Plastic free living

[stargirl1701]

Has/Is anyone worked towards this? I have just started and could use a buddy. I feel quite overwhelmed tbh. I'm hyper aware of all the plastic in my life at the moment. It seems a momentous undertaking right now.

Hello!

Still battling the plastic.

Found non-plastic birthday cake candle holders here:

http://www.vivicelebrations.com/category/collection/silver-plated-party-cake-candleholders

and beeswax birthday candles on Etsy.

Found a potty!

http://www.becobabies.com/newbornpotty.html

I might be in love!!!

https://www.facebook.com/ZeroWasteHome/posts/1076729025682610

Another one here seeking a plastic-free life and have had a very enjoyable 20 mins reading through all these suggestions! I have just bought some completely amazing metal clothes pegs after decades of picking up broken pegs from my lawn. Apparently they last forever! The joy I've had pegging my laundry is quite ridiculous! I also have a wooden toothbrush!

Hello teeny! Welcome and thank you for the peg link. They look the bees knees!

I would like to give this a go too! Recycling bin full every fortnight, mostly from packaging so I'm most interested in how to buy food without all the plastic containers. Currently use tesco for food home deliveries so will start there or find others who can do home delivery without the plastic.

Hello Ruby. I find the farmer's market best but meat is still wrapped in plastic there. Prewrapped. Fruit & veg without plastic. Refillable rapeseed oil in reusable bottles.

Yes I tried to order online with less packaging but the options just weren't there so I thought farmers market might be worth a go. The nearest one here though I think is just once a month, last Saturday in the month so it will be a while before I can go back. The other thing I was thinking about was getting milk delivered in glass bottles and maybe a veg box.

No glass milk available in Scotland that I have come across.

I thin McQueens Dairy provides milk in glass bottles but I didn't really want it delivered!

Thanks, Ruby.

I have found a sellotape substitute. Clear cellulose tape.

http://www.tapes-direct.co.uk/index.php?mainpage=productinfo&products_id=1071

have you used that tape? sound GREAT! I am tempted to buy a job lot and make it this year's Christmas present!

Place marking as this is something thing I'm interested in . But wondering why you are going plastic free?
I would say is it isn't environmentally friendly to replace plastic things you already have and were perfectly fine with non-plastic things
It is all the first R - Reducing. Use what you have (plastic or otherwise) until it breaks/HAS to be replaced -what happens to your old plastic things? Charity shops? Recycle bins?

Things like potties sure you could get second hand ...well cleaned/disinfected will be fine and a reasonable quality plastic potty would do several (a hundred?) children.
I have plastic birthday candle holders -I wash and reuse them - have used the same ones for 15yrs+ - just had to buy a larger number as DCs age increased.
Anyway will be back later...

I hope this contribution is OK. I do not understand completely whether this is a thread about avoiding plastic for health reasons or for ethical ones to do with recycling. When I do buy produce from Aldi, I try to get it in those plastic trays (like the ones they use for mushrooms). They make brilliant seed trays and are quite tough, so I get several uses out of them before they go to the recycling.

I'm not replacing the plastic potty we got second hand for free with a new bamboo one. When I buy new tape I will not buy sellotape but cellulose tape. It's a slow process.

This thread is to provide people with options before they buy their first potty. I would've bought the bamboo one had I known it existed.

I am replacing all plastic kitchen stuff for health reasons. The Tupperware has been donated to charity and I have replaced it with glass and stainless steel.

I was at a local dairy today who make and sell ice cream. They sell ice cream to take away and I think I'm going to pop back and ask if they would fill a reusable container rather than buy a plastic tub each time. They can only say no!

Sorry Star I did sound snippy and I wasn't being...I am most concerned about the environmental impact -so reducing waste as much as possible.
I always buy the biggest container possible.
Household cleaning wise I am a member of a cooperative so buy things like 5L of Ecover washing up liquid and decant into the same bottle. I was a bag in a box - and I've refilled the same bottle at least 30 x . Now I think it comes in a plant based 'plastic' bottle.

I use washing powder rather than liquid.
I only really use washing up liquid, bicarb and vinegar for cleaning. I actually buy 'concentrated condiment essence' - which is what fish and chip shops dilute to make vinegar. (I get the local chippy to order it for me - just need to make sure they get me clear not the stuff with brown colouring in) - I get a 5L tub (in plastic) but it is 80% acetic acid so you dilute 1 in 16 (iirc) to make it the same strength as normal white vinegar - a 5 L tub lasts me easily over a year...and I use it as a loo cleaner.
I use bar soap -no liquid hand soap or shower gel and I use a shampoo bar. (I use stuff from the funky soap company - the lush stuff contains SLS which I was trying to avoid but reducing packaging waste was one of the aims of the person who started Lush). DCs do use liquid shampoo - the stuff I use stings like mad if you get it in your eyes...so still using no tears stuff for DD2 .
My sister used to have a plastic toothbrush but it had replaceable heads -you just threw the head away instead of the handle too - but I think she stopped being able to buy the heads.

