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Cut Your Plastic

Because oil derived plastics are cheap, plentiful and versatile we use them for just about everything including one use throwaway objects and packaging.

In the UK alone we generate 3 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, 56% of which is used packaging, three-quarters of which is from households. (waste on line).

Most plastics of course do not biodegrade so plastic trash lasts for a long time  possibly for ever. We are creating huge amounts of everlasting rubbish.

Plastic cannot be composted or left to rot like organic rubbish. This means that every bit of plastic rubbish, every sweet wrapper and crisp packet, has to be collected and specially disposed of. It not and it escapes out into the environment, it is there for ever. .Even when it is collected, disposing of it is not easy. Put it in landfill and it just sits there. It can only be incinerated in special facilities.Yes plastic can be recycled but only a small percentage of plastic trash is.

All disposal methods are expensive and come with an environmental cost. None are a solution for the overconsumption of plastic or the creation of everlasting trash. Because no matter how careful, some plastic trash  ends up as litter. That is  litter with a lifespan or centuries. Not surprisingly plastic pollution is increasing exponentially with disastrous consequences.

Then there are the hormone disruptors leaching into plastic-wrapped food, the powerful carcinogens created during the manufacture of certain plastics and the unknown additives whose toxicity has yet to be assessed.

What with one thing and another cutting the amount of plastic you use can only be good for you and the environment. More on bad plastic here

Here are a few tips to dramatically cut your plastic footprint

Refuse and reduce – say no to

  • That extra bag
  • Over packaged products
  • Bottled water

Replace -with sustainable alternatives

  • Natural fibre sweeping brushes
  • Cotton pants
  • Coconut pan scrubs 

Ditch disposables – get with reusables

Heres how

Carrier Bags

More than 8bn single use plastic bags given away in UK supermarkets in 2013. The easiest, quickest way to cut your trash is to  take your own reusable bag.

Produce bags 

Refuse to use those nasty flimsy bags they give you for your fruit and veg? Buy or make some   reusable produce bags take them shopping and buy loose food .

Take your own containers

By now you will be ready to take your own reusable containers such as tupperware or tiffin tins to the meat and fish counter. Eek! You may get a refusal but ask to see the manager and politely tell him what you are doing. You are allowed to do this.

Sometimes you need a disposable. You can get compostable plastic  deli pots and packaging. They can also be used in the freezer. And yes you can compost them in your own compost bin. Find out more here

Buy unwrapped, unpacked food. You can find shop reviews here  plastic free food resource

Plastic Free Milk 

The average person in the UK drinks 82 litres, or around 144 pints of milk a year. (source: Dairy UK) More than 80% of liquid milk is now sold by retailers in plastic containers. That a lot of plastic bottles. So get a milkman with returnable, reusable glass bottles – stalk your neighbors looking for empties or check here to see if there’s one in your area.

Ditching Bottled Water

Britain consumes 3bn litres of bottled water per year That’s 13billion plastic bottles.Get yourself a water bottle and fill it with clean, perfectly safe, far cheaper tap water. Check out this fantastic scheme.
Cutting Straws 

This one is so easy. Just say no to plastic straws and use your lips. Or think about getting reusable straws.

Cups 

Did you know that paper cups are plastic lined?  Take your own plastic-less cup to work or the coffee shop.

Cleaner Cleaning

Get yourself some bicarbonate of soda and use it to clean everything from your dog to your carpet to your teeth. Just don’t use the same brush. Add lemon juice, vinegar and elbow grease.If you prefer a product, Ecover do
a wide range of liquid cleaners and you can get your bottle refilled, (use the post code locator to find your nearest refill store)

Buy Natural Products

When you scrub and clean tiny fibres break off your brush or cloth and get washed down the drain. If they are synthetic they do not biodegrade. Micro plastic pollution is a big cause for concern.Replace synthetic with natural – you can buy lovely plastic-free cotton mops, metal buckets and coconut scrubbers. Wooden brushes with coconut fibres sweep just as well as the plastic kind and you can compost them when done.

You can find the wonderful plastic free products we have sourced over the past few years right here. Organised by category

Menstruals

Did you know there is plastic in your tampons?  Not just wrapping them but actually in them? In the UK alone, we buy more than 3 billion menstrual products every year. Thats a lot of plastic trash. You could try a Mooncup, (reusable internal protection), washable pads or Natracare cotton tampons. Read more here

Haircare, fakebake & teeth 

For hair use a solid shampoo bar or even soap instead of shampoo. For conditioner use coconut oil on dry hair or a  vinegar rinse for oily.  Try making your own toothpowder lotions and creams – it’s really easy and they work.

And lots more tips on staying pretty plastic free can be found here….

Inform and educate

  • Tell everyone what you are doing
  • Check out conscious raising artists
  • Go see the film Trashed
  • Download educational materials for use in class rooms.

Technofix 

Become a scientist and discover cleaner better plastics like these

Want to reduce more of your plastic rubbish?

You can find the wonderful plastic free products we have sourced over the past few years right here. Organised

 

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Travel

Crossing land borders in South East Asia has been unusually stressful this trip thanks to the big bag of  white powder I am carrying in my rucksack. No we are not funding our trip by an ill advised foray into drug smuggling but trying to back pack plastic-free. Which means no plastic toothpaste tubes. So we have brought a sack of home-made tooth powder with us. While carrying tightly wrapped packs of dentifrice may be innocent, it sure doesn’t look it. I dread the day I have to explain to some grim-faced custom official. The response I fear  involves rubber gloves.

