Reduce plastic waste :: PlasticLess.com

The BBC blogger who documented a month without plastic received a LOT of comments. I remember all the cranky old people phoning in to berate the folks at the CBC when I was a listener back in Canada. There is something about publicly financed media that brings out a special kind if ire in the bored and incontinent.

One guy took great exception to the idea of a wooden toothbrush. He argued that the impact on the environment from producing a wooden toothbrush was worse than that for a plastic one. I can’t be sure if this is true, but it did get me thinking about the impact of some of my plastic alternatives.

I may add to this post later, but for now I just want to mention that items made out of recycled wood, or wood that is a horticultural byproduct do not carry the same environmental costs.

Catherine recently bought a cutting board that was made from local olive wood. It is awesome. Other sources of wood include apple orchards and the wine industry (barrels are ‘discarded’ after being used for a few years).

Buying imported wood products can have a big carbon footprint. Some wood products come from countries with very poor records with regard to the environment.

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It is hard to find a definitive answer about what will happen to environmental initiatives and regulations around the World as the economy does that thing it does.

Will a reduction in production and consumption translate to less pollution?

China has already closed several factories that had been busy making all those plastic toys and gadgets for us. That’s good news, right?

EU leaders have expressed some dedication to the goals set during happier times. The US leadership never had any dedication to begin with, but we know things are changing on that front.

I’m just rambling about this stuff, Discover Magazine has a serious article.

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TRANSLATION!!!

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I think the next big life change that I am going to make with regard to reducing plastic consumption is to start baking. The catalyst for this decision was opening a guilty pleasure called Pavesini. I was guilty because it came in a plastic wrapper. I was eight times as guilty when I opened it

These biscuits are what many people would call ‘lady fingers’. Tiramisu purists often claim that this particular brand is an essential ingredient. I can give up on tiramisu if it will save on plastic consumption. If there is anyone out there who can’t, try substituting with some home baked lady fingers.

Individually wrapped wieners are pretty easily avoided when you are cooking for a family. Buying unpackaged sausages from a butcher is a great plasticless option. Baking regularly for kids lunches can reduce plastic use and it might be a comfort to the kids as well. I still remember my mom’s peanut butter cookies and banana bread fondly. The Wagon Wheels, not so much.

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