Plastic-Free February: Day 13

Laundry. Laundry. Laundry.

I've been researching ways to get around purchasing laundry detergent in the silly plastic packaging. (Even if we use the eco-friendly brand in the concentrated liquid, I still feel terrible about the plastic in the packaging!) Oh, and I need to use the liquid soap option for my washer so buying powder packaged in a cardboard box (while the best option) isn't a choice for us. So it looks like I might be making my own. A little DIY, anyone?

If you're like me and thinking about making my own laundry soap, here are some of the recipes I've found online:

http://asonomagarden.wordpress.com/2010/05/25/how-to-make-homemade-laundry-detergent/

http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/2010/05/on-the-laundry-line.html

I'd love to hear about your experiences and recommendations before I proceed. Do you make your own laundry soap? Have any tips or "recipes" to share?

Plastic-Free February: Day 9 & 10

The milk man. And the best of intentions.

Last Saturday I was inappropriately excited by the thought of milk in a glass bottle being delivered to our door. I had also ordered a number of other organic items including eggs, cheese (wrapped in paper) and bread (in a paper bag). And by 4:00 pm I was still waiting.

Of course I called there support line, but they were already closed until Monday. On Monday at 9:00 I called to inquire and was told it was delivered and no, they wouldn't be giving a refund. (My partner called and got a different story - so heaven only knows what happened.) They said they'd send another order along to us. So on our doorstep the next morning we found 3 glass milk jugs, an orange juice, and ryvita. Not in the reusable cool bag I ordered and missing numerous items.

This is so under-whelming. I really wanted it to work but I'm not willing to wait for a) my deliveries to get sorted and b) sub-par customer service. So I am going back to Abel and Cole's milk. While it comes in plastic cartons, I know they are amazing people and provide excellent customer service. (In fact, I chatted with them about glass milk options on their online web chat system and they said they would look into it. Immediate and generous feedback in real time! Fab!)

Do you use glass or plastic milk jugs? What are your thoughts on this?

Plastic-Free February: Day 6

The road to hell is paved with good intentions. 

- or another working title - 

Why we can't always be perfect.

I'm just finishing my first week of trying to live plastic-free. And let me tell you, it has been challenging.

I'm not perfect. I was working on Saturday morning and didn't get around to the farmers' market to buy our fresh and seasonal produce. Also, we didn't get time to head down to the Whole Foods which is about 4 miles from our house to buy food in bulk so I thought I'd head to another organic shop that was closer to us. Unfortunately, as is the case with good food stores, they were mostly sold out of all their produce and didn't have a bulk foods section. (Don't worry, we drove there in our hybrid.) So we had to go to the supermarket. Blah. Even though we take our own Onya Fruit and Veg Bags (which you can buy from my Amazon store) instead of using flimsy, wasteful plastic ones, it is still hard to not buy plastic. You'll see the picture of our shopping items above. Can you find pasta without the plastic? Apricots and Raisins? Any suggestions?

*I might add that we always bring our own reusable shopping bags - so that is one solid, good, plastic-free practice we employ. Trying to focus on the positive here. :)

I know this week hasn't been the best for cutting down my plastic use. It is quite frustrating - as the perfectionist in me was hoping to be 100% plastic-free. But we are a busy family and I am doing what I can. I just hope that by sharing my struggles and lessons learned you will be inspired to consider your own plastic use. I figure the more that we can share our experiences, the more we can learn. And hell, no one is perfect, right?!

Plastic-Free February: Day 5

Brand Loyalty.

We've created a monster. You see, our son is completely committed to Starbucks. It started out as I would innocently get him a (free) babyccino with each cappuccino I purchased. (I am a caffeine addiction mom with a soft spot for free things. But hey, I always try to bring my own reusable mug. See pictured.) I didn't realize that over time, my dear child began to recognise their logo. In airports, in Kansas, across London, he would scream for Starbucks as he was able to easily identify their sign (not to mention all their stores are designed to look alike - we were in sunny California and it was like we hadn't left London).

Henry used to get a babyccino in a small paper cup. No biggie, I thought. But then - in a moment of weakness - I gave him an Innocent smoothie with the plastic straw and wrapper. This was before my plastic-free February challenge and while I did think about the waste (briefly) I didn't ever occur to me that Henry would want one each time we visited Starbucks. And that adds up to a lot of waste.

I'll admit: it's not Starbucks that is the problem. I could say no to my 2 year old. Easy, right. But to me, parenting takes such strength - and digging yourself out of a habit/rut can be time consuming and challenging. But no one said it was easy. So I'm going to cut back. And convince Henry that just as we turn off the lights when we leave the room, we are going to cut back on all the trash we make. (He has the most adorable eco-book that talks about these issues - and has been very good at screaming/reminding me to turn off our lights. He's also quite the recycler.)

How do you manage with your children? Any suggestions?

Plastic-Free February: Day 3

Tackling our Toothbrushes...


Henry (2 years old) has always used a Green Baby toothbrush as I have wanted to avoid plastic in his mouth. (This wooden toothbrush uses natural, hygienically treated pig hair and are comfortable on young gums and teeth.)


But I was in a rush the last time he needed one so I just picked a plastic toothbrush up from the local pharmacy instead of ordering it in or heading down to the Whole Foods in Clapham Junction to pick it up there. (Being green takes a bit of forward-thinking, doesn't it?) He needs a new one so I'm placing an order tonight. And I am certain it will arrive without any plastic wrapping!


As for adult toothbrushes, I think the best option is the Monte Bianco. As they say,


"In an effort to reduce the amount of plastic that we all throw away they have developed a brush which uses replaceable heads, so when the old bristles wear out they are the only part which needs disposing of - you needn’t throw away the handle."


What do you and your family use?

Plastic-Free February: Day 2

I've been thinking a lot about my plastic-free challenge. To recap, I will be:

1: Not buying or acquiring new plastic.

2: Not cooking with plastic or storing food in plastic.

3: Minimizing all other plastic use.

The easy bit for me is #2. I don't ever microwave in plastic. (Say what you will, I believe plastic does leach while cooking in the microwave. And I just don't want to take any chances, especially with my young son. Plus it's just as easy to microwave food in a glass or ceramic container.)

I think I am going to struggle most with not buying new plastic. For breakfast, my son wanted his organic yogurt, conveniently packaged in individual portions.  Now I could just buy him yogurt from a large tub - or in keeping with the theme - I could challenge myself to make my own yogurt. Heck, Martha Stewart has a recipe. http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/perfect-homemade-yogurt (Although you have to cover it to set in...wait for it...PLASTIC wrap!) We could also reuse the yogurt containers to make cute seed planters!

So does anyone have any recommendations for  what to do about this?

For tomorrow: Tackling our Toothbrushes.