So why do it?

Well we are visiting wild and remote places, the kind of places you have to walk to. Places with no garbage collection service and your rubbish goes onto the village dump just out of town. A system that has been in place forever and that used to work.plastic pollurion mabul featured

But in the old days of course most trash was biodegradable, animals ate some of  it, the rest would compost down, it was safe to burn and the ashes could be used as fertilizer. The system was not perfect, but people have lived like this for centuries and maintained  sustainable landscapes. The introduction of plastic rubbish has changed everything. Because most plastics  do not biodegrade plastic lasts for a long time  possibly for ever. It cannot be eaten, does not rot or compost down and it is difficult to burn.

You can see some photos of plastic pollution in remote tourist places on our Facebook page Planet Trash 

When it does eventually break up or degrade, it only breaks down into smaller pieces of plastic. It cannot be left in the landscape as before. Basically every bit of plastic rubbish has to be collected up and specially disposed of either by being  buried in landfill, incinerated or recycled.

Whatever your method of plastic disposal, it requires amongst other things a decent infrastructure, some roads, machinery, power, vehicles and a lot of cash. You don’t get that the places we go. So  now the ditches alongside the rice paddies are choked with plastic crisp bags, the beaches littered with plastic water bottles and  plastic bags cover huge swathes of land. Many communities can only deal with their plastic waste by burning it. Evil smelling bonfires of smoldering plastic trash are now as much a part of the backpacker experience as tinkling temple bells. These filthy fires add to air pollution and global warming and worse; certain types of plastic, when burnt release release extremely toxic carcinogens.

Bali rubbish featuredAnimals that forage amongst the rubbish for food will often accidentally eat plastic. Which is a poor diet and sometimes a fatal one. Here are a few facts;

If plastic trash is not dumped, rubbish is often thrown into rivers to be carried off down to the sea.   Encyclopedia Brittanica states, “it has been estimated that 6.4 million tons of debris end up in the world’s oceans every year and that some 60 to 80 percent of that debris, or 3.8 to 5 million tons, is improperly discarded plastic litter “. In our years of travelling we have seen plastic pollution increase massively and we  don’t want to add to that pile of everlasting, carcinogenic, potentially lethal trash. That is why we travel plastic-less.

Here’s how.

 

Top Tips

DON’T Buy bottled water.You may not need to – check out this site that tells you if the water is safe to drink

If it isn’t use a Steripen  to purify  water.   . This fantastic bit of kit works by UV light, weighs next to nothing, is tiny and purifies water in 90 seconds…. if you bought only one thing. Of course you will also  need a refillable water bottle

We shop at local markets and bakeries for unpacked tasty plastic free snacks and we  take our own bags to put them in – including a reusable carrier bag and produce bags.

Because so much street food comes in disposable plastic we take

  • tin cup for drinks
  • reusable tin tiffin tin   for street food
  • folding chop sticks to eat it with
  • folding cutlery. ditto
    WashbagWe don’t use plastic packed toiletries provided. Instead we use our own including;

    • a solid shampoo. It cuts down on more bottles.  Lush (www.lush.com ) do some. When that runs out we use bar soap – it works fine..
    • I make my own sunblock &  self tan.
    • And of course the dodgy looking toothpowder.
    • You can find the whole range of plastic free beauty products here

    More

    Travel – how we travel the world plastic free.

    Links to suppliers in the posts….

    Carrier Bags reusable

    Cotton string bags are fantastic. These are my best bags and I use them most of the time. They have ...
    Read More

    Chop Sticks Folding

    The curse of the plastic chopstick wrapper means that eating plastic-free South East Asian style  can be hard work. So ...
    Read More

    Clothing Homemade Denim 3/4 length

    No Daisy Dukes for me! Check out these bad boys! Below the knee, denim shorts with half gather waist. Made ...
    Read More

    coffee press travel mug

    I love coffee and I carry my own coffee making equipment with me when backpacking, (yes really I do), but ...
    Read More

    Cups BYO

    Any one lucky enough to see the photos of Vladimir Putin bare-chested in camo  will have some idea just how ...
    Read More

    Cutlery – travel

    The buffet cars on Polish trains are so cute. They are relatively modern but have an old-fashioned feel. Perhaps it’s ...
    Read More

    Fake-bake plastic-free

    Every year they, the fashionistas, say that pale is interesting - well up here in the windswept north of England ...
    Read More

    Glasses / Tumblers/ Pint Pots

    When we go travelling, camping, partying or picniking, we take our own steel tumblers for wine and other beverages. They ...
    Read More

    Hankerchiefs

    Snot rags! Ughhh..... Remember the old days when you had a hanky tucked up your sleeve or even in the hem of your ...
    Read More

    How Backpackers Live Without Bin Liners

    All the hotels we stayed in in China line the bins with plastic bags. When they clean the rooms I ...
    Read More

    Lunch box or tiffin tin

    Street food in Asia is good and cheap but sadly now involves a lot of plastic. These days it is ...
    Read More

    Menstrual internal protection reusable

    Products to deal with menstruation are plastic heavy  ( see some stats). They are made from plastic, come wrapped in plastic, ...
    Read More

    Mosquito Repellent

    It's that time of night when sitting on the balcony becomes a feat of endurance rather than a pleasure and ...
    Read More

    Produce Bags

    Produce bags are reusable bags that (as the name suggests), you put your loose produce in. It means you don't ...
    Read More

    Sun Block Creams & Lotions

     The following information is for guidance only. None of the following recipes or tips have not been tested on anyone ...
    Read More

    Take your own …. tray???

