Single use plastics?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I switched everyone to bar shampoo and conditioner (Ethique), bar soap for the showers. They make bars of lotion too that I intend to try when my current big plastic bottle runs out. I switched to a powder laundry detergent that comes in a recyclable bag as well.

I am really annoyed, though, with the silicon reusable bags for food storage. All of the ones I've bought have stained or the ziplocks stop working. I feel like they are creating a ton of waste - and not really helping at all over using disposable ziplocks. Any suggestions there? I've also never found reusable bags that really replace a gallon ziplock for storage. I'd love some specific suggestions.

For a PP, there are lots of biodegradable dog poop bags out there.

PP, what are you using the gallon ziplock for, exactly?
I sometimes reuse cereal box liners or bread/tortilla bags (dump the crumbs out and they are clean enough to reuse for certain things).
Otherwise, I use containers with lids.
I haven't totally eliminated my use of gallon ziplock this way, but have reduced it.

That is why I save rubber bands. They are useful to tie the bags.

[Anonymous]

I have also been thinking about what I really need. I only use shampoo about once a month, otherwise water wash.
Stay home clothes get worn several times before washing.
It's the consumption that drives the production.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Off the top of my head, I use gallon ziplocks for freezer storage because they take up so much less space than a pyrex or tupperware. So like for homemade bread when I make a double batch, or homemade cookies. And I need something that actually seals and is sanitary to store food and keep it fresh.

To be clear, I have cut way back on ziplocks. I probably use one box of them every year or even less, but looking to eliminate completely.

I think one box a year is pretty good!
I would just continue doing what you are doing and look for other ways to reduce your plastic and fossil fuel use. There is probably something else you could work on besides your relatively tiny Ziploc bag usage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I switched everyone to bar shampoo and conditioner (Ethique), bar soap for the showers. They make bars of lotion too that I intend to try when my current big plastic bottle runs out. I switched to a powder laundry detergent that comes in a recyclable bag as well.

I am really annoyed, though, with the silicon reusable bags for food storage. All of the ones I've bought have stained or the ziplocks stop working. I feel like they are creating a ton of waste - and not really helping at all over using disposable ziplocks. Any suggestions there? I've also never found reusable bags that really replace a gallon ziplock for storage. I'd love some specific suggestions.

For a PP, there are lots of biodegradable dog poop bags out there.

Try to use the ones that can stand up, and strong bag clips to prevent them from bursting open.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I switched everyone to bar shampoo and conditioner (Ethique), bar soap for the showers. They make bars of lotion too that I intend to try when my current big plastic bottle runs out. I switched to a powder laundry detergent that comes in a recyclable bag as well.

I am really annoyed, though, with the silicon reusable bags for food storage. All of the ones I've bought have stained or the ziplocks stop working. I feel like they are creating a ton of waste - and not really helping at all over using disposable ziplocks. Any suggestions there? I've also never found reusable bags that really replace a gallon ziplock for storage. I'd love some specific suggestions.

For a PP, there are lots of biodegradable dog poop bags out there.

Try to use the ones that can stand up, and strong bag clips to prevent them from bursting open.

I bought a brand on amazon that I don't like -- it has a sliding clip on top that is really hard to get on and off. When I use those, I use the big bag clips that Ikea sells (SUCH a useful product for many purposes!) to hold it shut. I bought a different brand at World Market that pushes close like a regular ziplock bag and those work pretty well. I use them for freezer, mostly -- things like freezing berries or extra veggies, or freezing leftover uncooked meat that would get freezer burned in a container. I feel like this was an easy substitution for me.

The hard stuff, for me, is the yogurt/cottage cheese/cleaning supplies. I'd like to try some of the cleaning supplies that don't come in plastic, but my teenage kids' clothes smell REALLY BAD so I really need something that works, plus I am allergic to most flowers so all the foofy organic stuff that has lavender or weird herbal essences in them won't work for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lots of toiletry companies are addressing this and slowly starting the switch over to reusable or more easily recycled materials. Method has aluminum bottle hand soaps, for example, and there are other startups (whose names I’m blanking on - terracycle?) that you would buy a product in and then return it.

The other stuff, I don’t know. I haven’t seen bulk cottage cheese or yogurt. Write to the berry companies; surely they must be able to switch to cardboard, no? Which has its own issues but is at least biodegradable.

