Life Without Plastic Blog

Walk the Talk with Beth: Kick the Habit and LIVE Plastic Free

Beth Terry writes the pre-eminent blog in this world on living without plastic: My Plastic-free Life. She meticulously tracks her monthly plastic consumption down to the last plastic envelope window, and blogs passionately about it. That alone is reason enough for us to love her and consider her one of our heros, but there is more. Why do we love Beth?  She's funny, straightforward, unafraid to tell it like it is, a superb researcher and writer, an idea factory, super well-organized and systematic, action-oriented, great at making fun of herself to make a point, and, as you can tell by now...she walks her talk. I had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know her in person a few years ago, and at the time I blogged about the blast we had together at the Green Festival in San Francisco.

Now, everyone can walk Beth's talk and change their lives and the world at the same time by living with less plastic. Her book, Plastic-Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too, was just launched worldwide a few days ago, and it is well worth checking out. You can purchase it here.

Finally, a how-to guide for living without plastic. If you've ever wondered what in the world to do to replace the plastic in your life, this is the perfect place to start. Plastic water bottles drive you nuts, but you're addicted to them: learn about the damage you're causing and the options out there (Chapter 3). You love cheese, but hate buying it in the plastic wrapping: page 195 (buy it in bulk). You prefer liquid soap but it always seems to come in plastic bottles: page 220 (recipe to make your own). There's so much plastic in your kitchen, where do you start?: pages 267-276 (set your priorities by first asking some key questions). There is lots of background detail in this book, plus resources and suggestions, so you will not only change your habits and your life for the better, you will educate yourself deeply about the power of plastic to control us, whether we realize it or not.

Chantal and I were thrilled to be interviewed by Beth about Life Without Plastic and be included as one of the many 'Plastic-Free Heros' she features throughout the book. You can read a bit about our story on pages 142-143...  

One of the neat things about this book is that it quite literally is plastic-free. This is no small feat in a publishing world where the norm is a plastic coated cover and jacket, polyester or nylon thread in the binding, and plastic glue throughout the binding. In this case, the jacket is uncoated (a simple and even elegant kraft paper jacket), the thread is made of cotton, the spine is exposed, and a plastic-free glue was used for the binding. 

On a final note, Beth is a true testament to how the actions of one single person can have an enormous effect on the whole world. She is creating waves with her blog that documents her life without plastic, and now this handy how-to guide is taking the world by storm as people open their eyes to the plastic problem, and realize there are alternatives.

So now it's your turn. You too can make waves in your life and the lives of others.  All it takes is one simple action to get started. If you're not sure where to start, read this book and/or check out Beth's blog. Oodles of possibilities...

Jay Sinha, Co-Owner
LifeWithoutPlastic.com

Storing Homemade Play Dough in an Airtight Stainless Steel Container

Last weekend, our son Jyoti and I made play dough. Jyoti is 9 years old so play dough is not as exciting as it was when he was little, but he had the idea of creating a time lapse video with it. So, he invented a story and took pictures of a little monster escaping the stainless steel airtight container in which we had stored the play dough. I put together the movie, and here is the result.  Feel free to pass it around.

 

Play dough is a great tool for making a time lapse video, and if you want your play dough to last, make sure it is stored in an airtight container.  Here is a good homemade play dough recipe:

Basic ingredient ratios:
2 cups flour
2 cups warm water
1 cup salt
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon cream of tartar (optional for improved elasticity)

Mix all these ingredients together in a saucepan on low heat until the play dough starts to detach from the sides of the saucepan.  Add food coloring if you wish.

Let us know what you thought of our little video.

Chantal Plamondon, Co-Owner
LifeWithoutPlastic.com

On Khadi: Fabric of Freedom

Before I even get into khadi and why it is much more than just a silky soft, hand spun, hand woven fabric made in India, some background is in order.

I was born and raised in Canada, but my roots are part Bengali on my father's side. Bengali people hail from Bangladesh or West Bengal, the northeast Indian state adjacent to Bangladesh. In 1947, India achieved its independence after 200 years of British colonialism and oppression. Independence came at a divisive price as India was partitioned into the dominions of India and Pakistan following violent conflict between Hindu and Muslim extremists.  At that time, what is now Bangladesh became East Pakistan. This is where my father grew up until adolescence and where our family had lived for ages. Overnight there was a mass migration of Muslims out of India into Pakistan, and of Hindus out of Pakistan into India.  Our family was part of that teeming human flow moving from East Pakistan into West Bengal. Generations of family heritage were left behind overnight in exchange for survival. (Map Image: ©National Maritime Museum, London)