    A tin cup and folding chop sticks  for sure ... but taking your own tray? Backpacking? In China they have some really great food stalls ...
    Read More

    Talcum Powder

    Suffering from sweaty, itchy bits ? Try this tropical talc in metal tins. It soothes and calms and leaves no ...
    Read More

    Toothpaste, toothpowder, dentifrice homemade

    Dentifrice - toothpaste or  toothpowder whichever, it  is basically an abrasive to clean and polish the teeth. Most brands come packed ...
    Read More

    Water steriliser – SteriPEN

    Its easy to give up bottled water in England but what of when you are abroad? in countries where the ...
    Read More
  • Things To Write About

  • Buy

    One of the real joys of buying #plasticfree is sourcing the stuff in local shops. The excitement when you see milk in glass bottle in the newsagents is beyond words.

    However sometime you have to buy on line. Most of the products featured have an online option to buy. Though we try to link with business we know we cannot always do this. Then we try to find a similar product on Amazon.

    Amazon is a very dirty word at the moment and I thought long and hard before suggesting them.  Heres why I went ahead….. No we are not entirely happy with Amazons recent history. However, we have always found their service to be good and their packaging usually compostable.

    If you buy a product via this link we do get an affiliation fee for this. This is not why we do it.

    Steripen Adventurer Opti Handheld UV Water Purifier - Black/Green SteriPEN UV Traveler Mini Opti TRMO-MM-GF Water Purifier Silver / Black Steripen Traveler 3 in 1 Handheld UV Water Purifier
    Steripen Adventurer Opti Handheld UV Water …
    £76.48
    SteriPEN UV Traveler Mini Opti TRMO-MM-GF W… Steripen Traveler 3 in 1 Handheld UV Water …
    £43.63
    Steripen FitsAll Filter Steripen Classic Pre-Filter Pack Portable UV Water Purifier - White/Blue Klean Kanteen 18oz Reflect Mirrored
    Steripen FitsAll Filter
    £12.99
    Steripen Classic Pre-Filter Pack Portable U…
    £57.86
    Klean Kanteen 18oz Reflect Mirrored
    £18.80
    Klean Kanteen Reflect-Mirrored-27 oz / 800 ml Square Indian-Tiffin Box Stainless Steel with Additional Container Yellowstone 300Ml Stainless Steel Mug
    Klean Kanteen Reflect-Mirrored-27 oz / 800 ml
    £25.79
    Square Indian-Tiffin Box Stainless Steel wi…
    £9.99
    Yellowstone 300Ml Stainless Steel Mug
    £4.53
    Sustainable Bamboo Drinking Straws - 12 Pack Lifeventure Knife, Fork, Spoon Folding Cutlery Set Travel Stainless Steel Foldable Pocket Chopsticks Silver Tone Pair
    Sustainable Bamboo Drinking Straws – 12 Pack
    £14.95
    Lifeventure Knife, Fork, Spoon Folding Cutl…
    £13.89
    Travel Stainless Steel Foldable Pocket Chop…
    £2.51

     

     

  • N.B.

    Lines changes, products get removed. For more information why not ask the Plastic Is Rubbish FB group for updates. They are a great source of tidbits, personal experience and the latest news. Why not join them and share the plastic free love x

    And before you go…

    If you have found the #plasticfree information useful, please consider supporting us. It all goes to financing the project (read more here) or

    Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

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    How to wash the pots plastic free…..

    By Hand…Sigh

    Washing up liquid and I use Ecover  in a refillable plastic bottle. I know the bottle is plastic but kitchen? glass? This is a case for reusable plastic if ever there was one and I have been using mine for YEARS now.If you wanted to be a purist you could use a metal bottle I guess.  Check out where you can find a refill service here .

    Cotton dishcloth. You can usually find the old style cotton knitted dishcloth in local shops and hardware stores such as Wilkinsons. Or you can knit your own. If you cant knit you can buy hand knitted from Etsy and lie.

    Bristle brushes are useful for  scrubbing away  burnt on gunk.  They can  bought on-line here or from the delightful kitchen ware shops at Saltaire Mill.

    You can find a range of scouring  pads here from the butch knitted metal to the soft and natural luffa. 

    Washing up gloves. – biodegradable Fairtrade rubber gloves – guaranteed to compost down.

    Cotton tea towel.

    Now all you need is someone to actually wash the dishes. Come on Grandma….

    Dishwasher

    Or you can get an dishwasher and use this plastic free dish wash powder from Sainsburys and other supermarkets.. Goodbye Grandma…

     

     

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    Personal Care

    People are always asking me how I stay so young and lovely looking with no plastic in my bathroom cabinet.
    Easy I say – I get all Blue Peter and make my own products. Its quicker then  trying to choose between a hundred different shampoos and it’s really simple, fun to do, so much cheaper  and  I get to control what goes on my  body, where it comes from and what environmental impact it has.
    Incidentally have you seen what goes into commercial cosmetics?  There are regular scares about  the  toxic chemicals used – try safe cosmetics website and the ewg database  for a few horror stories. If you are of a nervous disposition you might want to skip reading this and just take my word for it.
    On the other hand, if you feel those are rather hysterical, you could try reading the  infinitely down to earth Colin a cosmetic scientist. While he tends to dismiss the wilder toxic claims of the green movement, he also debunks many cosmetic industry fantasies being sold today. Sadly that lotion isn’t actually dramatically different but just the same old emulsion of fat and water.
    Believe me, you are paying a lot of money for  very little.
    On a personal note I have long suffered sensitive skin reactions to store-bought potions. If I make my own, and don’t use a  preservative, I don’t.

