Is plastic-free obtainable?

[baymule]

@rhoda_bruce why do you bury glass bottles? The place we bought had a family living here in the 60's and there was no trash pickup at that time, they had a burn barrel. Everything went into it, then they dumped it. (I am guessing at this, since that's what most rural people did) I dig buckets of glass shards out of the soil. Right now the pigs are in the garden spot and they root up a double hand full every couple of days. If glass shards had any value, I'd be rich! I hate all the broken glass on our property.

This place was a HUD foreclosure and the previous people didn't have trash pick up either. And this was only a few years ago. They tossed out every bit of trash they consumed. They also tossed out glass. NEWS FLASH----GLASS DOES NOT BURN, NOR DOES IT BREAK DOWN IN THE ENVIRONMENT-EVER!

Ok, rant over. Just saying, you might regret all that glass on your land someday.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Well, in the meantime, I have to watch my animals walking and scratching mud. I live in a flood zone. My soil is very heavy clay, with almost no sand, so it doesn't drain well. I don't break the glass, I only bury it, as deep as I can and the resulting mud is a place that is suddenly dry.

 

[Denim Deb]

Good for him!

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I don't like the term necessary evil, because depending on the circumstances, it can raise a lot of arguments, but unless we totally become non-consumers, provide all our own foodstuff, and get our goods, used from garage sales, I think we will have to put up with excessive packaging and plastic.
If I slaughter and don't figure an alternative way to save the meat and it goes into freezer camp, it will probably be in plastic.

 

[sumi]

I recall watching a programme on TV, some years ago. People decided they do not want to take their foodstuff home in plastic containers and took their own with to the supermarket, asking the management if they can transfer the goods from their original packing into their own, before leaving. Of course there is no guarantee that the supermarket employees did not toss those original containers straight into the near trash can afterwards…

 

[Denim Deb]

I'm planning on making some grocery bags that I can toss in the washing machine. I hate getting a million and 1 bags whenever I go shopping.

 

[sumi]

2/3 is not bad Britesea! I love that recycled sheet/bags idea. Those type of bags do go on forever, don't they? I see fabric bags for sale at the Aldi here as well and I should buy some, but at the moment I have so many plastic bags that I'm re-using for shopping, I have no need yet.

 

[tortoise]

I don't think plastic-free is really possible, so I'm thinking more along the lines of no plastic for things I'll use fewer than 5 years. or that will last fewer than 5 years - I have a baby so many items are durable and will be passed on.

 

[MoonShadows]

EVERY single piece of plastic that has ever been created since the 19th century is still SOMEWHERE on our planet. So if it never goes away, where does it go?

If you want to see the extent of what we have done to our planet, to life on our planet, and to ourselves because of our plastic addiction, you have to watch Plastic Paradise: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Unfortunately, you have to have Netflix, Hulu or another subscription, or you can rent the video for $2.99-$3.99.

Here is the trailer:

and, see some frightening statistics in this video below:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1121561207874499

I literally felt sick after viewing Plastic Paradise. We have truly squandered our beautiful planet. Where will it end?

Hopefully, efforts like this one will be supported and will help to begin cleaning our oceans of plastic:

http://www.theoceancleanup.com/



Here is a website with a lot of ideas on how to kick the plastic addiction: http://myplasticfreelife.com/

 

[CJ1]

Thank you so much for putting effort into this thread. This is a subject that I never really put much thought into. But now as I think about what all is in my home it is everywhere. You folks really have me thinking.