection) as much as I can, but over the past week or two I have been looking at ways of cutting consumption.
There seems no real alternative to lots of stuff.
Shampoo? I see bars of solid soap like stuff in the health food shop- are they any good? Shower gel- OK I can buy soap wrapped in paper, but wash up liquid? Toothbrushes ( I have seen boar hair alternatives, not sure I fancy that) cosmetics? Detergent? Even loo roll is wrapped in plastic. Seems an uphill struggle- ant ideas?

Has anyone found a good solid shampoo and conditioner?
I’ve found loads of good shampoos but the conditioners are tricky.
I’m lucky though in that I have very very straight hair so I don’t need anything special.

there is a biodegradable plastic alternative because a local deli wraps their rolls in it.
its made of potato starch or something.

if you want a solid shampoo, a bar of pure olive oil soap from Greece does very nicely.

oh and conditioner - coconut oil applied to dry hair then washed out after a few hours.

The wild sage co shampoo bars are excellent. I was sceptical at first, but they do clean your hair. My colour hasn’t faded either, even the hairdresser asked what I’d been using.

Simon, have you tried using a vinegar spray instead of conditioner? It works nicely.

if you want a solid shampoo, a bar of pure olive oil soap from Greece does very nicely.

And any environmental benefit you get from not buying a plastic bottle is negated by the environmental impacts of the international shipping that it takes to get it to you.

oh come on scribbler, do you only buy food from Britain? I doubt it.

A lot of cosmetics come in glass bottles these days. About half of mine do. The rest I could find glass container alternatives with the exception of mascara. Cleaning products can be replaced. Eg. Using things like lemon, vinegar, baking soda etc. A lot of food can be bought without plastic packaging if you buy direct from butcher/baker/farmers market. Obviously you can grow your own too if you have the time. But even if you try really hard I would say that plastic us unavoidable without cutting certain products pit if your life. You should also be mindful that some alternatives to plastics can also be haul to the environment in their own ways. It is a common misconception that bamboo is very environmentally friendly. It is, in its purest firm but the refining process isn't great for the environment for example.

My final instructions email from London Marathon (3 weeks tomorrow!!!) states some of the water stations are switching plastic water bottles for disposable cups

I can't run and drink from a cup lol but will go with it if it reduces plastic useage!

Don’t forget fast fashion.

All those polyester primark clothes worn a handful of times are terrible for the environment. It seems to be bloody hard to buy non-polyester clothes right now, but they are out there. Of course there are many ethical and environmental issue with fast fashion in general, polyester or not, so I’m trying to be aware of what I’m buying and why and whether I can save for a better quality version. eBay and charity shops are obviously great too.

oh come on scribbler, do you only buy food from Britain? I doubt it.

Well, no I don't. But that would be because I don't live in Britain.

I do however make a point of buying local as much as possible for meat and produce, refuse to buy any from overseas, and actively avoid grocery products not made here.

Lush shampoo bars reallyare great. As is their soap but any soap you like will be less plastic than shower gel.
Ecover do refills for washing up liquid and lots of other cleaning products at certain shops (usually healthfood / organic type shops) - look out in your local area.
There are companies you can get plastic free loo roll from ("who gives a crap" is one) but I don't think that the plastic wrap on loo roll is too crazy (and the paper wrapping on the who gives a crap loo rolls seems excessive to me).
It's not all easy but just do it bit by bit when you can.

TK Maxx had soaps in paper when I was in there today, probably on their website too

I have spent the past few months making a concerted effort to reduce the waste our household generates and while it's still very much work in progress, I've been happily surprised by some of effects.

For example, I switched from bottles to bars for soap, shampoo and conditioner, and my hair and skin have never been in better condition.

I use a wooden handle/head dishbrush. Can't remember what the bristles are made of but they can go to compost.

I switched from cleanser to a charcoal soap, and from moisturiser to facial oil (glass bottle, refillable) and again, my skin has improved out of sight. My 15yo loves the charcoal soap and now her friends want it too.

Best thing is that a shampoo soap at NZ$6 is lasting 3 months as compared with 6 x plastic-encased, chemical-heavy bottles of shampoo at $56.

With regard to household waste, I send plastic bottles, cans, paper & card, rolled up foil to recycling.

Separate recycling collection for soft packaging (plastic wrap/bags)

I use the Bokashi compost system, make laundry powder (super simple), and look for alternatives to buying anything in a plastic bottle. Organic food suppliers often use glass bottles but I'm finding there's still a fair amount of plastic in our grocery shopping.

Toothbrush, I'm sticking with the Braun electric as I've already got one, no point binning and replacing.

I've quit lining bins as there's v little in them by the time food scraps go to compost and recycling is weeded out.

I try to remember to freeze meat scraps to keep the bin odour-free before collection day but as I'm only putting out waste every 4-5 months, the scraps hog a fair amount of freezer space. Need to work on that.

With regard to pantry, I'm ordering grains, pulses and baking ingredients online from low waste supplier (no plastic or boxes, just brown paper), taking string bags when buying fresh produce from the market growers, and own shopping bags to the supermarket.

Haven't tackled meat packaging yet other than to reduce our intake of meat to 3 meals a week.

None of these things has been in anyway difficult, just a change in routine. Though I have a long way to go - still generating landfill, recycling bin still filling rather quickly,

The kids have always had "waste-feee" lunchboxes, the hardwearing divided containers, and stainless steel drink bottles. I've had a keep cup forever but I was terrible at remembering to take it. Eventually I bought a 2nd one so there's always one in the car and that's working better.

My next goal is to plant a vegetable garden. This is a huge challenge as our soil is appalling and I'm clueless about gardening! But hey, kinda looking forward to it.

I haven't been able to reduce car use by much as where I am is not well served by public transport and cycling is very unsafe. However I intend to move within 3 yrs to somewhere more cycle-friendly.

I know it's only a drop in the ocean but lots of drops make a puddle, then a river etc...

Fruit cocktail Apparently Lush products contain palm oil

McDonald's are actually one of the best (or maybe the best) fast food restaurants for recycling/reducing waste. The used oil is turned into biofuel for the lorries, cups and plastic lids/straws can be recycled and even their cleaning products come in concentrated form and are diluted as needed. We're also very anti litter and regularly do trash walks to clean the car parks.

Interesting post StepAway, thanks. I agree that changes need to be evidence based, not have unintended consequences, and be more than a few of us buying something different for a week or two.

Also, even if you are not 100% plastic free at this stage( I'm certainly not ) if you cut it down significantly, that's a big step forward. It's not all or nothing.

I have annoyingly not read the full thread so apologies if this blog has already been linked to. I found it yesterday and found some of it really interesting.
www.goingzerowaste.com