    By Category

    A Nice Smile

    Cleanse, Tone & Moisturise.

    General Beauty

    Hair Care & Shaving

    Combs
    Conditioner
    hair gel
    Hairbrushes
    hairspray
    Shampoo
    Razors

    Sanitary, Health & Hygiene 

    From contraception  to growing your own drugs and keeping clean. All here.

    How to menstruate plastic free here

     

    Accessories

    Cotton Buds
    Nail brush
    Reusable hankerchiefs
    Paper tissues in a box
    toilet roll

     

    Make Your Own Make Up

    stuff I make here –

    A-Z Index By Post

    This post talks about Microbes Antiseptics Disinfectants Alcohol Bicarbonate Of Soda Vinegar Hydrogen  peroxide Soap Essential oils This is an area ...
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    One of the joys of living plastic free is that you have all kinds of useful base ingredients in the ...
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    Cleaning your teeth involves so much plastic what with the tooth brushes and tubes of toothpaste. And even plastic in ...
    Read More
    I read that Britains get through 15 million plastic bottles a day. How many? I find that utterly shocking. So ...
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    If all goes well on Valentines day you may well be planning some intimate moments. Time to check out condoms ...
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    The following information is for guidance only. None of the following recipes or tips have not been tested on anyone ...
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    I have just found a new dental floss as sold by Anything But Plastic Dental Lace Price£6.00 What you didn’t ...
    Read More
    Stinky pits can pose a plastic free problem. No one wants to smell but deodorants are highly plastic packaged and ...
    Read More
    The not so darling buds... I was brought up with the fear of perforated eardrums so avoid cotton buds, q ...
    Read More
    Replace plastic inhalers with a bottle of eucalyptus oil - but be careful, very careful how you sniff! Using Essential ...
    Read More
    Microbeads.... the newest way to exfoliate. These tiny particles, or microbeads, scrub away at the skin supposedly leaving it wonderfully ...
    Read More
    Every year they, the fashionistas, say that pale is interesting - well up here in the windswept north of England ...
    Read More
    Xanthan Gum Xanthan gum is a polysaccharide with many industrial uses, including as a common food additive. It is an ...
    Read More
    I want plastic-free brushes and combs that can be composted after use. So for my hair brush I have gone ...
    Read More
    I got these from green ladies blog I haven't tried them because I have no use for such things but ...
    Read More
    Every other hair tie in the world is made from a plastic-based material so rather than buy I have been ...
    Read More
    I know a lot of people like a liquid hand wash. Personally I prefer soap but whatever. So this hand ...
    Read More
    Snot rags! Ughhh..... Remember the old days when you had a hanky tucked up your sleeve or even in the hem of your ...
    Read More
    Please note that none of these suggestions replace medical advice and if you need to take medicine's do so. Living ...
    Read More
    There comes a time in every plastivists life when there really is no alternative – what you want only comes ...
    Read More
    The following information is for guidance only. Much of the following info was taken from www.skincancer.org - an invaluable source ...
    Read More
    Now I would never suggest you don't take your plastic packed medication. If you need it you take it. But ...
    Read More
    After you have made your own home- made creams and lotions you need to store them in something. If you ...
    Read More
    Well looks like winter is finally here - again - and the need for a good lip balm has never ...
    Read More
    It is a long time since I have worn make up. My excuse would be the most of it comes ...
    Read More
    Pull off the silver casing covering the “well” of the mascara. Don’t be afraid to pull hard! STEP 2 Now ...
    Read More
    Products to deal with menstruation are plastic heavy  ( see some stats). They are made from plastic, come wrapped in plastic, ...
    Read More
    There is no doubt that sanitory towels are plastic heavy. Yes you knew they came packed in plastic but did you ...
    Read More
    Menstrual pants are knickers you wear during your period. They come with inbuilt protection. Some can be worn instead of ...
    Read More
    It's that time of night when sitting on the balcony becomes a feat of endurance rather than a pleasure and ...
    Read More
    A peroxide mouth wash can help whiten the teeth. But only do this occasionally as there are lots of conflicting ...
    Read More
    Check out these wooden and natural bristle nail brushes from Wilkinsons - a bargain at 59p. If they don't do ...
    Read More
    The following information is for guidance only. None of the following recipes or tips have not been tested on anyone ...
    Read More
    People are always asking me how I stay so young and lovely looking with no plastic in my bathroom cabinet.Easy ...
    Read More
    Those disposable pads and tampons? Not cotton wool as you might have thought but plastic. Sigh! Why? Along with cotton ...
    Read More
    Shaving is a big part of almost every adults life wether a beard or a bikini line. Back in the ...
    Read More
    One of the most poignant events of the year happens in November. Every year on the 11th hour of the ...
    Read More
    Shampoo in a plastic bottle? Why bother when there are gentler, cheaper and plastic-free soap substitutes? Liquid Shampoo Soap Flake Shampoo ...
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     Making Soap  Basic soap is made from lye, oils or fats (animal or vegetable) and water. Saponification When these three ...
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    I use soap to wash my body (I don't like using soap on my face so I cleanse with oil and ...
    Read More
    You want a sponge? You could try a natural one but please do be sure it is sustainabley harvested... like ...
    Read More
     The following information is for guidance only. None of the following recipes or tips have not been tested on anyone ...
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    Suffering from sweaty, itchy bits ? Try this tropical talc in metal tins. It soothes and calms and leaves no ...
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    Whats In Your Tampon Most Tampons are made of cotton, rayon, polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene. Some of these materials are not ...
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    Obviously I don’t ever buy those stupid  little  plastic wrapped packs of tissues. I use  reusable handkerchiefs or, if desperate, toilet ...
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    For a long time the only plastic free toilet paper I could find was Isal Medicated. It is extremely hard more like ...
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    I have long had the complexion of a teenager – all spots and grease. While in India this situation got ...
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    I have tried natural toothbrushes and I am not that keen. They quickly go kind of pulpy and I didn't feel ...
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    In A Tube There are still some tooth pastes come in metal tubes BUT be aware that all metal tubed ...
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    Dentifrice - toothpaste or  toothpowder whichever, it  is basically an abrasive to clean and polish the teeth. Most brands come packed ...
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    Clean your teeth