This Method thing is just marketing BS. It's just an alumnimum hand soap container, and then you refill it from a plastic bottle. Isn't that what everyone does? Get a refillable dispenser and then refill it from a larger plastic bottle?
Has anyone tried any of the tablets that come in cardboard and then you mix them with water to make the soap or detergent? Do they work?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I switched everyone to bar shampoo and conditioner (Ethique), bar soap for the showers. They make bars of lotion too that I intend to try when my current big plastic bottle runs out. I switched to a powder laundry detergent that comes in a recyclable bag as well.

I am really annoyed, though, with the silicon reusable bags for food storage. All of the ones I've bought have stained or the ziplocks stop working. I feel like they are creating a ton of waste - and not really helping at all over using disposable ziplocks. Any suggestions there? I've also never found reusable bags that really replace a gallon ziplock for storage. I'd love some specific suggestions.

For a PP, there are lots of biodegradable dog poop bags out there.

Try to use the ones that can stand up, and strong bag clips to prevent them from bursting open.

I bought a brand on amazon that I don't like -- it has a sliding clip on top that is really hard to get on and off. When I use those, I use the big bag clips that Ikea sells (SUCH a useful product for many purposes!) to hold it shut. I bought a different brand at World Market that pushes close like a regular ziplock bag and those work pretty well. I use them for freezer, mostly -- things like freezing berries or extra veggies, or freezing leftover uncooked meat that would get freezer burned in a container. I feel like this was an easy substitution for me.

The hard stuff, for me, is the yogurt/cottage cheese/cleaning supplies. I'd like to try some of the cleaning supplies that don't come in plastic, but my teenage kids' clothes smell REALLY BAD so I really need something that works, plus I am allergic to most flowers so all the foofy organic stuff that has lavender or weird herbal essences in them won't work for me.

For laundry detergent, I like this brand:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01G7L71VQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

I use this and then bought some of the wool dryer balls. Put a few drops of essential oil on the dryer ball and I found that everything smells fresh but not fake. I usually stick to a citrus essential oil.

I have two tween boys, so I feel your pain, but this has been working for me.

[Anonymous]

And then for cleaning the bathrooms/kitchen, I really think buying one reusable spray bottle and using diluted white vinegar is the way to go. Excellent cleaning and disinfecting without being harsh. You do have to get used to the vinegar smell, but it dissipates quickly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I switched everyone to bar shampoo and conditioner (Ethique), bar soap for the showers. They make bars of lotion too that I intend to try when my current big plastic bottle runs out. I switched to a powder laundry detergent that comes in a recyclable bag as well.

I am really annoyed, though, with the silicon reusable bags for food storage. All of the ones I've bought have stained or the ziplocks stop working. I feel like they are creating a ton of waste - and not really helping at all over using disposable ziplocks. Any suggestions there? I've also never found reusable bags that really replace a gallon ziplock for storage. I'd love some specific suggestions.

For a PP, there are lots of biodegradable dog poop bags out there.

Try to use the ones that can stand up, and strong bag clips to prevent them from bursting open.

I bought a brand on amazon that I don't like -- it has a sliding clip on top that is really hard to get on and off. When I use those, I use the big bag clips that Ikea sells (SUCH a useful product for many purposes!) to hold it shut. I bought a different brand at World Market that pushes close like a regular ziplock bag and those work pretty well. I use them for freezer, mostly -- things like freezing berries or extra veggies, or freezing leftover uncooked meat that would get freezer burned in a container. I feel like this was an easy substitution for me.

The hard stuff, for me, is the yogurt/cottage cheese/cleaning supplies. I'd like to try some of the cleaning supplies that don't come in plastic, but my teenage kids' clothes smell REALLY BAD so I really need something that works, plus I am allergic to most flowers so all the foofy organic stuff that has lavender or weird herbal essences in them won't work for me.

For laundry detergent, I like this brand:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01G7L71VQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

I use this and then bought some of the wool dryer balls. Put a few drops of essential oil on the dryer ball and I found that everything smells fresh but not fake. I usually stick to a citrus essential oil.

I have two tween boys, so I feel your pain, but this has been working for me.

Thanks for the suggestion but unfortunately I need to keep looking beause rosemary totally bothers my allergies, and my son's too. So much of the "green" stuff has floral or herbal scents. I once got into a whole thing with some saleslady at Costco trying to sell me on their organic laundry detergent that was lavender scented -- I told her I was allergic, she told me it was all-natural, hypoallergenic, and I was like "not if I'm allergic to LAVEDER."

