Paper or Plastic?

Neither. Use canvas.

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Oh, wait, I still want to know about paper vs. plastic!  There are also other things to consider... What if my use of cardboard, paper bagged items, etc are actually having a worse effect on the environment than if I just went with plastic as usual?  What if this is all for NOTHING?? 

I'm finding information that says that paper bags/items actually can be worse for the environment!?  Whaaaaat?  So, let's break it down a little.  The best source I found was here: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/07/paper-bags-or-plastic-bags-everything-you-need-to-know.php?page=5

So I geeked out and created my own spreadsheet, since the article's conclusion was inconclusive.  I found that paper has a slight leaning towards better if you simply measure issue per issue.  (Red=Bad, Green=Greener)  Paper wins by a slight margin. 

	Paper	Plastic
Toxic Emissions to Produce	MORE	LESS
Transportation Cost/Fuel	MORE	LESS
Capacity per Bag	MORE	LESS
Energy to Create	MORE	LESS
Recycling Integrity	Good	"Downcycled"
Compostable	Yes	No
Base Composition	Trees - Renewable	Oil - Non-renewable

But I still don't think I can stand behind deciding "paper" at the checkout as a recommendation.  "I brought my own" is best!  Even if you just bring back in the paper OR plastic bags you already have.  (Why doesn't anyone consider THIS an option? Oh, yeah, then they can't sell you the canvas bag.)

Meanwhile, I'm buying in bulk as much as possible (which is quite a lot!) and re-using the bags I already have, both paper and plastic, until they're unusable.  Surprisingly, despite the fact that plastic is made to last for thousands of years, the bags break, get holes and become useless rather quickly.  I recycle everything I can once I feel I've used it to its fullest (until it's in shreds) and have been lining some plastic bags with worn down paper bags to prevent any possible "leaching" issues. I've been slowly replacing the "disposable" bulk bags with organic cotton bags- reusable, of course.

Plant Based Plastics!

I’ve been hearing about it: Plant based plastics, also being touted as “environmentally friendly” plastics.  I am skeptical to believe anything I read without a little investigation.  What makes them environmentally friendly?  Are they actually green?  Will they put an end to my plastic boycott?  What’s the deal?

Coca Cola has a 30% plant based plastic bottle, Heinz is jumping on that bandwagon, and just this week, Pepsi announced that they've created the first ever 100% plant based bottle!  (They’re calling it “No Plastic,” which seems to be a bit of a stretch – no pun intended.)  The competition over environmental friendliness intensifies.

Okay, so I’ve done a little researching, and understand that the process is new and there’s not public information out there yet on this specific process, as far as I know.  (Disclaimer!) So here are my findings…

Bioplastic is biodegradable.  Or is it?  Plastics made from plants or other biological materials, are touted by How Stuff Works  as “biodegradable and better for the environment.”  (http://science.howstuffworks.com/plastic.htm)  Yet, according to USA Today, the plant based plastic which Pepsi’s created “is not biodegradable or compostable.”  At least it’s recyclable. (http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2011-03-15-pepsi-natural-bottle.htm)  So is regular PET plastic (#1 on the bottom of your bottle).  So far, not much difference.  Just another plastic that will be thrown out by most and stick around for centuries.  (Neutral Finding)

One Pittsburg study claims that bioplastics are not only as bad, but maybe even worse for the environment than regular plastics. The refining and production process create a lot of toxic bi-products. (http://www.news.pitt.edu/news/Landis_polymers_LCA)  “Biopolymers were among the more prolific polluters on the path to production, the LCA revealed. The team attributed this to agricultural fertilizers and pesticides, extensive land use for farming, and the intense chemical processing needed to convert plants into plastic.”  However, Pepsi is making their bioplastic from biological waste that would otherwise be thrown away, so that takes care of the farming issues.  But the chemical processing is more intensive than regular plastic creation. (Negetive Finding)

Plastic is made from oil.  Plant based plastic is not.  “Bioplastics have the advantage of being produced from renewable resources (bacteria, plants) rather than nonrenewable resources (oil, natural gas).” (How Stuff Works)  Now THAT’s something to brag about!  Less dependency on oil is a good thing, is it not?  Although others argue that using food based plants cannot be sustainable because, well, it’s food.  (Positive Finding)

There’s rumor that the bioplastics are cleaner, so may be chemically safer.  I’ll wait for more information on that.

So my conclusion is…  Yay for capitalism making these two monster companies (Coca Cola & Pepsi) consider the environment and battle it out!  I think it's great that these moguls are getting in on the public demand for "green" goods, even if it's just smoke and mirrors for the time being...  This is overall an improvement on plastic in my opinion.  However, I’m still opting to go without plastics, and am disappointed that the products aren’t biodegradable, nor compostable.  

I am thinking glass and aluminum are still better. . . But that’s another research project.

(THANK YOU, BRIAN, FOR SENDING ME THE LINK ABOUT PEPSI'S NEW BOTTLE!)

Three Weeks of Plastic Reduction

Reviewing the last three weeks, I wanted to record some of the changes I’ve made.  A lot of these are not convenient at all and sometimes expensive, and others are very simple while actually saving money.  All have reduced my plastic consumption… I hope!  I always seem to get surprise plastic where I don’t expect it!

