A Plastic-Free Christmas: Good Things Come in Plastic-Free Packages

Christmas is less than two weeks away and I, like so many others, have spent the last month agonizing over what gifts to buy my family and friends. If you’ve read my other blog posts, you’d know that I am slowly progressing towards (and documenting) a plastic-free lifestyle. This has further convoluted the already complicated Christmas shopping “experience”.

To bring you up to date, over the last couple weeks I have taken the following baby-steps to reduce my plastic footprint:

Step #1: Cease using plastic shopping bags

A Charlie Brown Christmas

This step was the easiest of all of my self-imposed steps. I hardly ever used plastic shopping bags to begin with, but occasionally I would forget my cloth bag and have to pay the astronomical (I'm being sarcastic) 5 cent fee at the grocery store in order to carry my purchases home. Over the last couple weeks, I’ve started taking this step more seriously. Firstly, I have tried to carry a cloth bag with me whereever I go; however, if I am out and I don’t have a cloth bag with me, I don’t buy anything that won’t fit in my purse. This rule helps me save money and has stopped me from making those impulse purchases that are especially common around the holidays, but most importantly, it stops me from accumulating plastic bags!

Step #2: Stop buying plastic water bottles

I’ve never had a problem with drinking tap water, but when I was out shopping or at the gym I would sometimes purchase water in a plastic bottle. A couple months ago I put an end to that by stealing a reusable stainless steel water bottle from my mom and taking it with me everywhere. Problem solved! I highly recommend doing this (maybe not stealing from your own mother, but perhaps just buying one. I think they're less than $5 at most places).

Step #3: No more plastic garbage bags

I’d be lying if I said I stopped using plastic garbage bags entirely. I have stopped buying them though. The truth is that there is a ton of them sitting under my kitchen sink and I swear that once I’m done using them all up, I won’t purchase another one ever again. Honestly though, this has been one of the biggest challenges of reducing my plastic consumption so far. I have yet to find a good replacement for plastic garbage bags. I tried using paper bags, but they got awfully soggy and the mess on my kitchen floor after trying to take the bag out of the trash bin wasn’t encouraging.

The other problem is that I have a pet rabbit (Mr. Small, pictured above) and I usually clean his cage by dumping all of his shavings into a big green plastic garbage bag. Anything smaller winds up with rabbit shavings and poop all over my floor. What’s the answer to this problem? *Sigh* I do not know.

At least I am making progress in other ways. I no longer put my recycling in a plastic garbage bag, I now use a reusable bin. Ah, progress!

Step #4: Plastic covered foods are no longer edible

This has actually turned out to be my favourite step. I’ve started making so many great foods at home that I couldn’t find plastic-free in the grocery store. This includes homemade hummus, soup, peanut butter, jam (with fruit that isn’t wrapped in plastic), bread, cookies, pasta sauce, guacamole, salsa, and granola. I have to say that I am a pretty awesome cook and an even better baker! Next step for me will be learning to make yogurt, which I dare you to find in anything other than a plastic container! It's one of my favourites, so if I ever want to eat it again, I'm going to have to learn!

Other changes I've made: I now always buy free-range eggs in cardboard packaging, I avoid fruits and vegetables wrapped in cellophane or plastic bags, and I now go to bulk food stores so I can get foods in paper bags (turns out to be cheaper, too). I went to the Nuthouse at Bloor & Brock and bought organic oats, raisins, almonds, sunflower seeds, and flax seeds to make homemade granola and it cost me less than $10! And I got so much out of the recipe that it’ll last me a couple months!

The difficulties I am having though, are in buying meats and cheeses. I have yet to find meat that is not wrapped in plastic (and to be honest, if I did find it, I’m not sure if I would eat it). I am, however, going to check out a new organic butcher on Roncesvalles, Rowe Farms, and see if they would be able to give me meat wrapped in paper. Stay tuned!

Step #5: Discontinue Ziplock Bag use

I now make a conscious effort (and I am embarrassed to say that I never did before) to use reusable containers for everything from leftovers to lunches, instead of those silly, wasteful, little plastic bags or clingwrap. This has been an easy step so far and has made a huge difference in how much plastic I have had to throw away. I even asked Santa to bring me reusable containers made from glass instead of the plastic tuber-ware ones.

