Are We Being Taken Over by Plastic???

A friend recently asked me about the plastics in her home. She was worried that some of the products her family has been using may have some nasty things in them. Her concern is merited, given recent news about what lurks within our plastic products. I give her many kudos for assessing her family's plastic use carefully, and making mindful decisions about what to toss and what to keep, what is safe to buy, and what to avoid like the plague. I was in a similar place a year or so ago, but I did not handle the situation as calmly!

I had read enough research, articles, and tree-hugger websites to confirm my suspicions about the issues surrounding plastics. However, my reaction was well, not exactly as calm, cool, and collected as my dear friend. While she asked intelligent questions about her children's plastic toys and inspected the symbols on the bottoms of containers they use for food and drink, I had a more impulsive reaction...I grabbed every plastic particle in my home (you read that correctly...I did mean to say PARTICLE), threw it in a giant plastic bag, and stuffed it in the garage. Surprisingly, it all fit into one large garbage bag because I had been mindful to some degree about the plastic in my world, but still, plastics seemed to find a way into our home. And there were some plastics I couldn't get rid of, like my laptop, printer, and the coating on my mp3 player headphones. Sigh....the situation seemed helpless!

I know you're wondering what I did with all those plastic particles, becuase (shh) that's the part nobody wants to talk about....what to do with them. Do you throw them in the trash? Give them to a charity (like the meek and suffering need plastics more than I do!), or send them back to the manufacturer (I actually checked on several of my child's toys to see if I could do that...no good). No, it is not an easy answer, just like the entire issue surrounding plastics.

So, while I could go on for days and days about how plastic is taking over the world, (you did hear about that floating island of plastic in the ocean, didn't you?), instead, I'm going to focus on what YOU CAN DO to greatly reduce your plastic use (as much as humanly possible!), which may, as many environmentalists and scientists say, reduce the amount of exposure you and your family have to carcinogens, neurotoxins, and other not-so-lovely toxins. And that's a good, green thing!

Things You Already Know

• Nix the Plastic Grocery Bags: Are you still getting plastic bags from your grocery store? Don't....just put a bunch of brown bags into your trunk (or on the seat of your car if you're absent-minded like me) to reuse when you shop. If you really want to be green, use canvas totes, old beach bags, or whatever bag suits you! Hey, you could even bring your roller-suitcase to the grocery store, but aside from the strange looks you would get, lifting it up and out of your grocery cart might really do a number on your back. I actually have brought in baskets when I was just buying fruits and veggies. I looked a bit like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, but who cares....I'd like to think I saved a sea turtle from a certain death by plastic.
  

Things You May Know

• Nix the Plastic Fruit/Veggie Bags: I know, you're wondering what the heck should you use to hold all those mushrooms, or the dripping-wet lettuce. Don't fret...you have options! Bring small lunch-size brown bags that are left over from lunches or just taking up space in your cupboard for your dry foods like potatoes, onions, apples, and avocados. Alternatively, you can purchase small canvas bags (or make some out of old fabric if you're feeling domestic) that are machine-washable. The work fine with the damp and drippy fruits and veggies, too. Isn't that cool?



• Don't Purchase Foods in Plastic: This means you might actually have to, gasp, cook! You may have read about bisphenol-A (aka BPA) and phthalates, and discovered their ugly truth...from hormone-disruption to the altering of DNA, we aren't quite sure what the long-term effects will be on our children, and even us. As I sit here and eat Enjoy Life's Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips right out of the yes, plastic bag, I can say this - start with reducing the kinds of foods you buy in plastic, and you'll see that it's not hard to adjust a little bit each week. Some things, like my beloved chocolate chips, are impossible to buy in alternative packaging, or completely unrealistic to make at home, but there are simpler modifications you can make. Here are some ideas that are easy and will save you a bundle of money in the long run:
  

1. Send a thermos or stainless steel water bottle to school with your child. Your child doesn't really need juice to get through the day...this may save you on dental bills as well! Reusable lunch boxes or bags are great, too. My son has a Muppets(tm) lunch box that I purchased a few years ago from Lunchboxes.com. It definitely protects his food from getting smooshed in his backpack, but it is a bit bulky. Still, we love it!


2. Wrap sandwiches in wax paper sandwich bags that you can reuse until they fall apart (really, I do this!). Or better yet, put them in a stainless steel sandwich box.


3. Reuse small food-grade containers for chips, crackers, or any other snack-type food. I reuse my son's raisin boxes and put cranberries or home-made trail mix in them. The other day, I took a tin that previously held some holiday fudge , washed it out and sent it to school with some tortilla chips inside. My son LOVES the tin and enjoys finding the treasure inside at lunch time.


4. If you must buy pre-packaged foods (what, you don't have time to make home-made pasta?) buy foods in boxes that can be recycled or reused.


5. Buy a bread-maker, or go in on one with a few friends or family members. You can also make biscuits, and turn dough for pizzas in a bread maker. Store your home-made bread in a bread box.


6. Store left-overs in glass containers. You can buy them at Crate and Barrel for a very reasonable price.


7. Remove the plastic dishes you serve your child's food on and replace with ceramic or food-grade wood dishes. We started introducing ceramic plates and bowls to our son at a very young age, (with adult supervision of course!), so that by the time he was 4 years old, he could make his own snacks using the dessert-size plates we put on a shelf he could reach. (You still have to be careful...ceramic can shatter, too.) Also, I was lucky enough to be given 6 wooden monkey pod bowls from my mother-in-law, who was cleaning out her circa 1970s kitchen gadgets she no longer uses. They are the best bowls ever! We use them for salads, cereal, appetizers when guests are over...you name it! You can buy similar wood bowls online, but they are somewhat hard to find.


8. Switch your baby bottles and sippies to safer plastics that are free of BPA and phthalates, or buy glass bottles and stainless steel sippies. We offer some great options in our Green Things Boutique online. Check them out for yourselves...

Okay, so there are a billion more things you can do to get plastic out of your life, but start small, or you will feel overwhelmed and struggle with making the change in your life and that of your family's. Plus, throwing your family into the proverbial fire as you try to "greenify" their lives will not go over well. Believe me...going cold turkey doesn't work for most people and I can speak from experience!

So, now you're completely overwhelmed and ready to crawl into a hole. When you feel like coming outside again, drop me a note and let me know what else is on your mind these days. There are so many more timely eco-topics to address....what shall we chat about next? Composting? Buying organic clothing? Pesticide-free gardens (yes, spiders and ants are our friends!)? Or how about educating today's youth? Well, when you figure it out, let me know and we'll have another virtual coffee talk. And always, you're welcome to email me with your thoughts and ideas about all things green and all things child...my two favorite things!

And if you don't get around to asking me that burning question you have about what shampoos are safe to use, or how to get your child interested in reading independently before she can actually "read," don't worry...I'll be here...pondering the world...usually in the middle of the night.