I would like to just use the All Free & CLear (or the Kirkland knockoff) but be able to refill it from a giant keg of laundry detergent at the store. (That's so sad that I would now be excited about a keg of detergent. No keg stands, though. Although maybe that should be their marketing ad -- a bunch of pumped up middle aged moms psyched for the detergent keg so they can cut down on their single use plastics.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I switched everyone to bar shampoo and conditioner (Ethique), bar soap for the showers. They make bars of lotion too that I intend to try when my current big plastic bottle runs out. I switched to a powder laundry detergent that comes in a recyclable bag as well.

I am really annoyed, though, with the silicon reusable bags for food storage. All of the ones I've bought have stained or the ziplocks stop working. I feel like they are creating a ton of waste - and not really helping at all over using disposable ziplocks. Any suggestions there? I've also never found reusable bags that really replace a gallon ziplock for storage. I'd love some specific suggestions.

For a PP, there are lots of biodegradable dog poop bags out there.

Try to use the ones that can stand up, and strong bag clips to prevent them from bursting open.

I bought a brand on amazon that I don't like -- it has a sliding clip on top that is really hard to get on and off. When I use those, I use the big bag clips that Ikea sells (SUCH a useful product for many purposes!) to hold it shut. I bought a different brand at World Market that pushes close like a regular ziplock bag and those work pretty well. I use them for freezer, mostly -- things like freezing berries or extra veggies, or freezing leftover uncooked meat that would get freezer burned in a container. I feel like this was an easy substitution for me.

The hard stuff, for me, is the yogurt/cottage cheese/cleaning supplies. I'd like to try some of the cleaning supplies that don't come in plastic, but my teenage kids' clothes smell REALLY BAD so I really need something that works, plus I am allergic to most flowers so all the foofy organic stuff that has lavender or weird herbal essences in them won't work for me.

For laundry detergent, I like this brand:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01G7L71VQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

I use this and then bought some of the wool dryer balls. Put a few drops of essential oil on the dryer ball and I found that everything smells fresh but not fake. I usually stick to a citrus essential oil.

I have two tween boys, so I feel your pain, but this has been working for me.

Thanks for the suggestion but unfortunately I need to keep looking beause rosemary totally bothers my allergies, and my son's too. So much of the "green" stuff has floral or herbal scents. I once got into a whole thing with some saleslady at Costco trying to sell me on their organic laundry detergent that was lavender scented -- I told her I was allergic, she told me it was all-natural, hypoallergenic, and I was like "not if I'm allergic to LAVEDER."

I would like to just use the All Free & CLear (or the Kirkland knockoff) but be able to refill it from a giant keg of laundry detergent at the store. (That's so sad that I would now be excited about a keg of detergent. No keg stands, though. Although maybe that should be their marketing ad -- a bunch of pumped up middle aged moms psyched for the detergent keg so they can cut down on their single use plastics.)

It won’t be All, but lots of co-ops offer this. I would assume that some co-ops offer unscented options (I, too, avoid essential oils like the plague. They smell unpleasant and give me headaches).

[Anonymous]

I can't believe this. Regular powder detergent in a CARDBOARD BOX works just fine.

[Anonymous]

Folks. Let me tell y'all something. My grandmother used to use regular body bar soap to wash clothes, and that was tough. The first time she used laundry detergent was around 1945. She held up the clothes and could not believe how the dirt seemed to jump off the clothes. She smiled and cast her eyes to heaven and said, "Thank god for Fab!".
People, even the worst detergent is good enough when you consider the sad mess that we are in.
Use it sparingly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can't believe this. Regular powder detergent in a CARDBOARD BOX works just fine.

I thought you couldn’t use it on a HE washer? I also don’t think I’ve seen it since the 1970s! If I can use it in my HE and it comes in unscented, I’d buy that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't believe this. Regular powder detergent in a CARDBOARD BOX works just fine.

I thought you couldn’t use it on a HE washer? I also don’t think I’ve seen it since the 1970s! If I can use it in my HE and it comes in unscented, I’d buy that.

there are powder HE detergents

[Anonymous]

We bought a set of bottles from Blueland and use their tablets to make cleaning solution and hand soap. Works great!