Plastic, plastic everywhere. In a previous blog, we talked about how plastic is devastating to sea animals and ocean health. We'll add another nightmare to the mix: Plastic doesn't break down to get absorbed into the earth, it breaks up into tinier and tinier pieces. These microplastics are in our streams and soil; and, increasingly, they're being found inside us.
Studies have calculated that in the normal course of eating drinking and breathing, Americans ingest at least 74,000 microplastic particles every year. Researchers continue to uncover microplastic links to cancer, infertility, obesity, organ damage and more.
Needless to say, less is more when it comes to plastic. Here on the homestead, we continue to explore options for reducing our plastic use. New for us: solid dishwashing soap (that comes in a compostable cardboard box). We are liking the rE: Dish Washing Soap Bar. It does a great job on the dishes and seems to be lasting forever. We keep ours by the sink in an old, metal measuring cup. And we use plant-based sponges to do the cleaning.
We've also moved to Vunella for solid shampoo and conditioner. We love the way they fit into their tins to make it easy to take them to the gym or on the road.
We have a long way to go eliminating single-use plastic from our lives, and I'm trying not to overwhelm myself. Next up on my list:
Studies have calculated that in the normal course of eating drinking and breathing, Americans ingest at least 74,000 microplastic particles every year. Researchers continue to uncover microplastic links to cancer, infertility, obesity, organ damage and more.
Needless to say, less is more when it comes to plastic. Here on the homestead, we continue to explore options for reducing our plastic use. New for us: solid dishwashing soap (that comes in a compostable cardboard box). We are liking the rE: Dish Washing Soap Bar. It does a great job on the dishes and seems to be lasting forever. We keep ours by the sink in an old, metal measuring cup. And we use plant-based sponges to do the cleaning.
We've also moved to Vunella for solid shampoo and conditioner. We love the way they fit into their tins to make it easy to take them to the gym or on the road.
We have a long way to go eliminating single-use plastic from our lives, and I'm trying not to overwhelm myself. Next up on my list:
- Loose-leaf chai and a tea infuser: I've really gotten into drinking chai this winter, and I just finished reading about the plastic in most tea bags. Any loose-leaf chai recommendations out there?
- Bulk buying: Post pandemic, my goal is to find more bulk-food sellers in my area in order to avoid more plastic packaging. In the meanwhile, I'll try to skip single-serve packaging in favor of bulkier units, which use less plastic per serving.
- Cutlery: I realized we can leave our camp knife/fork/spoon sets in the car for those times we stop for take-out food.
- Milk and cream: We still use dairy in our coffee. (Something else to cut out!) I want us to move to reusable glass bottles sold in a store right in our town.