1.       Re-used the plastic bags I already have (cereal, rice, produce, crackers, etc) for purchasing bulk & produce items

2.       Bought produce un-bagged (Even a dozen carrots – maybe I’ll re-use a bag for that next time for the clerk’s sake!)

3.       Bought meat from the counter wrapped in butcher paper

4.       Brought my own containers to the deli for lunch meat & cheese

5.       Washed & re-used glass jars instead of Tupperware

6.       Made bread from scratch

7.       Found milk in glass containers at Whole Foods!  (Yay!)

8.       Bought bread from a bakery before it was bagged, and got a paper bag instead

9.       Bought bulk items, re-using my own containers/bags:

·         Nuts

·         Snacks

·         Rice

·         Beans

·         Flour

·         Cereal

·         Dried fruit

·         Popcorn

10.   Actually remembered to bring my own canvas grocery bags from home (Some stores even gave me a few cents off for this effort!)

11.   House cleaning with baking soda (cardboard box) & vinegar (glass bottle- although plastic lid)

12.   Cleaned myself with baking soda & vinegar

·         Baking Soda:

§ Shampoo

§ Body wash

§ Deoderant

§ Toothpaste (only every other brushing -  Can’t quite give up on that

§ Dry Shampoo (Try: a little greasy?  Rub in some baking soda at your scalp & see how it works for you!)

·         Vinegar

§ Hair Rinse

§ Body wash

13.   Bought plastic free, chlorine free feminine  products

14.   Made my juice from concentrate

15.   Eating way more fruits and veggies  for snacks and smoothies

16.   Home-made muffins instead of granola/cereal bars in lunches

17.   Opted out of straws & lids at restaurants

18.   Already owned Tupperware instead of sandwich baggies

19.   Made my own chips: Potato & Kale  (Surprisingly tasty, actually!)

20.   Bought wax paper to replace saran wrap in some cases

 

And some nice side-effects of the efforts:

1.       Eating healthier, fresher food

2.       New relationship with food: Spending the time & energy on it makes it far less appealing to down a few hours’ worth of work in a TV sitting.

3.       Avoiding unknown chemicals in toiletries and processed foods

4.       Spending the same amount of money on less food, but not wasting so much of it (How many of your fresh fruits and vegetables end up in the trash after going bad in the fridge?  I had a lot more before!)

5.       Avoiding toxic cleaning fumes 

6.       Teaching my son by example

7.       Spreading awareness with every question about plastic and through this blog (I decided to blog about this from the beginning because I feel it’s important to share the information I learn.)

8.       Only one bag of trash this week (Normally about 2, already low due to recycling & composting)

9.       Only one recycling container (Usually 2 and overflowing!)  Most of it is from remnants of plastic still lingering around the house

 

I’m not keeping track to brag, or to show off  'my footprint is smaller than yours’.  I’m doing this to give examples of changes that have an effect.  I don’t expect anyone else to give up all plastics, and don’t assume I’ll be able to.  This is an experiment in living without new plastic to see just how difficult it is.  I have time to shop different places, money to spend at natural food stores which are admittedly more expensive, and the interest in changing things up to an extreme that I don’t expect anyone else does.  In doing so, I hope to bring awareness to some people, and maybe influence a person or two to make some small changes.  And, let’s face it, I’m absolutely fascinated by this process and just want to share some of the ideas that I had no clue about until I started researching it!

Extreme No Plastic

I've been plastic aware for about two weeks now.  And because I'm me, I go extreme.  So I pushed the pendulum over to the other side and tried out no plastics for a bit...  As much as possible.  Including anything that comes in plastic.  Here are some experiments in non-edibles that I've tried over the last couple of weeks:

Shampoo replaced with Baking Soda
         I tried it out in just its gritty state and have been using it to wash my face also. 

Conditioner replaced with Vinegar, Oatmeal and Vitamin E oil
         A rinsing of vinegar/water mix
         Then a rinsing of oatmeal - water & oatmeal blended, then strained through cheesecloth - super silky!
         And a couple drops of Vitamin E after the shower gets the comb through

Shaving Cream replaced with aforementioned Oatmeal blend (Did I mention super silky?)  Oh, but you have to refrigerate it or it goes bad after a couple of days.
        
Deodorant replaced with Baking Soda
         Brushed it on with a blush brush under my arms. 

Make-up - I still used my eye liner - but used jewelry to make myself feel pretty

Moisturizer replaced with Vitamin E oil

Bath & Kitchen cleaners replaced with Baking Soda & Vinegar - works in the toilet, too.

Yes, really. I know, I think I've stepped over the line of normal behavior.  But the wild thing is: It all works! And well! 

I have thin hair and dry skin, both of which appreciated not being stripped by normal cleansers.  The baking soda for deodorant worked great, even after a long day when I'd normally be stinky, I was in better shape than normal!  The make-up, well, there I'm a little odd - I didn't even wear make-up on my wedding day, so giving up make-up isn't too huge a deal, even though I do wear it religiously now.

Extra Bonus: All environmentally friendly, and no excess chemicals absorbed through my skin!

I do want to research baking soda more to find out what it's made from and how.