Plastic waste is everywhere. Plastic, of all kinds, is found in almost every product we consume as Canadians. Even if we try to avoid it, it is lurking and hiding in a lot of everyday products that we all use. From making your morning coffee, to doing your weekend laundry, consuming plastic products is unavoidable. However, there are lots of ways you can reduce your plastic consumption and plastic wastes, just by purchasing different products or differing the way you go about purchasing your goods. This blog will take you through some of the most innovative products on the market to help you reduce your everyday plastic wastes to help you reduce your plastic consumption with ease.
Companies are getting inventive in how they are producing their goods, which includes reducing packaging, introducing compostable items, and even making their products ‘zero waste.’ These companies and their innovative products are paving the way for individuals and families to adopt new ways to reduce their plastic consumption/waste.
Here are some of the most innovative products that you can swap to make your lifestyle more sustainable:
- Laundry Detergent Strips
When you think about plastic consumption, you likely do not think about how your everyday laundry routine impacts plastic waste. However, every time you purchase a new bottle of detergent, you are contributing to plastic waste. The bottle that the actual detergent comes in is made of plastic, and although generally recyclable, still contributes to an unnecessary use of natural resources. The best case scenario after purchasing and using regular liquid/powdered laundry detergent is that the bottle ends up recycling, however, we all know that not all plastic ends up in this stream. According to TruEarth (a company that produces these laundry strips), over 700 million plastic laundry jugs are landfilled every year in North America. That is a lot of plastic!
Although there may be other laundry strip manufacturers, TruEarth is a Canadian company that produces all of its products right here in Canada. TruEarth offers an easy, plastic free alternative to your regular laundry detergent. The laundry detergent comes in paper packaging, and are literally ‘sheets’ of detergent. This may sound odd, but they are super convenient. Not only are they great for storage (they take up little to no counter space), they are possibly even more convenient then their plastic jug competitors, as they are all premeasured. No more measuring to fit your load. One strip of their detergent is good for one load of laundry. Reducing transportation pollution (because of their light and small storage capacity), reducing plastic waste, and making your life easier is all a benefit to you and the environment.
Visit www.tru.earth/ for more details and to order. TruEarth can also likely be found in your local grocery store, making it convenient to find, as well.
2. Dryer Balls
Another part of the laundry doing process is drying your clothes, of course. If you do not have the luxury of hanging your clothes up all year long outside (the most sustainable way of drying your clothes FYI), you likely use a dryer like me. In order to ensure clothes come out smelling fresh, wrinkle and static free, we all use dryer sheets. Unfortunately, dryer sheets are only good for one use and are not recyclable at the end of their life. Fortunately, there is an alternative!
Helping you cut down on costs and static are wool dryer balls. Wool dryer balls are a great alternative to regular dryer sheets. The best part about these balls is that you can scent them with your favourite essential oil, to make sure your clothes come out smelling exactly to your preference (you can also leave them unscented for those who have issues with fragrance). A few companies make these and can be easily found online (even amazon). However, it is important to make sure you are able to source them from a sustainable wool source. A few good companies off the top of my head are TruEarth (get your dryer balls and laundry detergent in one place!) and/or Moss Creek Wool Works from Well.ca (https://well.ca/products/moss-creek-wool-pure-wool_88232.html)
3. Plastic Free Razors
Of all the things in your daily routine, who would think to analyze the plastic consumption of your razor. However, these are one of the most unsustainable products. Cheaply made and readily available, they are one of the most over-consumed toiletry products and yet, they are not remotely recyclable. There are also all kinds of different razors levels, from disposable single use, to replacement parts and even just purchasing a new one every time you need one (yikes!). None of these options are great for the environment.
However, a few companies have been working on plastic free razors. From what I can research online, a leading company providing this is Leaf Shave. Leaf Shave has released an all metal razor, with a single blade, that is replaceable, as needed. Although this still creates waste (as eventually you will always need to replace the blade itself), it is a lot less than the plastic counterparts.
Check them out here www.leafshave.com
4. Tooth Tabs
When looking at your daily routine, brushing your teeth is something that you (hopefully!) do everyday and yet it is often overlooked as a plastic waste producing chore. However, toothpaste bottles are another of the items that are full of plastic and not recyclable.
A few companies have come up with a plastic free alternative to regular toothpaste, often referred to as ‘tooth tabs.’ These are little hard discs (they resemble gum/mints) that dissolve in your mouth and create a foaming sensation (just like regular toothpaste) as you use water to brush. These tabs are just as effective as regular toothpaste without the plastic waste. They are also super convenient as they are individual and perfectly sized for every toothbrush session. They do take a bit to get used to, but they are a fantastic plastic free alternative. A few companies that I know produce this are Lush (www.lush.ca) (they also have a lot of other plastic free products) and Unpaste (www.unpaste.us).
5. Dental Floss Refills
While we’re on the topic of teeth, why not mention dental floss refills! This is certainly one part of my morning routine I had not even considered as a big plastic waster. However, depending on how you go about flossing your teeth, the plastic waste can vary significantly. If you use those large plastic flossing helpers, the impact on the environment is heavier in comparison to those who use just the floss that comes in the regular small containers with the blade. However, the most sustainable option is to ditch buying new floss containers/helpers all together, and just buy a refill.
There seems to be a few different companies that offer dental floss refills, but the most popular and accessible brands in Canada would be KMH touches from Well.ca (http://www.well.ca/prodcuts/kmh-touches-pure-silk-dental-floss_151512.html) and Dental Lace (from www.dentallace.com). Not only is this a lot cheaper to buy in bulk, it is much more sustainable. Consider refilling next time you run out!
6. Beeswax Wraps
Lastly, I need to touch on beeswax wraps as an alternative to plastic cling wrap. These handy wraps have been mentioned in multiple blog posts over the years, but for a good reason – they are an amazing sustainable alternative to plastic wrap. Plastic wrap is used in the kitchen to make wrapping and storing all kinds of foods convenient. Unfortunately, plastic wrap is not recyclable and landfilled at the end of its life. Given this, the beeswax alternative is a reusable, plastic free alternative that can be composted at the end of its life.
Usually made from cotton, beeswax wraps are fabric coated in beeswax. Once the beeswax is hardened, these cloths act exactly how plastic wrap would be used. They can wrap just about anything. They come in a variety of sizes for all your wrapping needs and have a fairly long life span (about 1 year). A few companies make these locally, including Mind Your Bees (www.mindyourbeeswraps.com/). As well as a larger company that is more readily available in stores, Abeego (www.abeego.com/officialwebsite).
Discussion
To identify the ways you are using plastic in your life, it is very apparent that you need to analyze every facet of your daily routine. Here I was able to touch on just a few specific chores/tasks that you and your family may experience on a daily basis, however, there are so many facets to analyze that escape the scope of this post. I challenge you to go through your daily routine and see if you can pinpoint a chore, task or duty that you undertake on a regular basis that perhaps is plastic intensive or creates excess plastic waste. I would bet that there is a plastic free alternative out there for just about any task!