My father was studying at Calcutta (Kolkata) University in 1947 and was a leader in the student government. In Kolkata, violent fighting was going on between extremist Hindus and Muslims. Students - Hindu and Muslim together - had barricaded parts of the University to seek refuge and prevent the bloodthirsty rioters from getting in and spreading the killing, which had become intense, random and completely irrational. One man - revered by both Hindus and Muslims - was able to stop these senseless terrorizing riots:  Mahatma Gandhi, the key architect behind India's freedom from the British. He ended the fighting by going on a hunger strike, refusing to consume anything more than a little water each day until all the fighting stopped. It must have torn his heart in two to witness such violence between Indian people after having achieved Indian independence through non-violent means.

I remember seeing Richard Attenborough's excellent film Gandhi with my father when it was first released in 1982. As the vivid riot scenes came to life on the screen I saw my father put his head down and breath deeply. He left the cinema and paced out in the lobby. Later he explained that he was having flashbacks of those awful riots that had brought him and his classmates so close to death. He described how the students had boiled water to pour over the barricades because they knew of no other way to prevent the mob of killers from coming at them.

I mention all this context to give you an idea of what Mahatma Gandhi was capable of - through wholly non-violent means. Khadi comes into this picture because it was one of the most powerful and symbolic tools Gandhi used in galvanizing the Indian people against British political and economic supremacy to achieve Swadeshi (self-sufficiency) and Swaraj (self-rule).  Gandhi encouraged all Indian citizens to make their own khadi using a traditional spinning wheel, called a charka, and thus decrease Indian dependence on British-made imported textiles. Gandhi wore only khadi and encouraged all Indians to do the same. To this day, many Indian politicians continue to wear only khadi. (Image: Gandhi spinning on a charka at Sabarmati Ashram, 1925 --- ©Vithalbhai Jhaveri/GandhiServe Foundation (Image from Wikimedia Commons))

So now the link to living without plastic. As you can already tell, khadi is so far from plastic in so many ways. We found a wonderful Indian company that makes traditional organic cotton khadi and colours it with rich natural dyes derived from plants, fruit, and seeds. We worked with them to obtain some gorgeous bolts of super soft, earth tone khadi. We then passed this lush fabric over to our local master seamstress friend Tracy from Eco-Tav, and she has created three practical works of khadi art for us to offer to our customers for everyday use in decreasing their reliance on plastic. The two-tone blossom bag (shown at right), the portable placemat and cutlery holder (in gold or green), and the spork pouch (in gold or green).

We think it's important to know where the things that populate one's life come from, what they are made of, and who made them. It's not always possible to know this. And even with this khadi we don't know the name of the particular rural Indian weaver who made it - though we could probably find out. But we know this is a fabric that creates freedom. And that's pretty darn cool.

Jay Sinha, Co-Founder
LifeWithoutPlastic.com

Polyester and Nylon are NOT Compostable

I must admit, I do not follow fashion. I am not sure what is "in" right now.  I just buy the styles, colours and fabrics I like to wear. I am kind of an unintended anti-fashionista. I almost always shop at thift stores because not only do I save a lot, but I also find the most interesting pieces of clothing. My favourite thrift store is the Value Village located on Pembina Street in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, which I visit every time we travel to Winnipeg to spend time with Jay's parents (see photo taken from Google Street View). One thing I always check when picking my clothes is the fabric label. I always want to make sure the item is made of a natural fabric. I am always astonished at the amount of synthetic fabric used in clothing.  A large majority of clothes are made of synthetic fibres which do not biodegrade, are not compostable and take a very long time to decompose according to an article published in Grist:

"Casual composters report that a year after adding a cotton-poly T-shirt to a pile, the cotton is gone and all that remains is a spooky polyester skeleton. Estimates for a more complete breakdown of polyester seem to range from 20 to 200 years, given various conditions." (From Grist, "Ask Umbra: Is Fabric Compostable")

What is worse is that synthetic fabric breaks down over time in small particles and we end up breathing it in without realizing it. One of the worse uses of synthetic fabric is for curtains. Curtains exposed to the sun will break down quickly and the small synthetic particles float around and pollute indoor air.

