Is plastic-free obtainable?

[tortoise]

I'm growing more and more frustrated with plastic everywhere. It's cheap, lightweight, versatile... and is derived from crude oil, and has become a significant environmental problem. Is it possible for a motivated, average middle-class American to stop consuming new plastics for household use?

I'm in a situation where I can reduce my consumption of grocery store food (the vast majority packaged in plastic - and most of it not recyclable!) I can't figure out how to eliminate plastic food packaging though. The more I try to reduce, the more aware I become of the overwhelming quantity of "disposable" plastics in our lives.

How can I/we opt out without becoming crazy hermit hillbilly hippies (no offense intended, y'all know where my heart lies)? Meaning, can we find alternatives that don't involve a major cultural and social shift on a family level? Are there alternatives that have potential for wide-spread appeal?

 

[Mini Horses]

When my first child was born disposable diapers were "brand new".

He was 49 last month.

I vividly remember lines full of long white cloth diapers drying in the breeze. We had to fold them all then. Now I see the ones they sell are pre folded/sewn. Nice!! We used plastic covers, like regular underwear panties, over the diapers. Of course they were easily re-usable.

It was less costly than the disposables. More work.

Like growing your own veggies!! Less pkging, more work. But better results. LOL

 

[Amiga]

I am stepping up my approach to limiting plastic, lately. Here is what I have found so far.

For the animals, I can get pine shavings in kraft paper. I did have to negotiate with a store keeper when he decided he should only sell what's wrapped in plastic as he can sell it for less.

Not only do I not want the plastic (that can be difficult to get across), but because I use the bedding for ducks and don't want them exposed to the thick pine VOCs from plastic-wrapped shavings, I can get across how strongly I feel.

They ordered a pallet of shavings in kraft paper for me to buy. Even allow me to buy 10 bales at a time off the pallet.

I am having a hard time finding sawdust pellets in something other than plastic. phooey.

But the food that I buy - mostly - is in double layers of brown paper, and comes from much closer than other brands that are available. I'm on the east coast, and New Country Organics (formerly Countryside Organics) sells a corn-free, soy-free organic layer feed.

Buying in bulk helps us avoid plastic packaging - I have finally got my beloved on board about that. I did purchase plastic food grade buckets with resealable lids - but at least those aren't throw-away or "recyclable." We recycle a bunch of glass, plastic and metal, and I am aiming to shift to not even having it in the house to begin with. Long row to hoe, with other family member to consider.

There is a local dairy farm and I believe I might be able to bring my own stainless steel milk container to them to buy milk from…Right now I get milk in plastic gallon containers that are either repurposed for wintersowing (mini greenhouses) or recycled.

 

[Denim Deb]

Unfortunately, the only way to get rid of plastic is for the companies to stop packaging everything in plastic. And, that's only going to happen if people refuse to buy it.

 

[baymule]

Unless you live on a completely self sustainable farm, you can forget it. Milk-plastic jug. Any dairy-plastic container or wrapper. Cereal-cardboard box, but plastic inner wrapper. Meat-Styrofoam tray wrapped in plastic, even butcher paper is plastic lined. Even once packaged in glass jars stuff is now in plastic jars. Grow it, glass jar it, consume it-seems to be your only option.

I do love my zip loc bags and my vacuum sealed bags.........

 

[Mini Horses]

I use my goat milk raw. Great milk. My Saanen gives me over 1 gal a day, generally 1.5. Does your goat produce milk in only one side? Sometimes it happens, either genetics or injury. Goat milk is very good for you.........and chickens love it, too.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I try to cut down on what becomes my garbage. I have certain cheap plastic containers I buy at one of our local grocery stores, and I decided to keep only those and I bagged all the rest to clean up my 'Tupperware' cabinet some. I'm bringing everything else to the recycle bin. I regularly stop by the recycle bin to dispose of at least half of my 'garbage.'
Of course, living in a flood zone, I save all glass bottles for myself and bury them in low spots, which really help me.
Junk mail and cardboard assists the kindling I pick up in the yard for me to get a good fire going on cold days. I could recycle paper as well, but anything with personal info, goes through a shredder, and is then put in the nesting boxes for the chickens to lay their eggs......and eat. Yeah, they love eating paper. Go figure. And its time I give them some too.
I stopped buying paper towels about a month ago and I'm using flour sack fabric, which I wash with my whites, thanks to one of my SS friends ideas on how they save money......wish I remembered whose idea that was, to give them proper credit.
Not sure if we can stop buying our meat in plastic though.
To tell the truth, I'm tempted to buy one of those machines that turns plastics back into petroleum fuels, but they cost too much and not sure how much plastic to how much fuel it would cost and give.

 

[tortoise]

So proud of DH! He has been teasing me about the plastic thing. But then he has gone far out of his way to find a supplier for #2 plastic pill bottles, because #5 plastic (most pill bottles on the market) is not recyclable in our county. He also is scheming to eliminate plastic Ziploc bags and plastic shopping bags at his business. (And he just finished switching over to LED bulbs there too.)

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Years ago, I'd go to a grocery store and if I used my own bags, I'd get a certain amount off for each bag taken off my bill. Well last night I bought 2 shopping bags at the Dollar Store for the first time. It was easier to load and looked easy for DS to bring inside. I had a bag for my very soft things and one for the hard things. I'm pretty sure it saved 4 plastic bags from coming to the house. I wouldn't know how to get people to do this, but wish my egg customers would bring those over when picking up eggs from me. I think they would fit in so much easier than plastic bags and would be safer. Of course, now I have to get into the habit of actually bringing them along.

 

[Britesea]

I made a bunch of market bags out of an ex-sheet set. I got 8 large bags out of one queen-sized flat sheet, plus 2 more from the pillow cases. They are strong; I can fill one up to where I almost can't carry it easily. I found an easy-to-follow pattern on a blog called (I think) Wisdom of the Moon. These are a couple of years old now, and still going strong, though a couple got badly stained when a meat package leaked.
I tried to get plastic out of our house and had to give up; it just doesn't seem to be possible if you are buying anything commercial. The best I've done is reduce it by about 2/3.