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.

[MGKJLW]

Just an update from me half way through Plastic Free July. I feel quite happy with the progress we've made. In no way perfect, and definitely not waste free but I've made some changes that I think I will be able to stick to in future, on top of the changes I made at the beginning of hte month.

So for instance, I now make my own yoghurt and it is super nice tasting, so easy to make, and we'll never have to buy a plastic yoghurt pot again. I've also just bought an old fashioned shaver that takes blades so no more plastic disposable heads going in the bin.

I seem to be getting my eye in and every time I see a bit of plastic going in the trash I think about whether there would be another solution. Sometimes there just isn't, but sometimes there is.

[ememem84]

I'm doing ok with plastic free July. Reuseable water bottle at work - Its an old Evian sports bottle but I'm just refilling it.

Coffee/tea in a proper mug (if I want a naice coffee from the naice shop opposite my office I take my mug across the road...!)

We've replaced our old very tired looking and a bit leaky fridge water jug with a glass one. So the water is actually cooler.

I have a nice lunchbox so my packups are going in there every day (loose sandwiches etc no cling).

A lot of local businesses are trying to do plastic free July. Most pubs/bars here have ditched straws for drinks. But have replaced plastic ones with recyclable paper ones if people really want them. But they're not just being left on the bars. You have to ask.

[SimonNeilshair]

Hi, thanks for all the brilliant tips on this thread. I'm trying to really think about what I buy and am trying to reduce our plastic use. Sometimes it feels like an impossible challenge though, it just seems to be everywhere!

@linzertorte I'm very interested to hear how you make your own soya milk! We get through so much of it.

[Stabbitha]

This is an interesting Thread.

DH makes wooden kitchen items, bowls, cups, spoons, spatulas and things. it's a fairly new business and going OK.

I never really thought to market to the plastic free.

What alternatives do most plastic free people use? Any items out there hard to get hold of that would be suitable made out of wood? Any gaps in the market?

So far we have been using the 'food takes longer to go cold' angle.

Plastic free = exciting times

[Stabbitha]

Should probably add, I meant in relation of Childrens plastic plates and spoons. I don't know many adults that eat off plastic :D

[ememem84]

as a wedding gift my grandparents gave us a lovely picnic set. Think wicker basket gingham table cloth type thing. With enamel plates. The lovely white ones with the blue trim. We use these loads for beach BBQ etc.

Once ds is here in September and is on proper foods I think we'll probably just use something like this for him.

We have just bought bottles etc which are plastic but didn't think to try and find a way round that one. But then saying that we won't be buying them every week so as a one off it's probably ok. Same with my water bottle.

[babba2014]

Has anyone got ideas for using those sun shades for the car for the kids? I think mine is made of some sort of plastic or the other.
I'm sure I'll have more questions so I'll be back.

[babba2014]

I remember now.

In getting into plastic free for chemical reasons too so...

My kids are into their crafts and things like acrylic stamps where there's lots of options, I guess I'd avoid buying? What about rubber?
I'm new to this as you can tell. I don't know the ins and outs but I have done things like switched to glass bottles.

[babba2014]

I can't edit so having to post another.
Kids paints, and many other related things come in plastic. I wonder if there are any alternatives.

[LinzerTorte]

SimonNeilshair I bought a soya milk maker very similar to <a class="break-all" href="//www.amazon.co.uk/d/Home-Kitchen/Soymilk-maker-model-V-230V-UK-plug/B01LCXR99S/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1500293822&sr=8-7&keywords=soy%20milk%20maker&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">this one. You can see a video of a soya milk maker in use on this website (the website is in German, but if you go to Shop you can change the language to English).

It's basically a cross between a big kettle and a blender and is very easy to use; I soak soya beans overnight (you can use dry ones but the results are supposed to be better with soaked), add them to the soya milk maker with water, switch it on and 20-25 minutes later the milk is ready. The most fiddly/time-consuming part is the washing up afterwards as you have to do it by hand, but even that only take a few minutes.

I would definitely recommend it if you drink a lot of soya milk; we only get through a litre or two a week so it will probably take several years to pay for itself, but the lack of plastic/zero waste aspect was a major factor for us (DH has been converted too).

[SimonNeilshair]

Thanks Linzer I had no idea they existed! it looks a bit like my soup maker, but I'm guessing it has a different mechanism inside. I'd love to get one, I'll have to start saving my pennies.

[LinzerTorte]

You can apparently use them to make soup too Simon, but I'm not sure whether it works the other way round - whether you could use a soup maker to make soya milk, I mean.

I came across them on an Austrian zero waste group on FB when people were raving about the second one I linked to. After a bit of googling I managed to find a cheaper version that looks almost exactly the same, but it still wasn't exactly cheap. Worth it if you can afford the initial outlay, though.

[stargirl1701]

@babba2014

Lots of craft stuff here.

consciouscraft.uk

And here.

www.myriadonline.co.uk

Pinterest has lots of ideas for make your own paint and glue which is great way of cutting out plastic.

[SimonNeilshair]

Does anybody feel they are completely failing to cut down on plastic? Even if I feel I'm buying something without plastic I open the box, and there it is

I'm about to run out of my washing up liquid now, does anyone have a recommendation for what to go for next?

[stargirl1701]

A bit late with my reply, sorry.

I bought a large 5 litre plastic bottle of Bio D washing up liquid 2 years ago. I decant a small amount into a glass bottle to keep near the sink.

I think it will last another 2 years before I buy another one.

Have you checked out Bea Johnson's Zero Waste website?

[Numberonecook]

Hi we have just started to reduce plastic. We are not plastic free but if there is an alternative that doesn't cost a fortune I will purchase.

My biggest observer is supermarkets and not realising just how much plastic they use before now. It's literally everywhere!

We've switched to bar soap, shampoo, conditioner etc and buy loose food whenever we can. Use cloth bags and no wrap for lunches etc. I've even got a wooden washing up brush and compostable toilet brush!

DH thinks I'm mad as I spent hours looking for an alternative to our plastic bath lily/scrubber/puff thingy after it was useless but I found a cloth alternative :)

Off to check my homemade yogurt and put it into glass jars

[Josephinelavelle]

I'm trying to reduce to, but I didn't realise how much we actually use it. I've started to feel bad because of all the cardboard being wasted from Amazon and other deliveries I've purchased of non plastic stuff!
But, on the whole it's a nice feeling gradually replacing plastic items with different material. Next will be my cleaning items, starting with an old fashioned steel bucket and wooden mop.

[picklemepopcorn]

I'm gradually moving my way across. No toiletries in plastic any more, oh except for toothpaste.
Food is the worst, for me.

[Numberonecook]

Well my yogurt didn't work! It separated. All the ingredients were fresh and I didn't move the yogurt maker had to go buy the kids some yogurts from Tesco on the way to school

[Gingernaut]

Anyone seen this?

Plastic scheme in the pipeline.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41474334

[stargirl1701]

Toothpaste is still in plastic for us too.

[LittleHearts]

Place marking for ideas

[stargirl1701]

Advent!

Book Advent Calendar

Grimm's Advent Spiral with beeswax candles

Melissa & Doug wooden Advent tree

[AryanMummy]

Hi!
I think you guys would like ingreens.co.uk

I just discovered it as I was searching for plastic free dental floss

ingreens.co.uk/product/dental-floss/

The shop has a great range of plastic free useful stuff, check it out

xxx

[Theonlyoneiknow]

Hi All, this is something I am working towards for 2018. The first thing that is jumping out at me is how to not buy milk in plastic (no milk delivery near me). Any ideas? TIA !