Yoghurt I in theory make my own - using a yeo valley as a starter. I make it in old yoghurt pots (although you could make it in something glass/metal) -in winter when the heating is on I just put the pots on top of a radiator for a few hours. In summer (no heating) I stand them in a pan of warm water - which I reheat if it gets too cool.
(I actually have a yoghurt maker - glass pots with plastic lids, had one years ago and bought a second hand one the same about 6 yrs ago. I started doing big pots cos I couldn't give the glass pots to my 2-3 yr old so ended up transferring it to a bowl away...)

I haven't been organised to do this for a while but I used to make my own washing up sponges. Save the nets from oranges etc, when you have a lot fold them up together, put them in the end of one net, twist it and fold it back round, twist it fold it back round. Do that with a couple of nets. Then sew it together around the middle in a circle . They sort of look like these ones (but these are posher crochet ones...seem more hassle and not reusing nets). They last for ages (as long as no-one cleans the sharp end of a knife blade with them -looking at you DP) and you can boil them to sterilise them and they are suitable for non-stick pans....

That's great info on the vinegar. I've not been able to buy it in bulk yet but we have switched to vinegar for cleaning. It does take some getting used to! The house smells a bit like a chippy.

We too have switched to bar soap. I'm on my last disposable razor head so switching to a stainless steel razor next month.

I haven't yet done anything about toothbrushes. DH and I use electric and the girls get a free one with toothpaste at every dental visit as part of Childsmile. Every event we go to there seems to be someone handing free toothbrushes and free toothpaste. I guess this is the 'refuse' Bea Johnson writes about.

Just spent the last 10 minutes cleaning the bath mat for my children. It is nearly 4 years old. The plastic has cracked and mould is growing in the cracks. What to replace it with?!

A silicone alternative?

This looks good.

https://heveaplanet.com/shop/bath-mat/

unlucky - thanks for the info on vinegar. I buy a big 5 litre bottle of diluted stuff at the mo, and then decant into cleaning bottles, so buying undiluted would be way better for me.

I like the idea of a co-op. Wonder if there is one in my area? Am thinking of going over to solid shampoo/conditioner from Lush to reduce plastic waste.

I am obsessed about having no plastic in my life! BPA free products are all of other chemicals which are even worse. I am using Kleen Kanteen bottles with my husband and daughter and I was delighted to discover a new beaker for my baby-to-come which is made of metal with a silicone top (Kleen Kanteen). I have also discovered recently ForeverFlask product on Kickstarter.com which offers a flask and food container made of surgical steel. It also works like thermos! I have ordered one, hoping to get it later and will let you know my feedback.

Hi lidijav

We tried the Klean Kanteen sippy cups but didn't get on too well.

Much prefer the NUK glass baby bottle with the latex or silicone free flow spout. Both spouts are compost able over 12 months.

Hi!
I gave suddenly become very conscious of our household waste and starting to try to reduce the plastic. Hubby mostly dies the shooing so I've asked him to be more thoughtful about reducing packaging but he's forgetful!!
We cloth nappy and I'm building my csp stash (still breastfeeding so no rush yet!).
Hubby seems to have an obsession with plastic drink bottles, ice shown him the klean kanteens, says he isn't keen but any ideas on what to do with old plastic ones? Charity shop or some other use to keep them!m? I hate the taste, smell and the fact water gets warm!!!
We use alot of Tupperware so looking to swap slowly to stainless (budget issue at the minute with maternity pay!).
Always recycle what we can and have reusable bags etc.
Any mother tips for easy switches to get us started? X

Hi dinosaur

I'm a bit bogged down with it all currently. Feeling a bit futile but I have read this is common - surrounded by a mainstream culture that doesn't care.

I started carrying stainless steel straws for my children. Much derision from the PILs, DH feeling 'it was a step too far'. Sigh. Children were on board, waitress excited!

I just see it everywhere now. Plastic all the time. So utterly bloody unnecessary.

Our Klean Kanteen's are still going strong. Left mine in the car today so didn't have a coffee. Really good product though. Try Soul bottles or Life factory for glass options.

I'm now looking at eliminating synthetic clothes in our lives. We do have some fleece jackets which I am trying not to launder. Managed to get DD1 a boiled wool coat on eBay for £40 which was an amazing bargain. Issues with my CSP now due to the microfibre. I bought a cup but haven't found the courage to try it yet.

I find shopping so pointless now. Everywhere I look is just rows and rows of stuff I am no longer interested in. DH does the bulk of the food shopping but can be a little nonplussed at my notions.

Still looking for toothpaste in glass/metal but still containing fluoride. The Eco options tend to be fluoride free and that's a step too far right now.