Just like King Corn a while back convinced me to give up my 20oz Mountain Dew bottle-a-day habit, Bag It has me convinced that I need to kick my plastic habit. Turns out this is much much much harder undertaking. I hadn't realized how many plastic bottles and wrappers and caps and lids existed in my life.
Here are 5 places I've been able to make a difference, so far...
1. Switch to bar soap: I used to use bar soap all the time as a kid, but for some reason when I became a teenager I switched to body wash, which comes in a plastic container. Over the last two years I've broken the habit and gone back to bar soap, which has significantly less packaging. I like Dr. Bronner's Pure Castile Magic Soap Bars, but my new obsession is with Honeyrun Farm's Peppermint and Tea Tree Wake Up Bar, which I found at the Olde Worthington Farmer's Market. Just one tiny paper wrapper for packaging and a local product. Love.
2. Buy wooden spoons: Or get them as gifts. :) I've always been mystified by them, but it turns out that they are extremely simple and they don't break or melt like my plastic utensils used to. Just don't put them in the dishwasher! (P. S. I'm now eyeing the most spectacular wooden spoon that they sell at Encircle in Uptown Westerville, whose handle is in the shape of a cat tail. Yes, I am that person.)
3. Use laundry powder: It took me a long time to break my liquid laundry detergent habit. Growing up, we only ever used Tide. I finally moved away from that and started using Mrs. Meyer's Lemon Verbena laundry detergent, but it comes in a large plastic bottle, of course. So now I've started using Ecover's laundey powder. I've only had one mishap of packing my load too tightly and having temporary powder residue appear on my freshly-laundered clothes. Lesson learned.
4. Try glass containers: Confession time. I still use a lot of plastic containers in the kitchen. I take reusable Ziploc containers to Raisin Rack to stock up on their bulk bin goodies like bulgar and granola and hot & spicy trail mix. I also store all of my fresh produce in large plastic storage containers in the fridge because I find it makes it last significantly longer. But I no longer use it for prepared foods or to microwave meals in. Instead, I use these nifty Pyrex glass containers. Although the lids are still plastic, they are BPA free and I never use them in the microwave. I'm hoping they will provide more lid options in the future. I also found that somehow I've lost or ruined a few lids over time and you can buy replacements separately through the Corningware Corelle Revere Factory Store outlet store in Lodi, Ohio.
5. Get mesh produce bags: I hated the fact that I would dutifully take my reusable shopping bags to the grocery store or farmer's market only to use plastic bags to store green beans and spinach and other loose produce that requires its own bag. Now I don't have to waste the extra plastic. These mesh bags are large and flexible and easily laundered in the washing machine. Yippee!
