The Plastic Diet

Follows is a list of changes I have  already made in hopes of severely reducing the amount of plastic brought into my home

The list goes from most recent to the least recent:

 

*************************************************************************************

UPDATES 09/02/12:

43. PLASTIC SHOPPING BAGS BANNED IN SEATTLE as of July 1rst. YAY!

42. Use corn-based Bio-Bags in paper shredder- shredded paper goes in the compost bin in the City of Seattle

41. FOUND A STORE THAT PUTS THEIR MEAT IN OLD-FASHIONED, COMPOSTABLE BUTCHER PAPER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! At last!   (Central Market, North Seattle)
(They make all their own sausages, too!)

UPDATES 6/12/12:

40. Put fruit directly own own reusable cloth shopping bags.

39. When I forget to bring my reusable containers stores store, always opt for paper bags, paper takeout containers or skip store altogether.

38. Carry own fork in purse.

37. Have switched to usibother corn-basedcollie bags to collect cat litter. (I so do wish she’good her business outside! She seems to have forgotten why the cat door was installed in the first place!)

36. Have switto sin using olive oil only for moisturizer. It comes in a glass bottle.

************************************************************************************

UPDATES 12/18/11:

35. Resisted urge to buy Holiday Bouquet at Fred Meyer (we have no tree this year) as the bouquet came in plastic wrap. I went to the Xmas tree section and asked instead for leftover branches from when they cut the bottom of the off and made my own greenery arrangement  to decorate the  buffet  table!  Staff at store was all too happy to give me the branch detritus: “less weight for me to have to haul around back and compost” she said

34. Have set out all my collected  plastic take-out containers from the past year along with a permanent marker to mark  in the most frequently used  bulk bin item numbers on lids ; am also re-matching stray lids to bottoms and re-inking the tear weights.

33. (Gingerly) fished out the few stray cups and plastic cutlery from that did wind up in the trash can

32. Put out signs at the neighborhood Xmas party I hosted saying “WE REUSE OUR PLASTIC FORKS AND CUPS! Please put in kitchen sink- Thanks!”

31. Reused clean plastic cutlery and plastic cups from LAST year’s party

30. Used a mix mostly real crockery for neighborhood Xmas party at my place, and compostable paper plates

29. Clean out drinking accidentally acquired plastic drinking straw (yeah- I confess- I got a soda at Jack ‘N’ the Box..) and put in purse. Hopefully this will be the spring board for me remembering to say “no straw” the next time I am at Jack ‘N’ the Box ( not that I go often- I don’t. but we all have our weak moments!)

28. Cease buying Kettle brand nut butters as they now only seem to package the stuff in plastic.

27. Try and stay in eco-friendly hotels if possible.

26. Pack my own take-out containers in suitcase when traveling in addition to water bottle and travel coffee mug- saves on using restarant plastic takeout container/ doggie bags . If you happen across any bulk bins on your journey, you can fill your container up with snacks.

25. Better yet, decline housekeeping in your hotel all together during your stay so that the trash can is not emptied til it’s truly full!

24. In hotel rooms, designate *one* trashcan in the room for all your refuse, instead of habitually tossing out bits of pieces in all the cans- this way, housekeeping only empties one bag.

23. Bought three cardboard boxes of ball point pens today- am still in shock  that I actually had to buy them… pens just usually show up around here. Brand:  Paper Mate boxed dozen, the pens are delightfully loose and unwrapped inside the box.  The only other non-shrink-wrapped choice was the Office Max store brand. Everything else was SHRINK WRAPPED to death. Ugh! 11/22/11

22. Bought two flat-style bungee cords instead of your traditional round ones to replace two worn out  other cords – all the brands  of regular bungees sold at Fred Meyer cam wrapped in plastic, while the 45′ flat ones came only wrapped in a bit of cardboard. I used bungees to secure the four corners of the car port tent to the fence-my long driveway can turn into a pretty ferocious wind tunnel, so the more typing down, the better.

21. Bought coated buy wire instead of new nylon cords to anchor down the re-installed  winter car port/canopy (you know- one of those 10 x 20 tent dealies) All siszes of nyoon cord came swathed in plastic, the guy wire came tied to a strip of card board. It did have three plastic zip-ties, alsa, but those are re-usable as ties for other things.

20. Bring own take containers to restaurants /up supply of these that live in the car so I’m not caught short. Containers can be my Pyrex glass containers *or* any existing plastic Tupperware  stuff- the point is to re-use what plastic I already have until it’s worn  out…since, alas, it already exists in my house…

19. Buy Stahlbush Island Farms frozen vegetables -if buying frozen veggies at all- their new  packaging is 100% bio-degradable.

18. Experiment with making own toothpaste now, so when last toothpaste tube runs out, I won’t be caught in a jam

17. Buy “new” land line phones at the Good Will- there are a gazilion types and

kinds available

16. Don’t line outside trash cans at all!  (Trust me, the Waste Guys can cope!)

15. Use BioBags  100% biodegradable liners in paper shredder, cat box and kitchen counter compost bucket.

14. Buy nails, screws and other hardware from stores like Ace Hardware that still sell these items out of bulk bins- no more Home Depot shrink wrapped versions of these types of  things.

13. Bring re-usable cloth bags to clothing stores- whether Nordstrom’s or the Good Will, doesn’t matter. (I am about 90% compliant so far)

12. No more soda  six packs with the plastic rings.

11. Save any plastic utensils that accidentally come my way and re-use them!

10.  Better yet, bring and use  my own stainless steel travel coffee mugs (so far I’m about 90% compliant)

9. Always remember to ask the barisitas for a ” FOR HERE” cup.

8. Have new  Deb Seymour CD “Mama Wears A Hard Hat”  packed in DiscMakers Eco-Wallet- it’s  all cardboard CD case, no plastic CD tray(see www.discmakers.com for an example)

7. Switch rice cracker brand from one with double plastic- a tray *and* an outside wrapper to a brand with only the outside wrapper- tray is cardboard.

6. Buy L’EGGs panty hose instead of other brands- L’EGGS is now packaged in a simple cardboard slip that can be recycled.

5. Bring glass jars and /or existing plastic Tupperware to store for bulk bin items

4. Re-fill dish detergent and hand soap at local food co-op from the bulk soap containers

3. Switch from plastic garbage bags to BioBags corn-starch based, 100% bio-degradable bags

2. Re-use existing plastic bags for produce.

1. No more plastic shopping bags- use cloth bags.