    Cleaning your teeth involves so much plastic what with the tooth brushes and tubes of toothpaste. And even plastic in the tooth paste. At least 12  Crest  toothpastes were identified as containing  microbeads of polyethylene (PE). You can find a full list here  And Crest are by no means the only manufacturer who does this.

    Lucky for you I have researched a number of plastic free products for you to try.

    Do You Need Dentifrice 

    You might want to consider if you even need to use a dentifrice. According to many a good brushing will do the job just as well…

    “You can remove food debris and plaque from your teeth without using toothpaste… “just a soft toothbrush and good brushing techniques will remove plaque” according to these dentist

    Home Made Dentifrice 

    Some products such as bicarbonate of soda and salt can be used neat to clean your teeth.
    Otherwise its a combination or different abrasives in the form of a powder or paste. The key to making tooth powder is to find something abrasive and ugh to remove the plaque but not so harsh it removes the enamel .
     here
    Though after reading all the provisos you might prefer to buy ready made.

    Ready Made Toothpaste

    In A Tube
    There are still some tooth pastes come in metal tubes BUT be aware that all metal tubed toothpastes I have come across have a plastic cap and the tubes are lined with a plastic liner. In A Jar
    Some pastes are being sold in glass jars with metal lids. Chances are the lids are plastic lined but it’s an improvement.

    You can read more HERE

    Teeth Whitening & Mouthwash

    Someday you can use peroxide to whiten your teeth. I say it is revolting.
    You can also use it as a mouthwash.

    Read more HERE

    Brushes

    I have tried natural toothbrushes and I am not that keen. They quickly go kind of pulpy and I didn’t feel  they are up to the job. So have gone back to my electric toothbrush consoling myself with the thought that
    a) the heads are half the size of a normal plastic toothbrush
    b) I make my own toothpaste and
    c) these are my TEETH.

    Here are the compostable options
    Bamboo Brush
    Ther are a number of all-natural, bamboo toothbrushes on the market some of which I have reviewed.
    Bamboo Brush With Nylon Bristles
    In my opinion, these work better than all bamboo toothbrushes. Some claim the nylon bristles are biodegradable others dispute this claim. Best to treat this a reduced plastic option.
    Biodegradable Cornstarch Bristles
    This is an interesting new project that might lead to better things.

    READ MORE HERE

    Flossing

    Some info HERE

    More

    Find other plastic free personal care products here…

    Making Other Personal Care Products 

    Its quicker then  trying to choose between a hundred different shampoos and it’s really simple, fun to do, so much cheaper  and  I get to control what goes on my  body, where it comes from and what environmental impact it has.

    Lots more info here on making your own personal care products

     

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    How to drink plastic free

    Paper Cup?

    Nooooo plastic lined! Consider bringing your own. Here are some funky options.

    Plastic Pints

    Grim! Try a steel tumbler.

    Straws Arghhh….

    If you are out and about please, please refuse the plastic straw. Watch a turtle having a straw removed from his nose here if you want to know why.

    If you must drink through a straw consider bringing your own reusable. Here are some options…

    Reusables reusable stainless steel , glass or bamboo straws

    Disposable Compostables If you need a disposable straw at least make it   cornstarch compostable disposable  straw.

    Plastic free booze

    Plastic free booze is hard to find….glup!!!!. But we have managed to source some for you here… 

    Cocktail Shaker

    You don’t need one – just more rubbish in the kitchen cupboard. Mix them in a jug! Stirred James, stirred!

    Ice and Cocktail Sticks

    You can read about reusable and compostable straws here.

    For the rest,this  Amazon  shopping list may inspire you.

    Andrew James Double Walled Insulated Stainless Steel 2 Litre Ice Bucket With Set of Tongs Premier Housewares Sphere Ice Bucket - Stainless Steel Stainless Steel Ice Cube Tray - BPA Free
    Andrew James Double Walled Insulated Stainl… Premier Housewares Sphere Ice Bucket – Stai… Stainless Steel Ice Cube Tray – BPA Free
    £40.00
    FIREFLY® Eco Straws - Stainless Steel Drinking Straw Premium Grip with Cleaner 4 Pack Stainless Steel Martini Picks - Pack of 6 | Novelty Cocktail Sticks, Stainless Steel Cocktail Picks Sustainable Bamboo Drinking Straws - 12 Pack
    FIREFLY® Eco Straws – Stainless Steel D…
    £9.99
    Stainless Steel Martini Picks – Pack of 6 |…
    £9.99
    Sustainable Bamboo Drinking Straws – 12 Pack
    £14.95

     

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    How to buy food plastic free

    If you want to  shop plastic-free then you need to take your own packaging. Seems like a lot of bother? Well, here are  some reasons why you might wish to consider this option:
    You don’t like that hormone inhibitors and toxic chemicals can leach from plastic packaging into your food,
    You hate plastic pollution,

    You love being zero waste

    You find a place that sells your required product unwrapped. This can be  anywhere from your local butcher to the cheese counter at Morrisons.
    You take your own packaging and ask them use that. Bit embarrassing at first but stick with it – I do it everywhere.

