I am going to start this blog post by listing a few rules that I have been living by for the last week and a half. Rather than calling them rules though as that seems too harsh I would like to call them guide lines.
Obviously the goal is to buy nothing plastic. This isn't as easy as it seems, today almost everything has some sort of plastic component or coating. This is why I am going to take the time and explain how I am dealing with this.
I have decided that I will not throw out things that are plastic that I already have. It would just become more trash in the land fill. I will use my plastic thing as long as I can. This includes the plastic bags that I buy my produce in. As I started this suddenly I do not have many but the ones that I do I will be using for bulk items until I find a better solution. The same goes to old salsa and take out containers that have been shoved under my sink for who knows how long. I will use them to get food if the stores I go to allow them. I will also use them to take food to school and work in. While I will slowly trade these things out for non plastic alternatives this gives me time to research and find the most environmentally friendly items. The same goes for nonfood items. At the moment I still have shampoo, soap, toilet paper,and many other things that I will eventually run out of and have to find a non-plastic bottle/wrapped solution.
As everything else goes. I will buy most of my items used as that is a great way of taking items out of danger of being dumped at a landfill. I can find almost anything I need at second hand stores. My personal favorites are Out of the Closet, Goodwill, Savers, but it doesn't really matter there are used stores everywhere! If someday I need to replace electronics I will also look to find a used version before I buy anything know. This will once again save one more item from being sent to the landfill but it will also save a tone of wrapping and packaging material that I would otherwise just throw away.
Ultimately I'm just going back to the rules we all hear as kids: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.
(I tried to upload pictures but am having technology problems...maybe in an update)
Obviously the goal is to buy nothing plastic. This isn't as easy as it seems, today almost everything has some sort of plastic component or coating. This is why I am going to take the time and explain how I am dealing with this.
I have decided that I will not throw out things that are plastic that I already have. It would just become more trash in the land fill. I will use my plastic thing as long as I can. This includes the plastic bags that I buy my produce in. As I started this suddenly I do not have many but the ones that I do I will be using for bulk items until I find a better solution. The same goes to old salsa and take out containers that have been shoved under my sink for who knows how long. I will use them to get food if the stores I go to allow them. I will also use them to take food to school and work in. While I will slowly trade these things out for non plastic alternatives this gives me time to research and find the most environmentally friendly items. The same goes for nonfood items. At the moment I still have shampoo, soap, toilet paper,and many other things that I will eventually run out of and have to find a non-plastic bottle/wrapped solution.
As everything else goes. I will buy most of my items used as that is a great way of taking items out of danger of being dumped at a landfill. I can find almost anything I need at second hand stores. My personal favorites are Out of the Closet, Goodwill, Savers, but it doesn't really matter there are used stores everywhere! If someday I need to replace electronics I will also look to find a used version before I buy anything know. This will once again save one more item from being sent to the landfill but it will also save a tone of wrapping and packaging material that I would otherwise just throw away.
Ultimately I'm just going back to the rules we all hear as kids: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.
(I tried to upload pictures but am having technology problems...maybe in an update)
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