Step #6: Collect the plastics that I am still using

I’m now collecting all the other plastics I’ve been using to see where I need to make further improvements. I have a plastic bag hanging on a doorknob in my kitchen and instead of recycling, I throw every bit of plastic I am done with into the bag to see what I have accumulated over the last month. In the bag you will find, shampoo bottles, body wash, cough syrup, a ketchup bottle, conditioner bottles, body spray and perfume bottles, make-up containers, various wrappers from toilet paper, granola, macaroni, and yogurt cups, caps from aerosol cans, cleaning supply bottles, plastic mesh from a box of oranges, and gum wrappers (I chew a lot of gum). Now everytime I put something in there, I have to figure out how to get the product without the plastic. I’ve resolved the granola issue, but I am at a loss when it comes to toilet paper.  

Although I have been quite creative in thinking up alternatives to plastics in my every day life, Christmas created an entirely new challenge since it involved other people. I realized that so many things are made of plastic, packaged in plastic, or wrapped in plastic. Good grief, how was I ever to stay environmentally conscious and bring a smile to my loved ones' faces? It took time and a lot of thought, but I finally realized that many good things come in plastic-free packages as well. Christmas doesn't have to be full of plastic waste!

Taking this into consideration, I made a whole bunch of homemade gifts and learned for the first time how to can and preserve foods. The process isn’t that hard and it made me wonder why I hadn’t done it a long time ago. So, voila! I have made canned peanut butter, canned blackberry, strawberry, & raspberry jam, and homemade granola in glass jars, wrapped in paper, for my family and friends. It’s homemade, organic, filled with love, and 100% plastic-free. Bon appétit!

And, oh yes, Merry Christmas!

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for my next blog post,

The 5¢ Debate!

And be sure to follow on Twitter @PPSProject for additional

content and updates!

Life is Plastic

Over the last couple years I have become increasingly more aware of how much of my life is made up of plastic. Plastic grocery & garbage bags, product packaging, house hold appliances, office supplies, dishes, “reusable” lunch containers, jewelry, water bottles, luggage, cars, children’s toys, adult toys, musical instruments, bike helmets, clothing, electronics, some inks, snow shovels (I live in Canada by the way), tablecloths, lawnmowers, furniture, and the list goes on. I am guilty of excessive plastic consumption and whether I like it or not, plastic is everywhere and it will be for a long, long, long time!

Before I can decrease my consumption of plastics, two things need to be investigated. First, what is plastic? Where does it come from and how is it made? Secondly, how did plastic evolve into an everyday household product? In other words, how did it come to be that so much of my life is plastic? If we human beings ever lived without plastic (and I am told we once did), than surely we could find a way to limit  plastic consumption again. Life doesn’t have to be plastic…Does it?

Thus, I begin my research (and therefore this blog) with a brief evolutional timeline of plastic:

1856 An English scientist named Alexander Parkes patents Parkesine, the first man-made thermoplastic. Parkesine was an organic material made from caster oil and gun cotton.  When heated it could be molded and when it cooled it maintained its shape. The material was intended to be an inexpensive replacement for rubber.

1862 Parkes exhibits Parkesine at the Great International Exhibition in London and later forms the Parkesine Company, a relatively unsuccessful manufacturing company. The downfall: Parkesine was expensive to produce, flammable, and often cracked under pressure. 

1869 After Parkes’ company failed, a similar substance, called Xylonite,
was marketed by Daniel Spill, a colleague of Parkes.

1870 Celluloid, the first completely synthetic man-made plastic, is invented by Isaiah Hyatt and John Wesley. The material is made from cellulose and alcholized camphor.  Well into the early 1900’s, celluloid was used to manufacture many products that were previously made from bone, ivory, or tortoiseshells. Ever wonder why celluloid isn’t widely used today? Well, that’s because it is flammable and decomposes easily.

1907 A synthetic plastic, called Bakelite, is produced by Belgian chemist, Leo Baekeland. Bakelite was made from coal tar resins and was used for its electrically nonconductive and heat-resistant properties. The benefits of this plastic were widely utilized in products such as electrical insulators, telephone and radio casings, jewelry, kitchenware, and children’s toys.

1908 Cellophane is invented by Swiss chemist, Jacques E. Brandenberger. The material is made from regenerated cellulose. Its thin and transparent appearance made it particularly useful for food packaging. Although it is widely used, this material is not recyclable. 

