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.