    Reusables 

    PRODUCE BAG
    These are reusable bags that can be used instead of the plastic bags supplied by shops. Use them for veges, and anything else loose and dry,
    I use a cotton or net produce bags.
    Find out more about
     synthetic mesh bags
    organic cotton produce bags

    TUBS 

    For meat, fish and other stuff I try to use a reusable plastic tub whenever can.Which means I take my own tub to the butchers and ask them to use that. I use a plastic tub because it is water proof, lightweight, I have had it for ages and there is lots of wear in it yet.

    If you are worried about chemical leaching you might not want to use plastic tubs. As you know if you wash plastic at hot enough temperatures to clean the container properly, it is more likely to leach chemicals. And that plastic leaches more chemicals as it ages.

    If this worries you can get metal or glass dishes. Glass is heavy so I would recommend metal dishes.

    And some times, it doesn’t matter what I take, I get refusals. Supermarkets especially are not keen on this and will argue long and hard. Even some local butchers will refuse.,  in which case I use…..

    Disposables

    The following products are certified compostable and I compost them at home in my bin once I have done with them. They can also be safely burnt.

    For meat and fish I use bio plastic  (corn starch bags – made from vegetables) 

    For cheese and such like its old school paper bags.

    At the deli counter  where I get humus, pate and the rest, I use these compostable PLA pots.

    More

    Though I recommend finding reuses for your disposable packaging, (for example using the bio bags to line your compost bin),they are of course disposable. This  might not sound like the greenest option but it is still a whole load better than plastic.

    Compostable?

    What is compostable? To be classed compostable, items must biodegrade within a certain time (around the rate at which paper biodegrades), and the resulting biomass must be free of toxins, able to sustain plant life and be used as an organic fertilizer or soil additive. For a man-made product to be sold as compostable, it has to meet certain standards. One such is the European Norm EN13432. You can find out more here.

    Taking it home 

    Carry your shopping home in  a reusable  carrier bag – natch!

    My bags of choice are those old granny favourites, string bags.

    I also have some tiny fold up carrier bags which come in very handy.

    More

    Though I recommend finding reuses for your disposable packaging, (for example using the bio bags to line your compost bin),they are of course disposable. This  might not sound like the greenest option but it is still a whole load better than plastic.

    I compost all this packaging in my own compost bin. Yes even the cornstarch plastic bags and pots.

    Loose Food A to Z

    Find out if a shop near you sells bulk food loose. This is stuff that that normally comes plastic packaged ie rice, pasta and salt. And yes these shops do exist in the U.K. There’s just not many of them. Heres a list of towns with shops selling loose food,  organised alphabetically.

    Buy Packaging

    Being committed to local shopping, I prefer to buy that way whenever possible. I would encourage you to do the same. One of the joys of living plastic free is mooching round the local shops seeing what you can source. If you can’t buy local please do check the links above to the suppliers and buy direct from them and support their online businesses.

     

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    Plastic In Menstrual Products

    Those disposable pads and tampons? Not cotton wool as you might have thought but plastic. Sigh!

    Why?

    Along with cotton buds, tampons, applicators and panty liners make up 7.3 % of items flushed down the toilet in the UK.
    For every kilometre of beach included in the Beachwatch survey weekend in 2010, 22.5 towels/panty liners/backing strips, and 8.9 tampon applicators, were found.
    About 90% of the materials used to make sanitary pads and liners are plastic and include polyethylene, polypropylene and polyacrylate super absorbents.
    Every year, over 45 billion feminine hygiene products are disposed of somewhere.
    Read more here

    How

    There is no doubt menstruation can be a grubby business. So three cheers for the mooncup using, reusable wearing, all green and lovely ladies of clean. Here’s what they use

    Resuables

    Because of the nature of the product, where it has to go and what it has to do the options do contain some plastic. Shop bought reusable pads may be made of synthetic fibres and have a waterproof backing (though some don’t). Silicone is non biodegradable and very plastic like.  But they are reusable and so cut your plastic consumption by massive amounts. You can find out lots more via the product links.

    Reusable menstrual pads / sanitary towel. They are as they sound. Reusable pad you wash after use. You can buy them ready made from smaller suppliers on Esty to bigger  mainstream companies. You can even make them yourself. Read more here – buy or make Reusable menstrual pads / sanitary towel

    Internal / Menstrual Cup  –  This is  little silicone or rubber cup that you use internally. It collects the flow and is then emptied washed and reused. Before you squeal and scream read this

    Disposables

    Not only do towels and tampons come wrapped in plastic, the fibres used to make them are often synthetic plastic. About 90% of the materials used to make sanitary pads and liners are plastic and include polyethylene, polypropylene and polyacrylate super absorbents. Natracare to a great range of  almost plastic free menstrual products. Try these

    Tampon with applicator made from organic cotton with a cardboard applicator in a paper wrapper.

