The

Undeniable

Ruth

®

…and the Ruth shall set you free!

  • Prepping for Plastic-Free July – Part 2

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    Ruth Carter

    It’s less than a month away from Plastic-Free July – a month where I will try to avoid single-use plastics in my life. Some people suggested that I stock up on products that contain plastic so I won’t have to buy them during July, but that goes against the purpose of doing this challenge. In fact, I’m doing the opposite this month: Whenever I run out of something that comes in plastic, I will try to replace it with a plastic-free product.

    Image by Nathan.Kauffman

    Looking around the house, I can see some products for which I’ll have to find a plastic-free alternative:

    Frozen Foods: I regularly buy frozen spinach and berries for smoothies, and other frozen vegetables for meal prepping. I’ll have to switch to fresh veggies and fruit when I run out of them. I’ll probably switch to spinach and/or kale for my smoothies. I don’t know if berries will be in season at the farmer’s market. I’m sure I can’t get plastic-free ones at the store. I may have to switch to other fruits like mangos. I’ve never seen non-frozen peas in the store, so I’ll likely switch to broccoli and green beans for my green veggies.

    Bread: The Whole Foods near my office has non-packaged bread in its bakery section. Einstein’s will likely be my go-to place for bagels. I’ll also look for plastic-free bread when I hit the farmer’s markets. I’ve considered baking my own bread, but it’s hot in Arizona in the summer. The last thing I want to do is add excess heat to the inside of my home.

    Paper Towels: My last roll of paper towels is on the dispenser in the kitchen. When I use the last one, I’m switching over to multipurpose washable cloth towels instead. I bought a pack of 12. We’ll see if I need more than that to last me until I do laundry on the weekend.

    Face Soap: I use an exfoliating face soap that comes in a squeezy plastic tube. I’ll use regular soap on my face (that comes in paper or no packaging), and I wonder if I’ll notice a difference. I’ve seen recipes for scrubs I can use if I need it.

    Moisturizer: I’ve used the same moisturizer for over two decades. I love it. It’s a great product. I don’t know what I’m going to do if I run out. I plan to call the parent company to ask if they have any products that come in glass. The recipes I’ve seen for lotion, so far, all have to be refrigerated, which isn’t convenient when I travel. We’ll see what happens.

    Lip Balm: I’m addicted to lip balm. I usually have in my bag and/or pocket, in my desk at work, and 2-3 on various counters and tables throughout my home. They’re all plastic tubes. I have until my current stash runs out to find a lip balms that come in a metal tin or a paper tube. I just have to find a quality one that works for me.  

    Trash Can Liners: I don’t compost (yet) so sometimes my kitchen trash can be wet from coffee grounds and bits from fruits and veggies. Usually, I line my trash bin with a plastic shopping bag. (At least, I’m reusing them.) As alternatives, I could try using paper shopping bags as a liner or lining the can with newspaper. If neither of those work, I may have to forego a liner and wash the bin after I take out the trash each time.  

    Unfortunately, there are few necessary non-negotiable items in my life that only that come in plastic:

    • Prescription Medications: We are all better people because I take meds. I am looking into a charity that repurposes the plastic bottles from medications and vitamins.
    • Sunscreen: I’m not going to get skin cancer while saving the planet. I use a “reef-conscious formula” that comes in a metal spray can, but it has plastic in the dispenser and lid.
    • Contact Lenses and Solution: Besides laser eye surgery, I don’t think there’s a plastic-free alternative to lenses and solution. I’m sure there are recipes for making your own contact solution, but given that these products literally go in my eyes, I’m sticking with ophthalmologist-approved and prescribed products.

    I’ve been working towards Plastic-Free July for almost a year now. You can read about earlier preparations in Preparing for Plastic-Free July – Part 1* and the zero-waste and low-waste substitutes* I’ve already made in my life. (* Note: Both of these posts contain affiliate links.)

    Is anyone else trying Plastic-Free July?

  • Preparing for Plastic-Free July

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    Ruth Carter

    I’m preparing for Plastic-Free July, a month where I will be avoiding most single-use plastics.

    It’s March.

    I know.

    It’s 4 months away. Why do you need that long to prepare? You already have the reusable water bottle and bring your own bags to the store. What more do you need?

    There are still a lot of single-use plastics in my life. I want to find alternatives for them.

    Like what?

    Just walk through your day. (Note:This post contains affiliate links, each marked with an asterisk (*).)

    I wash and moisturize my face in the morning.

    Your soap and moisturizer come in plastic.

    I put on my deodorant* that comes in a glass jar. And I brush my teeth with a bamboo toothbrush* and plastic-free toothpaste.

    That’s good. By the way, that toothpaste doesn’t have fluoride in it. Ask your dentist to make sure that’s ok.

    Some of my zero-waste and reusable products: water bottle, coffee mug, freshly-made almond milk, deodorant, safety razor, toothbrush, and produce bag.

    Then I have breakfast – a vegan protein smoothie or a vegan patty on a toasted bagel. I get to have both on my long workout days.

    The versions of all those products you’ve been buying come in plastic.

    And I have my coffee with almond milk. We make our own almond milk now, and we store it in a glass jar in the refrigerator.

    That’s because the carton has that plastic top on it, so we switched. By the way, we need to find a recipe for vegan butter since our brand comes in a plastic tub.

    I use reusable containers to take my lunch to work. After work, my preferred snacks are crackers or a small bowl of cereal.

    Cereal and crackers come in recyclable boxes, but they have plastic bags inside them. We’ll have to start making our own, find plastic-free brands, or switch to something else.

    Oh geez. Frozen fruits and veggies are staples in our diet. They all come in plastic bags.

    It’s going to be an adjustment. I don’t know if we can get berries that don’t come in a plastic container of some type. Perhaps at the farmers market.

    Wait a minute. Can’t we use plastic bags as long as we put them in the recycling bin at the store?

    The point of Plastic-Free July is to not use them to begin with.

    Some of the plastic staples currently in my life: protein powder, contact solution, lip balm, moisturizer, and face soap.

    We can still eat things from cans, right?

    As long as they’re BPA-free. After seeing the documentary, Bag It, I never want that stuff near me again.

    What about vitamins – and your prescriptions?! The pharmacy won’t let you BYO container for that.

    That’s true, but we can at least switch to brands of vitamins that come in glass. I will continue to take my medications as prescribed.

    Umm . . . what are you going to do about lip balm? You have like 5 of those going at a time.

    I will find a plastic-free brand.

    What about Rosie?

    Rosie is exempt from plastic-free July, just like she’s exempt from my veganism. She’s 11 years old and blind. We’re not messing with her life. But I think it would be fun to try making our own dog treats for her.

    What about her dog poop bags?

    There may be some experimenting with alternatives like using newspaper or junk mail to pick up after her.

    This is hard.

    Now you see why we’re taking 4 months to prepare.

    I’m looking forward to Plastic-Free July, but I have no delusions. I won’t have a 100% plastic-free life. I want to seek out and reward companies that don’t use plastic packaging and look for alternatives to products that I can’t get without plastic. This will be a challenge, and I’m looking forward to it.