Chantal Plamondon, Co-Founder
LifeWithoutPlastic.com

The Perfect Tray for Last Minute Breakfast in the Car

If you are like me, you probably rush to the last minute in the morning in order to get your child's lunch ready on time while making sure he gets dressed, eats his breakfast and brushes his teeth. Unfortunately, sometimes I am just not efficient enough to get all these tasks done on time, so we have to leave quickly and bring our son's breakfast in the car. We just found these really practical little food trays, just perfect for breakfast in the car.  Mind you, they are also great for the picky kid who doesn't like it when various parts of his meal mingle together. The tray is made in Korea of high quality stainless steel 18/8. It is of course BPA-free, phthalate-free, lead-free and it is dishwasher-safe.

These two little pictures show our son kidding around and devouring one of his muffins. The food tray on his lap is available on our website at LifeWithoutPlastic.com. You may read all about this little stainless steel food tray by clicking this link. Enjoy!

Chantal Plamondon, Co-Owner
LifeWithoutPlastic.com

Freezing the Season's Harvest in Safe, Non-Toxic, Plastic-Free Stainless Steel Containers

We have some great products available to those looking for a safe and plastic-free way to store the bounty from the garden.

There is our 4 litre / 1 gallon rectangular stainless steel airtight container which can accommodate a large batch of frozen tomatoes, strawberries, blueberries, and so on. We love this container.  We use it a lot to bring large batches of food to a potluck or family dinner. We also use it to conserve our bread as it sits nicely on our countertop and it has the perfect shape. Available for $62.95.

Now, we also have a set of 4 large stainless steel airtight food containers. Four convenient sizes are included: 18 cm / 7 1/16" diameter 1.75 L / 59 oz. capacity; 20 cm / 7 7/8" diameter, 2 L / 68 oz. capacity; 23 cm / 9" diameter 4 L / 135 oz. capacity; 26 cm / 10 1/4" diameter, 6 L / 203 oz. capacity. The four containers nest into one another completely (with the lids on) thus optimizing storage space. Available for $99.95 (for all four).

Freezing fruits and veggies is an excellent way to conserve them for future use. Unfortunately, Mother Nature does not necessarily offer the same bounty throughout the year. She provides many things all at once during the summer months. Where we live, it is now the time for beans and tomatoes.  So we are eating a lot of bean and tomato salads these days, but we are also freezing some extra for this winter. This not only saves money and provides wholesome veggies during the winter, but it also cuts out the greenhouse gas emissions such produce would create if it had to travel to end up at our local grocery store throughout the rest of the year.

- Chantal, Co-Owner
LifeWithoutPlastic.com

Dog Food Without Plastic

About two years ago, one of our employees who always brought her dog to work had a great idea. She decided to start bringing her dog's food in one of our 2-tier 14 cm (5.5") tiffins. In one of the compartments, she would put some 'yummy' dog food and would keep the other empty so she could fill it up with water when she came to work. It worked great! Animals are just as likely as humans to be contaminated by toxins leaching from plastic. So stainless steel is a great alternative to plastic, especially because animals won't be able to chew on it, and because it can be completely sterilized in the dishwasher, which is not the case with plastic.

We offer one, two and three layers tiffins. With the 3-tier tiffin (as shown on the photo) you could have a layer with food, another one with biscuits and the last one would be reserved for water. These tiffins are made in Thailand of high quality 18-8 stainless steel. You can see them all here.

The beautiful dog in the picture is Lulu, our friend Jean's dog. She is a gentle gem of a canine being. The picture was taken in early March 2011 here in Wakefield. As you can see, the tiffin is just the perfect size for Lulu.

Chantal Plamondon, co-owner
LifeWithoutPlastic.com

Microwaving Without Plastic

I have already discussed my reservations about microwave ovens and their links with cancer (see my older post: Stainless Steel in Toaster Oven Prevents Aluminum Garnish on Burrito). However, many people find them extremely useful and they are a common feature at schools and office cafeterias. Fortunately, we have discovered a fantastic new line of products which allow you to re-heat your food in a microwave without worrying about plastic touching your food. These are borosilicate glass food containers that are heat and cold resistant. They can be used to warm up food in the oven, toaster oven, microwave oven and they can also store food in the freezer. They come with an 18-8 food grade stainless steel lid featuring an ingenious silicone seal system that allows you to create an airtight seal by pressing a button. To release the seal, the button just needs to be pulled up.

These food containers were introduced just before christmas and they are getting extremely positive reviews. They have been popular over the holiday season and customers keep coming back for more.  We will introduce two new sizes in March so the line keeps growing backed by popular demand! 

Chantal Plamondon, Co-Owner
LifeWithoutPlastic.com

Mint leaf removal duty

This post may not initially appear to have anything to do with plastic. Just wait. Read on to the end.