    Other Interesting Options 

    About which I know very little

    Sea Sponges 

    There’s an interesting read  here with instructions on how to make your own  and  reviews of ready made here.

    Buy Local First

    Being committed to local shopping, I prefer to buy that way whenever possible. I would encourage you to do the same. One of the joys of living plastic free is mooching round the local shops seeing what you can source.

    Buy from independent online traders

    If you can’t buy local please do check the links above to the suppliers and buy direct from them and support their online businesses.

    Finally ….If you can’t do that then I have put together and Amazon catalogue. Yes I know…

    Gladrags Menstrual Color Cotton Pads - 3 - Pack Mooncup Menstrual Cup Size B 1pieces Mooncup Menstrual Cup Size A 1pieces
    Gladrags Menstrual Color Cotton Pads – 3 – …
    £18.67
    Mooncup Menstrual Cup Size B 1pieces
    £19.99
    Comes in 2 sizes – check before you buy you can read a review on http://plasticisrubbish.com/2010/01/03/lady-stuff/
    Mooncup Menstrual Cup Size A 1pieces
    £19.99
    Natracare Regular Pads Natracare Organic All Cotton Tampons With Applicator - Regular 16 Reusable Hemp Sanitary Towel
    Natracare Regular Pads
    £1.90 – £18.27
    Natracare Organic All Cotton Tampons With A…
    £2.59
    see review on our website http://plasticisrubbish.com/2014/06/26/tampons-with-applicator/
    Reusable Hemp Sanitary Towel
    Reusable Cotton Sanitary Towel - Flowers & Birds The Busy Woman's Guide to Cloth Pads GladRags Color Day Pad
    Reusable Cotton Sanitary Towel – Flowers &a… The Busy Woman’s Guide to Cloth Pads
    by Tracy Puhl
    GladRags Color Day Pad
    £6.00 –
    Amazon is a very dirty word at the moment and I thought long and hard before suggesting them.  Heres why I went ahead….. No we are not entirely happy with Amazons recent history. However, we have always found their service to be good and their packaging usually compostable.

    If you buy a product via this link we do get an affiliation fee for this. This  is not why we do it.

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    How To Make Personal Care Products

    It is so easy to make your own personal care products and the advantages are huge;  you get to control what goes on your skin, be way more eco-friendly and save a whole load of cash. You can make almost anything the cosmetic companies sell but without the palm oil, dodgy chemicals and weird colors. Though you can have all those too if you want.

    In the U.K.. you can buy some ingredients locally, (mainly coconut oil), but for most of them you will need to go online. And almost certainly they will come packed in plastic. BUT you will get so much product from one bag that this will represent a massive cut in your overall plastic waste creation.

    Disclaimer
    Be aware of the risks of listening to someone who
    a) doesn’t have any training in this field,
    b) most of what they know comes from Google,
    That’s me I mean.

    I am telling you of my own experiences for your information only. You should do a lot more research before proceeding. None of the following have been tested on anyone other than me, my husband and my mum.

    Check out the links below for suppliers and recipes.

    Antiseptics & Disinfectants

    This post talks about Microbes Antiseptics Disinfectants Alcohol Bicarbonate Of Soda Vinegar Hydrogen  peroxide Soap Essential oils This is an area ...
    Read More

    Body Butter

    One of the joys of living plastic free is that you have all kinds of useful base ingredients in the ...
    Read More

    Conditioners

    I read that Britains get through 15 million plastic bottles a day. How many? I find that utterly shocking. So ...
    Read More

    Creams & Lotions – Recipes

    The following information is for guidance only. None of the following recipes or tips have not been tested on anyone ...
    Read More

    Exfoliate

    Microbeads.... the newest way to exfoliate. These tiny particles, or microbeads, scrub away at the skin supposedly leaving it wonderfully ...
    Read More

    Fake-bake plastic-free

    Every year they, the fashionistas, say that pale is interesting - well up here in the windswept north of England ...
    Read More

    Gels

    Xanthan Gum Xanthan gum is a polysaccharide with many industrial uses, including as a common food additive. It is an ...
    Read More

    Hair Gel and hairspray

    I got these from green ladies blog I haven't tried them because I have no use for such things but ...
    Read More

    Inhalers Homemade / Recycling

    Now I would never suggest you don't take your plastic packed medication. If you need it you take it. But ...
    Read More

    lip balm

    Well looks like winter is finally here - again - and the need for a good lip balm has never ...
    Read More

    Mosquito Repellent

    It's that time of night when sitting on the balcony becomes a feat of endurance rather than a pleasure and ...
    Read More

    Oils, lotions & creams Index

    The following information is for guidance only. None of the following recipes or tips have not been tested on anyone ...
    Read More

    Shampoo

    Shampoo in a plastic bottle? Why bother when there are gentler, cheaper and plastic-free soap substitutes? Liquid Shampoo Soap Flake Shampoo ...
    Read More

    Sun Block Creams & Lotions

     The following information is for guidance only. None of the following recipes or tips have not been tested on anyone ...
    Read More

    Toner – skin

    I have long had the complexion of a teenager – all spots and grease. While in India this situation got ...
    Read More

    Toothpaste, toothpowder, dentifrice homemade

    Dentifrice - toothpaste or  toothpowder whichever, it  is basically an abrasive to clean and polish the teeth. Most brands come packed ...
    Read More

    Using Essential OIls

    This is a post in progress. As I learn so I will add to it. For now this is what ...
    Read More

    Ingredients

    An introduction to some of the stuff you need to make the above

    More

    And find out how to make lots more stuff HERE
    Find all plastic free personal care products here…

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    How To Stay Safe In The Sun

    The following information is for guidance only. Much of the following info was taken from www.skincancer.org – an invaluable source and should be read by everyone. Though you might find yourself spending the rest of Summer cowering in a cellar coming out only after dark after doing so.
    But educate yourself and you can enjoy the sun sensibly.

