My Plastic Free Journey

My Plastic Free Journey

This is how much plastic I threw away in a week and a half (minus the one recyclable juice container that our city will take).  Most of this is normal consumption with a few added items from cleaning out a closet over the week.  Times this by 52, give or take a few items each week, and you have created a mini landfill of waste that will never break down in the environment and will pollute our land and water forever!

 This is what brought me on my plastic journey thanks to reading Plastic Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too by Beth Terry for the first book in the Eco-Vegan Gal Book Club (You can join the book club by visiting her Google+ Page - Whitney Lauritsen and asking her to add you to the EvG Bookclub).  All these years I have been thinking I was doing my part by recycling anything I can - even taking all the office's recyclables home from work - but recycling is just a small part in dealing with our plastic problem and by not purchasing items made with plastic, you would be doing the world a much greater good as the resources were never used, pollution never created, and at the end of it's lifecycle it will not be just sitting in a landfill for all eternity.

I would definitely recommend reading this book as it really opened my eyes to the world of plastic - why it's bad for you, the animals, and the environment. It is filled with TONS of great resources so I would really recommend buying the e-book - always having the information at your fingertips, searchable, and saves the resources of creating and shipping the book to you. 

To me, being a vegan isn't only about not eating animals or animal products; it's about making the world a better place for the animals, the humans, and the future of our planet.  Too often we can get caught up in our modern world and not think about how every decision we make affects the world around us.  

This photo (taken from thedelicousday.com who listed credit as Chris Jordan) of a decaying carcass of a baby albatross bird on the island of ___ that was printed in Beth Terry's book was the reason she started her plastic free journey and inspired mine as well.  The mother birds mistakenly see the floating plastic mess as food and scoop it up and feed it to their babies.  The plastic leaves them hungry instead of nourished and eventually leads to their death.  Other animals are similarly affected - sea turtles mistaking plastic bags for jellyfish, fish eating plastic instead of a meal - and it is all too common. 

An entirely plastic free life seems quite impractical in a plastic filled world, but there are many ways we can reduce our consumption and remove many plastics from our life entirely.

Things you can do today:

1. No more plastic grocery bags! I'm sure you've been given many reusable bags branded with company logos over the years.  If you still have them, use 'em!  If not, invest in a few reusable cloth (preferably organic if it will come in direct contact with your food) bags and put them in the trunk of your car.  Stick a little reminder on your steering wheel to remember to bring in your bags anytime you are at the grocery store, or any store for that matter.  Make sure to let the cashier know in advance that you brought your own bags.

2. No more throw away bottles of water! I've gotten used to carrying my cheap reusable aluminum water bottle with me wherever I go, but after reading Beth's book. I plan on switching to glass.  Plastic water bottles not only create TONS of waste, but the plastic itself leaks chemicals into the very water you drink!  Turns out the aluminum bottle I was carrying is also lined with BPA, a form of plastic now being banned in baby bottles, that could be contaminating the water I drink.  You can also use glass or stainless steel bottles such as Kleen Kanteen and refill it at home or the nearest water fountain!  I have never been a fan of city tap water, so I filter my water at home and bring my bottle plus an additional reused glass juice container to refill it when I'm at work or somewhere for long periods of time. I plan on purchasing a Life Factory glass bottle on my next trip to Whole Foods and repurpose my aluminum bottle at home.

3. Read Plastic Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too by Beth Terry! Beth does a fantastic job of explaining the why and how's of removing plastic from your life.  The book is filled with many great websites and resources for helping you get started.  Also check her website MyPlasticFreeLife.com and take the challenge and join the discussion!

 

 Week 1 of Plastic-Conscious Grocery Shopping

Considering the amount of stuff I bought, I didn't fare too bad.  It will definitely be a challenge to come up with more creative ways of removing it entirely from my shopping experience!  Instead of purchasing small plastic-packaged items, I opted for the bulk bins (top row).  Although the bags are plastic (my reusable organic cotton produce bags had not come in it) the amount is much less or the ratio of food I purchased.  They will be put into the canisters below them and I saved the plastic bags for reuse if I'm ever in a pinch.  Even my organic kale (bottom) had a little metal twisty tie covered with plastic, but far less than a plastic covered bunch, so it was my best option.  I purchased the LightLife Smart Strips(center) with a plastic coated box and plastic packaging for the strips for a recipe I already had planned, but plan to leave the processed foods out of my next shopping excursion.  Finding plastic free nut and seed milks seemed next to impossible, so I purchased one while I research how to make my own nut milks at home.  Hubby was feeling ill, so I opted for the most plastic free soup I could find while still avoiding BPA-lined canned soups (far right) but I believe the packets had a plastic coating. My gluten-free Pumpkin Delight cookie by Alternative Baking Company (far left) was an impluse buy.  I didn't even think of the plastic!  I felt guilty after I brought it home and realized my dilemma.  Sadly, ABC cookies will have to go in favor of the home made.

That is the start of my plastic story.  Leave a comment with what you can do to reduce plastic consumption in your home.  I'd love to hear your ideas!