Zero Waste

[tortoise]

the "pod" craze annoys me so much. It's so hard to find an unscented powder detergent in a cardboard box. and I don't mean from a zero waste store. The kind that used to be everywhere when I was a kid (I'm not THAT old). The plastic free pods aren't actually plastic free. I did some reading on that. it was so discouraging!

I'm on a medical diet so I am not really able to go as plastic-free as I want to be or as I used to be a couple years ago. It's exhausting, tbh. I'm interested in ways to hack my diet for less plastic. I can't really eat much solid food. Mostly protein powders and those come in plastic tubs.

 

[Hinotori]

I try to encourage everyone to use cotton canvas grocery bags. Just toss them in the wash with the towels to keep them sanitary. I usually have one in every load.

My state doesn't allow the thinner plastic bags anymore at stores, same for Oregon. I took Mom a bunch of the canvas bags before the ban went in down there.

We've been using the cotton bags for 2 decades. Still have the original bags we got as well.

 

[murphysranch]

WalMart got rid of any sort of bags. Not even for purchase.

 

[flowerbug]

the "pod" craze annoys me so much. It's so hard to find an unscented powder detergent in a cardboard box. and I don't mean from a zero waste store....

pod life is not for me (unless it is a bean or pea pod)...

 

[Jabberwonky]

every bit you can do helps as far as i'm concerned.

i do not encourage people to do anything crafty with plastic bags or bottles because all it does is push the waste down the road a bit but then it is also contaminated with paints or will degrade in the sun which means it won't be very good quality if it does eventually make it back to a recycler.

glass may be heavy and break into sharp pieces but it can be washed and reused many times if you treat it right so to me that outwieghs the negatives.

other natural fibers than cotton can be much more ecologically friendly, hemp, linen, bamboo, etc.

i also tend to wear my clothes until they fall apart or you can see through them. i get a lot of them second hand for very little expense or even hand-me-downs which then at least i'm not having to buy them new.

i really like wood and stone for building materials and when wood is done being useful it can be recycled easily and turned into humus for the gardens or turned into paper.

I saw something online this week called eco-bricks, where people stuff plastic bottles full of non-recyclable materials, and then use them to build outdoor structures. I didn't realize until looking into it a little more that this idea is probably more harmful than helpful. But that was kind of a bummer, because there is a lot of non-recyclable material out there.

 

[Jabberwonky]

the "pod" craze annoys me so much. It's so hard to find an unscented powder detergent in a cardboard box. and I don't mean from a zero waste store. The kind that used to be everywhere when I was a kid (I'm not THAT old). The plastic free pods aren't actually plastic free. I did some reading on that. it was so discouraging!

I'm on a medical diet so I am not really able to go as plastic-free as I want to be or as I used to be a couple years ago. It's exhausting, tbh. I'm interested in ways to hack my diet for less plastic. I can't really eat much solid food. Mostly protein powders and those come in plastic tubs.

I have used dishwasher pods for years, simply because they are so much faster and less messy than the powders. I think I will probably phase them out once my stash is gone. So many things I have used over the years without really considering where they end up... I know it sounds cliche and dumb, probably, but after seeing some photos of mountains of trash in certain areas of the world and reading zero waste books, it really got me thinking about my responsibility and what I contribute.

I try to encourage everyone to use cotton canvas grocery bags. Just toss them in the wash with the towels to keep them sanitary. I usually have one in every load.

My state doesn't allow the thinner plastic bags anymore at stores, same for Oregon. I took Mom a bunch of the canvas bags before the ban went in down there.

We've been using the cotton bags for 2 decades. Still have the original bags we got as well.

I bring my reusable bags to the store (a lot of times I forget and have to dump things into my car loose ... But I recently realized that some of the nice, sturdy bags I bought a while ago are starting to rip, and they are lined with plastic. I definitely will try to purchase cotton bags if I do purchase any more. I really need some new grocery bags, but I have been avoiding buying them, because it's on my to-do list to sew some... sigh... so many things on my to-do list.

I have seen some people online who slice plastic shopping bags into sections and use them to crochet reusable shopping bags. That looks so cool. I am probably not good enough at crocheting to attempt that type of project. I also saw a guy in NYC who takes old plastic and uses factory machinery to turn them into sturdy bags that can hold 100 lbs. and are meant to last a lifetime. I love that idea, but the bags are over $100 each.

 

[tortoise]

WalMart got rid of any sort of bags. Not even for purchase.

I have heard rumors of this coming. I'm excited for it!

 

[Hinotori]

I think ours has removed them as well. I don't generally go into Walmart so can't say for sure.

I hate that tarps only last so many years. Keeping them tight makes them last longer so I make sure they are.

I've thought about getting canvas tarps for over the pens but snow doesn't slide off easily and they have to have waterproofing reapplied. I only use one with our canvas tent to protect the floor.

Plastic zip ties are another evil I use. Get good quality UV resistant ones that have a good tensile test strength. They cost a little more but last a long time totally making them cost less than the cheap zip ties that turn brittle and snap too soon adding more trash.

I tried reusing feed sacks to cover my broody coop roof. Did that this spring because of a leakage problem. The plastic has rotted and started flaking. Off with it. I'll reuse a bit of an old tarp for now. I'll replace the roof with new plywood later, though the tarp still might last just as long as the rest of the coop now.

I won't use feed sacks exposed to the sun and wind again. I don't reuse for grocery bags because I like to wash those. I will probably make a few up to use for organizing in my root cellar shed. Should be useful there. Those are what I'd really like to find a good reuse for.

 

[flowerbug]

...
I have seen some people online who slice plastic shopping bags into sections and use them to crochet reusable shopping bags. That looks so cool. I am probably not good enough at crocheting to attempt that type of project.

those flimsy t-shirt bags will disintegrate very quickly.

also sadly, we've had some supposedly good grocery bags that crumbled after a few years of use - literally crumbled into dust. since they were handed out free they were probably made very cheaply. so they became trash in the end, but probably did at least displace some amount of waste that would have been generated had we used plastic bags instead.

i really do not mind using paper bags from time to time as i can recycle those or reuse them for bean pod picking and drying season. if they get ripped or can't be used any more the worms will gladly turn them into humus for me.

 

[Hinotori]

The Trader Joes canvas bags are good. Only the canvas ones last as long and are as durable. The others arent. That currently is the white ones with blue handles. The handles are large enough to actually swing over your shoulder as well. Run $4 each I believe. We use them for carrying heavy stuff from house or shed as well.

Mom uses them for moving any produce she brings home. She can't lift a 50 lb box of potatoes. She can fill the bag and take potatoes to the shed a bag at a time. Potato boxes are always kept and reused when the spuds are gone. Everyone in the family uses them for storage. I use them for storage. The glue tends to last 10-20 years in my climate. 20-30 years over on the dry side of the mountains. Then just tape the sides of the box and carry on. Boxes can be composted afterwards.

I check the rim of any jar I buy at the grocery store. If a ring fits it can be used for water bath canning. I have mayonnaise jars from the 80s that I still use. Sucked when they switched to plastic.

I do think them changing shampoo jars to plastic was a good thing.