5 Mamas, 5 Tips for Reducing Plastic At Home and on the GO:
I love July- not only because it is summer, which happens to be my season, but because it has become ‘Plastic Free July’. Plastic Free July is a global movement that focuses on bringing attention to using less plastic because- well plastic are so so harmful to our oceans, to our animals and our health.
At home we try to avoid as much plastic as possible all year round, but July is a month where we always try to take on a new plastic-free habit and take the time to talk about plastic pollution and solutions with the kids. My goal? To raise ‘Non-Toxic Munchkins’ kids who are brought up understanding. not only to naturally avoid toxins in everyday products, but kids that grow up to be adults who respect and protect our Mother Earth.
Transitioning away from plastics, I have found, requires commitment. Some changes are easy and obvious, others require spending some time sourcing replacements, and most single use plastic replacements just require advance planning and preparation.
Is the effort worth it? How big of an issue is plastic pollution really?
Here are some stats that might blow your mind:
500,000,000 plastic straws are used per day in the US alone. This could fill over 127 school buses every day, or more than 46,400 school buses every year.
40,000,000,000 plastic utensils that are thrown away each year in the US alone
Worldwide more than one trillion single-use bags were used every year — about 2 million each minute…
and
One single-use plastic bag is estimated to have a lifespan of only 12 minutes, but will be around polluting our planet for hundreds of years
There are over five trillion pieces of plastic, weighing more than 250,000 tons, floating in our oceans. That's more than 700 pieces of plastic per person.
AMERICANS DISCARD 2.5 MILLION PLASTIC BOTTLES EVERY HOUR. …. but only 8% of plastics thrown in the recycling bin in the US actually get recycled. The remaining 91% end up at the landfill or- often- our ocean
By the time our kids are in their 30’s (2050) it’s estimated that, by weight, the ocean will contain more plastic than fish, according to a 2016 study by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
But, if the problem is so huge can the actions of just one person- or family- make a difference?
YES!! Because if you do it and I do it and she does it and he does it and everyone makes changes it all adds up.
So, in the search for inspiration for all of us to take more action at home and on the go I enlisted the help of 5 friends and/or mamas I admire who I know work hard to reduce their family’s plastic usage at home and while on the go, to tell us about 5 easy switches they have implemented
NASIBA ADILOVA/ TOYS
PROBLEM:
Plastic toys account for 90% of the market.
Many parents think that only plastic toys are fun and affordable, but the reality is that plastic toys often expose our kids to harmful chemicals (hormone mimicking chemicals linked to obesity, hormone disruption, diabetes, birth defect and even cancer and more are common in plastic toys) , are terrible for the planet and usually don’t last very long and thus need replacement and end up in the landfill. As a mother of three and head of an e-commerce site and community focused on non-toxic children’s items, Nasiba Adilova was the perfect person to ask to recommend her top 5 non plastic toys that kids will love.
Nasiba is the co founder of ‘ The Tot’. The Tot, which some of you who follow me might be familiar with because I work closely with them and have through the years helped them develop their ‘Tot Test’ / in house sustainability and restricted chemical standards, is a curated one stop shop for conscious parents who wish to purchase items for their children without compromising safety. In a nutshell, the Tot is the place to go for (stylish) clean, non-toxic products.
Here are Nasiba’s recommendations:
Little Lukes – All recycled they are a mom and poppa business – Small business Educational Trucks
Tot learning set – Created by Montessori teachers great for toddlers development milestones, Important life skills and to boost confidence (different age groups) from 3 months up to 6 years
Q toys – Tree house - first of all promotes creative thinking and imagination – Forces the child to Imagine ,and bring things to life
Poppy toys shopping cart – Eco friendly capacity for open ended play
Little people big dreams – the whole range, these books are a great drive for empowering little people
Catherine McCord/ Kitchen
Our kitchens can be one of the most plastic filled rooms in our homes. Part of the problem are the plastics (containers, wraps etc) coming home from the grocery store- the other part are the utensils we use every day. In addition to the environmental implications of plastics in the kitchen (that never get recycled) they are especially harmful to our health: Heat plastics plastic (in the microwave, dishwasher etc) and they will leach endocrine disrupting chemicals into our food.
My friend Catherine is a powerhouse: she is the woman behind @Weelicious and One Potato Box, author of multiple books and tv host. I have been in her kitchen a couple of times over the years and can vouch that she has made a conscious decision to transition to less plastic- and is doing an amazing job at this. Here are her 5 picks to start the switch:
Stainless steel Coffee press: I use this EVERY day
Frigoverre Glass Pitcher with Lid (Catherine’s pick is out of stock but this is a similar one (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JGO8DHC/)
Travel glass mason jars with stainless steel lids for when you want to take your Smoothie Project smoothies on the road of course!