1920 Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is invented. Made from thermoplastic polymer, PVC is now one of the most widely produced plastics because it is durable, inexpensive to produce, and easily moldable. Arguably the most controversial plastic, the production of PVC releases toxic chemical compounds, called Dioxins, into the environment. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), "Dioxins are highly toxic and can cause reproductive and developmental problems,damage the immune system, interfere with hormones and also cause cancer".

Not surprisingly,  many environmental groups, such as Greenpeace International have advocated banning the material entirely, resulting in some countries beginning to restrict its use.

1925 The word “plastic” begins to be used.

1938 Polyetetrafluorethylene (PTFE), or Teflon, a new fluorinated plastic, is discovered by DuPont scientist, Roy J. Plunkett. It was released by the company as a commercial product in 1946 and was the first non-stick cookware. Made from harmful chemicals that pose major health and environmental risks, Teflon is known to release traces of toxic chemicals into the blood stream when it is scratched or heated too high. But at least it makes washing dishes a lot easier, right?

1939 Nylon stockings, made from synthetic polymers, are invented by Wallace Carothers at DuPont and introduced at the New York World’s Fair, changing women’s fashion forever!

1948 Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) is invented. Derived from acrylonitrile,

butadiene, styrene, and carbon, this plastic is used from everything

from car parts to musical instruments.

1950 Canada’s contribution to the world: The invention of the plastic green garbage bag 

by Canadian inventors, Harry Wasylyk and Larry Hansen, parodied below by Canadian comedian television personality, Rick Mercer.

1951 Polyester is developed and fashion was again changed with the introduction of polyester clothing, including suits and shirts, which were extremely popular, especially in the 1970’s. 

1954 Polystyrene Foam, a thermoplastic substance manufactured from petroleum, is developed. Also known as Thermocole or Styrophome, Polystyrene is one of the world’s most widely used plastics over several billion kilograms are manufactured each year. Although the material can be recycled, it is often found polluting outdoor environments.

  

In the 1960’s, the modern plastic shopping bag was invented by a Swedish engineer named Sten Gustaf Thulin. Although plastic bags are used all over the world today,  the production of plastic bags consumes vast quantities of non-renewable fossil fuels.

1979 Polar Fleece is invented and again we started rockin’ our new

plastic clothes like it was nobody’s business.

1990
 Warner Lambert develops Novon polymer and Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) launches Biopol. Both are bio-degradable plastics and made from renewable resources.

1997 Oceanographer, Charles Moore, discovers The Great Pacific Garbage Patch - a floating landfill twice the size of Texas made up mostly of plastic waste accumulates.  

2011 Manufacturers are currently using nanotechnology to create new polymer materials. Today, most plastics are made from petroleum and natural gas. These materials typically do not decompose and when or if they do, they release toxic chemicals into the environment. Toxins from plastics have been found in the blood streams of mammals and fish all over the world.

The repercussions of worldwide plastic production and consumption have already begun to catch up with us. At what point will we be willing to change? 

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for my next blog post, A Plastic-Free Christmas.

And be sure to follow on Twitter @PPSProject for additional

content and updates!

This Blog is Not Plastic

Welcome!

The purpose of this blog is three-fold:

1) to create a platform to share my research, thoughts, and ideas about plastic pollution and to encourage a more informed discourse about plastic consumption

2) to join in on the plastic bag debate and petition for the continuation of the plastic bag tax in Toronto

3) to document my attempt at reducing my personal plastic consumption and provide solutions and alternatives to help others decrease their use of plastics

My intent is to develop and answer several research questions concerning the effects of the production, use, and decomposition of plastics on both the environment and the human body. And as I frighten myself with new realizations, I'll learn whether it is possible to live a plastic-free lifestyle (I have my doubts already).

My background is in film and media production and over the last couple years I have become increasingly more interested in environmental issues and activism. This project has been inspired greatly by my concern for the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, an island twice the size of Texas, floating in the Pacific Ocean and made up of millions of pounds of garbage, most of which is plastic.

As an amateur documentary filmmaker, my hope is that I can eventually use the research collected in this blog to produce a documentary on some of these important and pressing issues and bring them to light.

Looking forward to getting this project started! Your comments and suggestions are more than welcome!

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for my next blog post "Life is Plastic!"


And be sure sure to follow on Twitter @PPSProject for additional content and updates!