How do you reduce your use of plastic?

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floridacatlover
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Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 7:21 am

Re: How do you reduce your use of plastic?

Post by floridacatlover »

I reuse plastic bags (litter) and containers, recycle when possible. No longer buy milk in jugs. Gave up soda long ago. I don’t buy water bottles.

My medicine comes in small plastic bottles - can’t do much about that.

Probably most effective, however, to protect the oceans (and endangered species and clean air) I vote for Democrats.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/ene ... 5fbf4d2bd6
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MackerelCat
Posts: 7226
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 9:44 pm

Re: How do you reduce your use of plastic?

Post by MackerelCat »

We have been ardent recyclers for 28 years. Right now, we pay for an extra recycling bin because we'll fill one up in a week and it is picked up every other week.

It appalls me how much plastic is used. I buy store brand fig Newtons and a package has 5 pieces of plastic. What ever happened to cookies being packed in cardboard sleeves inside the plastic on the outside?

I bought a lot of very good quality Rubbermaid containers for packing my breakfast, lunch and drinks to work. Also use wax paper to separate the sandwich from the carrot sticks and pretzels inside the container.
Mackie
BevMoore
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Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 11:04 pm

Re: How do you reduce your use of plastic?

Post by BevMoore »

I use assorted sizes zip lock bags and do the classic wash, rinse and dry. The zip locks get tossed once they are worn out and have gotten holes in them. I use these for a lot of things but mainly for food. I can make a box of them last several years.


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Dgflorida
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Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:10 pm

Re: How do you reduce your use of plastic?

Post by Dgflorida »

I do some of the things everyone else here does. I don't store in glass much because glass is heavy and I am clumsy now. I do use reusable containers in the freezer instead of plastic wrap. And I shop in bulk. At the bulk food place, I bring my own plastic storage containers. They mark the empty weight and then reduce the price accordingly. I use cloth bags for groceries. I have started taking the vegetable bags with me so I don't have to use their plastic bags in a regular grocery store. I buy coffee in large plastic or preferably the cardboard containers. I use the cardboard containers for planters. The snapdragons really like them and grow great in them. The large plastic ones, I use as scoops for kitty litter or storage. Going low carb/keto has reduced the number of things I buy in plastic. We only drink water or coffee or tea made with our well water, so no plastic containers of soda or juice. I buy kitty liter in the huge square plastic containers which I recycle into planters or in paper.

One of the great dangers created by plastic is plastic rings or handles which are rings. To avoid that, I cut up the plastic , zip lock bags to ensure no rings can form. I also cut up the plastic that comes with online products. I recycle the boxes into the garden. I also break up the Styrofoam that eggs come in. It is hard to find eggs in non styrofoam where I shop.
LogicsHere
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Joined: Sat Aug 29, 2015 9:49 am

Re: How do you reduce your use of plastic?

Post by LogicsHere »

Westchester County in NY has done well with their recycling programs. We are able to recycle plastics #s 1 - 7, newspapers, magazines, corrugated and grey cardboard, glass and cans. I don't buy individual bottles of water. I buy perhaps 2 - 3 gallons a week. With milk it's usually a half gallon and I re-use it 4 or 5 times and then toss into recycling.

I get the newspaper 4 days a week and recycle all the junk mail along with it; usually it weighs an average of 2-3 lbs unless the weather is bad (rain or snow) and then we're not permitted to put it out unless we bring it to the recycling dumpsters ourselves.

I don't have much in the way of plastic containers to toss, mostly grey cardboard and that is recyclable too here. I do use glad wrap, but a roll of 200 feet lasts me almost a year. And paper towels, I use about 1 roll a month as I actually prefer using dish towels.
NoisyPorkchop
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Joined: Mon Mar 06, 2017 5:59 pm
Location: In the middle of the Willamette Valley, Oregon.

Re: How do you reduce your use of plastic?

Post by NoisyPorkchop »

I have really been conscious of my plastic use over the last few months; really making an effort to recycle everything I can now. I recycle my aluminum cans from when I am cooking as well as the glass jars food comes in. I toss all my junk mail and such (my deceased in-laws still get junk mail in their name) and the Winco has a bin just inside the door that you can recycle plastic grocery bags, bread bags and the plastic produce bags. I just bring them along with me and shove them in the hopper as I walk through the front door.

I also have reusable shopping bags I bring each week to the store. I am more frustrated that our recycling center doesn't accept shredded paper; I mean, it IS paper! They don't take any syrofoam or packing peanuts or anything. We had so much of it as we were moving into this house and were buying some new furnishings. It grated on me to throw it in the regular trash. It also made me resolve to start being more aware of how my small efforts of reusing and recycling can have a better impact on the environment. Going to start looking for second-hand items in my future.
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