Bamboo cutting board in lieu of plastic cutting boards that often also contain antimicrobial chemicals and
Stainless lunch box: reusable and plastic free lunch boxes and snack containers might be more expensive upfront, but their durability (these last for years) make these cheaper (and better for the environment) over the course of the years.
Andrea Arria - Devoe/ On-the-go
Andrea is, legitimately, a sustainability expert. She executive produced the documentary Straws, about how ditching plastic straws can make a massive difference to the environment and is the sustainability editor for Goop, where she focuses on sharing her knowledge on how to live the “greenest life possible.”
As a working mom of two I asked Andrea to share her easy plastic-free switches while on the go… because when on the go, without planning ahead, is when we end up having to rely on single use plastic the most.
1. Klean Kanteen stainless water bottle with bamboo cap. This is one of the few water bottles that has a completely plastic free lid. Bonus: it’s super easy to clean.
2. Metal espresso spoons. I usually insist my kids go #coneonly when we go out for ice cream in the summer. But, if a cup happens I like to have a few mini spoons in my purse to avoid plastic ones. I bought 24 for my daughter’s birthday party ages ago and we use them daily.
Similar stainless steel heart shaped ones too
3. Wide metal straws for milkshakes. (even wider ones available here )
4. These stainless steel containers have a strong locking system which makes them great for picnics and leftovers at a restaurant. They also double as a receptacle to safely store trash on the beach.
5. I’m loving these French net bags for all different kinds of uses. They expand and can hold a lot of weight like a couple pounds of oranges from the farmer’s markets.
Andrea’s bonus items!
* I also love having a bunch of stainless steel cups for poolside or in my bag or car for water, wine, etc. 8 oz size is the best but can be hard to find. Pint size is more common but not very refined for vino. :)
* And, pre-covid, I always bring my Keep Cup for matcha lattes but I have basically given them up since most places won’t let you use your own. :(
Lisa Fennessy/ Beauty/ Personal Care
I have been following Lisa from @Thisorganicgirl for a couple of years. This mama if two boys is also a clean beauty expert; I love her non-toxic beauty tips and - full disclosure- am super inspired by her journey to grey! (hair)
The beauty and personal care industry have a serious plastic problem. Look around your bathroom and it is probably easy to see why: shampoos, hair gels, toothpaste, body washes deodorants and moisturizers - the great majority all come in hard plastic containers that… you guessed it… ARE NOT getting recycled. We use these products for a couple of weeks and they end up outliving us in the landfill (or ocean!)
I asked Lisa to recommend 5 beauty products that come in plastic free packaging, are non-toxic and work!
Meow Meow Tweet- Baking soda free deodorant
Meow meow - is packaged in glass and not only is it plastic free, it’s alway baking soda free and is a great option for people who tend to react to baking soda.
Kjaer Cream Blush: Above and Beyond KW blush - comes in these beautiful, heavy, metal refillable cases. Plus I love this product applied, it has a dewy finish and brings life to the skin.
Osmia Coffee Mint Soap
Osmia handmade soaps - are packaged in paper, parchment and twine. Cured for an extra two weeks so they last longer than the average bar. Coffee mint is my fave.
Aether BeautyRose Quartz Crystal Gemstone Palette
Aether - not only is this 100% plastic fee packaging BUT it’s also 100% fully recyclable - the first in the industry!
RMS uncoverup - packaged in glass, I love this as a light or zone foundation. It melts into skin and wears very natural. Comes in 16 shades.
ANNA SCHAFER/ mama on the go
Last but not least is my good friend Anna. She is definitely a mama on the go: whether its with her two adorable little children, running her clean personal care line Baeo Baby or acting. I miss seeing her running around town with her reusable coffee cup in hand (I haven’t seen her in months due to Covid 19!)
Her kiddos are little and so I asked her for her plastic free switches for mama AND KIDS on the go essentials -
Anna says:
It’s easy to fall into the trap of being wasteful when you’re out and about with kids. Thirsty? buy a drink. Hungry? Buy a snack. And so it goes. But there are ways not to. Here are some things we always have with us when we are out.
Bamboo straws form grove collaborative.
My kids like straws to drink everything so I always have these handy for smoothies, water, juice or milkshakes and my son also likes to use them as drum sticks. Lol
Planetbox lunch box
We always bring snacks with us where ever we go in this lunch box so we don’t have to buy something in plastic containers.
Always have some on me for dry skin, or scrapes. Especially now with how much we wash our hands and sanitize. It’s a life saver.
My travel coffee cup. I actually purchased one from Luxxe coffee and it keeps my coffee hot forever! I always have it on me!
(A similar one to Anna’s is this one )
We always bring sippy cups for my kids filled with water. I use Thermos. Although it has a plastic top, the body is stainless steel and it will last years!