Giving Plastic the Boot
I hate plastic: the pervasive, environmental bully that’s nigh impossible to escape.
But there’s recycling, you say?
Recycling should be the final consideration; we need to bring back the oft-forgotten reduce and reuse before tossing our waste into the blue bin and hoping that all the world’s environmental woes will miraculously resolve.
Avoiding plastic entirely is futile at best – but if you have managed to do so, I wholeheartedly applaud and envy you. You, sir or madame, are my new hero. Show me your ways!
So, until I can unlock the mastery of giving all-things-plastic the boot, here are some of the ways I pare back plastics.
REDUCE
Simple, absolutely – it just takes a shift in mindset. I try my best to be mindful whenever I make a purchase. When it comes to plastic, I simply look for products that use alternative or minimal packaging materials.
Some of my favourite plastic-free products are:
- J.R. Liggett’s herbal shampoo bars. These bars are full of amazing ingredients, are biodegradable, and leave my hair super shiny and soft.
- Nuts to You Nut Butter. This Canadian company packs all their tasty butters in glass jars, which I use to store my homemade body butters, use for meals on-the-go, and store pantry goodies.
- S’well stainless steel water bottle. Me and my S’well are glued at the hip. These bottles work for both hot and cold bevies, and they’re stylish and eco-friendly. Yippee!
REUSE
Repurposing is kind of my jam. There’s something very satisfying about rehoning and finding new uses for a “throw-away” item. My first and greatest love when it comes to repurposing has to be glass containers. From old-timey maple syrup bottles, to jam and mason jars – I loves them all.
Here’s some of the ways I give glass containers a new life (after washing and sterilizing, of course):
- Nut butter jars, for overnight oats or chia seed pudding
- Mason jars, for vases, drinking glasses, and water on-the-go
- Maple syrup bottles for homemade hair rinses and infused cooking oils
- Jam jars for seasonings and spices
Paring down plastic is simple to do and doesn’t mean giving up all luxuries of modern living. It’s something you can do a little bit of every day that can make a big impact on the world we live in.
And when all is said and done, and you can reduce and reuse no more, recycle. 🙂
How do you pare back on plastics? Share your ideas with us on our Facebook and Twitter pages.