I love mint tea. It's a primal sort of thing. There is something about the smell of fresh whole peppermint that puts me in another state of being - it's such an ethereal, magical fragrance. For me it's tinged with comfy homey memories of Mom, cozy warmth, an Olbas oil neck massage, summer, deep velvety green, hot mint tea by the fire on a snowy winter day.

Right now I'm on peppermint leaf removal duty. This is not an arduous task. It is a supreme pleasure. My fingers are perfumed by the leaves. We share a garden with our neighbour Peter, and this mint comes from there. He's a master gardener and master accordian player. Tons of talent, that guy; I learn a lot from him. I harvested it a few weeks ago and it has been drying on our basement radiant floor ever since. So tonight I decided to take all the dry leaves off the stems to prepare my winter stock of peppermint for tea. It's slow going because there is a lot. I drink a lot of mint tea. When I'm done I'll have a couple of large jars full of delectable mint leaves, just yearning to impart their magic through a boiling water bath for a few minutes. Then into my body to shimmer my soul.

Not all mint teas are made alike. When I'm out of the fresh gold, I use bulk leaves or tea bags bought from a store. And I can now immediately sense the quality of the tea after the first sip. If it's really good, I'll know as soon as I smell it. But nothing compares to peppermint grown with love in one's garden. I do believe plants respond to our personal energies, and when they sense love, they respond in kind. But that's a deep topic for another post.

As write this, I'm listening to Beck's album, The Information. Here's the information that I will wrap this post up with, and hopefully it will bring it all home for you, make it all make sense...  Mint is so real. It is full of the richness of life. The best life has to offer. It feeds and stimulates the senses in profound positive ways. Clothed in rich lush green, it is one of those special messengers of Mother Earth, full of symbolism and beauty. It says with elegant simplicity, "To know me is to love me and the Earth that grows me."

When I hold a piece of plastic, it just doesn't seem real. Oh yeah, it isn't. It's fake - synthetic chemicals - and it's tricky stuff. Take polycarbonate, made of bisphenol A. One of the reasons the plastics industry loves it for consumer products is precisely because it does not have an odour. So it releases dangerous junk into our food, drink, skin, air, but you have no way of knowing this unless you do some complex expensive testing. Mint, on the other hand, imparts an odour that reflects its reality and makes the world a better place.

Maybe it's not a fair comparison: mint vs BPA. But it struck me tonight so I thought I'd share it with you. I'll take the natural over the synthetic any day. And now back to mint removal duty. I'm only half done. The mint is lovely dark and deep, and I have miles to go before I sleep.

-Jay Sinha, Co-Owner
LifeWithoutPlastic.com

(Image via: http://www.indiamarks.com/guide/Chatpati-Chutney-and-delicious-Ready-Powder-recipes-/879)

How about some sustainable Apartment Therapy?

Their motto is "saving the world, one room at a time" and they are one of THE go to places for all things design. Apartment Therapy is a juggernaut in the online design world because they make design easy and accessible. And they do it with flair. Their mission is to help people "make their homes more beautiful, organized and healthy by connecting them to a wealth of resources, ideas and community online." And this while trying to reduce people's reliance on stuff.

So we are pleased as punch to be included on Apartment Therapy's list of 25 Sustainable Servingware & Tableware Sources just released yesterday for the holiday season.  Their eco-friendly list is divided into three meaningful parts: 1) dishes made from mindful materials (we're in here!), 2) servingware that's fair trade, and 3) vintage tabletop ripe for re-use. (Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

Design can be an imtimidating concept. I know I'd like to have more of a 'design' influence in my life. But what does that really mean? Personally, I think it's a personal thing. It's about the constant creation of our own unique style and how that is reflected in one's life and surroundings. But I also think there are universal design concepts about how things work together, and these basics can be learned, which is why a place like Apartment Therapy is handy.

I think design is a way of living that respects the simple, the aesthetic, the functional, the fun, the funky, and for me -- the environment. And that's why I gravitate toward Apartment Therapy's green oasis: re-nest: abundant design for green homes

There are other Apartment Therapy sub-niches too:

the technology hub: unplugged: smarterhomes.fewer wires.

the children's room: ohdeedoh: home.design.children.

the cooking space: the kitchn: inspiring cooks.nourishing homes.

We love places that spread worthy ideas and build community by sharing. And Apartment Therapy does just that.

-Jay Sinha, Co-Owner
LifeWithoutPlastic.com

P.S. If you haven't already heard about the Plastic Pollution Coalition's upcoming TEDxGreatPacificGarbagePatch happening on November 6, 2010 - in two days - now's the time to mark your calendar. Not to be missed!