    Why Limit Exposure To The Sun
    There are two types of ultraviolet radiation, UVA and UVB
    UVB is the chief cause of sunburn and linked to sun cancer.
    UVA rays, penetrate the skin more deeply, and contribute to photoaging. They do not primarily cause sunburn but are also linked to some types skin cancer.
    There may be no indications of damage being done
    Anyone over the age of six months should use a sunscreen daily.
    Sitting inside might not help. Glass windows filter out UVB but not UVA rays.
    Up to 40 percent of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation reaches the earth on a completely cloudy day.

    Use Protection

    There are several ways to protect yourself
    Stay out of the Sun
    Use a cream to provide a chemical/physical block
    Wear protective clothing

    I would suggest you combine all of the above.

    Which Cream
    Staying out of direct sunlight reduces the need for cream but you still burn in the shade so cream is always advisable.You need a cream that protects from both UVA and UVB. You can read more about all that HERE

    Get Plastic Free Sun Block

    Buy
    Anything But Plastic online sell this – Shade Sunscreen for £9.75 for 100ml

    Make
    But at that price I will also have to continue making my own. You can find my recipes HERE

    Clothes

    Hats  
    Research has shown that broad-brimmed hats provide protection equivalent to an SPF (sun protection factor) of approximately 5 for the nose, ears and neck.

    How Shady Is Your Shirt
    UPF, the ultraviolet protection factor, measures protection from UV radiation in fabrics. A shirt with a UPF of 30 indicates that just 1/30th of the sun’s UV radiation can reach the skin.Read more here

    Self Tan
    Sit in the shade and don’t bother trying to tan. instead  make your self tanning lotion by adding some DHA. Find out more here

    Natural Sunblocks
    There are claims that certain oils like coconut oil have a natural SPF. I personally don’t believe this and strongly advise you do not rely on this alone.

    N.B.

    Lines changes, products get removed. For more information why not ask the Plastic Is Rubbish FB group for updates. They are a great source of tidbits, personal experience and the latest news. Why not join them and share the plastic free love x

    And before you go…

    If you have found the #plasticfree information useful, please consider supporting us. It all goes to financing the project (read more here) or

    Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

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    How To Buy Flowers Plastic Free

    You don’t even want to know how many plastic wrapped roses we are going to get through on this one Valentine’s day.Oh you do? According to the Flowers & Plants Association, “sales of all fresh flowers double on Valentine’s day, with over 9 million red roses being given in the UK. Worldwide, billions of roses – mostly red – are traded on this one day alone.”

    This is closely followed by Mothers Day which the Flowers & Plants Association goes on to say, is the biggest event in the UK’s cut flower year with a sales increase of up to 40% on a normal day’s trading.

    Not to mention weddings…

    Lets think about the amount all those flowers  will create. All that plastic wrapping for a start. Now some people may tell you that flowers come cellophane wrapped and that cellophane is a plant based plastic and so biodegradable. Cellophane was indeed a plant based plastic. However as most piano keys are no longer made of ivory, most cellophane is now longer plant derived. The term cellophane has come to describe the petroleum based plastic product that looks and feels just like it. Many flowers come ready wrapped in plastic many florists use it.

    And there’s more. Many flowers in the shops  have been imported and come with hundreds of air miles attached. Nearly 80% of the cut flowers we buy in the UK are imported from The Netherlands, Colombia and Kenya.

    In his comprehensive book, How Bad are Bananas?, Mike Berners-Lee calculates the amount of greenhouse gases (CO2e) released in the growing and transportation of a single red rose. It works out at

    • 350g CO2e for a rose grown in Kenya and flown by air to the UK
    • 2.1kg CO2e for one grown in a heated greenhouse in The Netherlands

    The Kenyan rose is the better environmental option, but the Kenyan flower trade has had a very bad press deservedly so. Pressure brought to bear has forced some changes but it still uses too much water, too many pesticides and pays dreadfully low wages.

    There is an argument that the trade helps support Kenyan trade.There is another argument that says the Kenyans should be growing food to feed themselves rather than flowers to ship out in return for a barely living wage to buy expensive food….

    There is no doubt that floral decorations are very lovely so here are some ways to lesson the impact….

    Local Florists 

    Walk away from the garage forecourt, go to a florist, buy unwrapped and insist it is wrapped in  paper. Best take your own paper just to be sure.

    Try to stick with seasonal, U.K. grown flowers if possible. Here is a list of seasonal flowers.

    All I could get was an Amaryllis that was neither seasonal or locally grown but was at least #plasticfree.

    flower

    U.K. Grown – collect

    Here are a list of fantastic companies offering a greener option on locally grown cut flowers. The downside is you have to go and collect.

    By Post
    Not used this company but plan to do so. The flowers are lovely – see here.  And so is the delivery! Answer to a request for info… let me know how you get on plastic free lovers.there is no plastic in our packaging. The flowers are wrapped in craft paper and we use Rafia to tie them. Regards, Carolyn

    Make some 
    Test out your cutting and or  folding skills.

    Grow Some