Plastic Free July

This will most likely be my last post on the topic of Plastic Free July.

It has been an eye opening experience.

I have been a conscious consumer for a long time, but when it came to the plastic packaging issue, I now see that I was pretty complacent.  I just wasn't seeing how much of it was really out there.  So my participation in Plastic Free July has been very educational.

• It has also gotten me to be more proactive in asking for what I want.

If I see a company is using plastic packaging where they might be able to avoid it, or use an easy alternative, I write them and ask.

After reading about Beth Terry's campaign to get Brita to recycle filters in the USA, I see that letter writing is a great place to begin, but if a company expresses reluctance to reform, then we as consumers must insist, using other methods to prove to corporations (and small businesses) that we are serious.

http://myplasticfreelife.com/2007/06/water-filters-my-letter-to-brita/
http://myplasticfreelife.com/2007/07/brita-water-filter-follow-up/

These first two posts talk about the letter writing, and the BS response she was given by the corporation.

But that was not the end of the story.  She decided to take action, and conducted a campaign to get Clorox to recycle the Brita filters in the USA.  That story can be found in her posts by searching "water filters" on her blog.  I would not have known where to begin to bring about change on this scale, but she figured it out, and the story is inspirational.  So is her website.  http://myplasticfreelife.com/

• It has made me realize that I can't be sure what happens to the plastic I put into the recycling bin.  Where is it going?  Best just not to generate disposable plastic if at all possible.

• It has made me use creativity and ingenuity to come up with solutions to the plastic packaging problem.

Try going plastic free once a week ( like Plastic Free Tuesday ) or try it for a week, to really increase your awareness.  Go to Beth Terry's website (see the link for my plastic free life) to educate yourself and become inspired.

So now I have a confession to make.  I got a little sick of going without meat, because it all comes in plastic packaging (except poultry that I buy at a local farm).  So I bought some meat this week.

This doesn't mean that I've given up.  It means that I was hungry. And my husband (good sport that he is) was also missing it.

I haven't given up.  And I have been researching local alternatives.  Grass fed beef raised locally, ethically, and humanely.  Maybe these local farmers can help me come up with an alternative to plastic packaging.

Plastic Free July Days 21-23

After 23 days of trying to be plastic free, I find myself missing bacon.

I did find some at a local butcher shop, but I didn't want to trade organic, and humane certifications for non plastic bacon, so we have been doing without. And we talk about it with longing and nostalgia.

Besides, I'm afraid butcher paper has plastic in it too.

Plastic free is a hard discipline to follow.

I'm not sure it can be done 100%, unless you're willing to unplug from the mainstream and live a completely self sufficient lifestyle.

Otherwise, plastic will find you. It will come through the mail, and it will come via well meaning friends, family, waitresses and people in customer service. It comes from the bank and the government and the grocery store. It is all around us and all pervasive.

You can run, but you can not hide.

The good thing is, I am remembering to anticipate the arrival of plastic, and sometimes to head it off. Mostly by going without things.

If I'm in a restaurant, even one which uses glasses, I don't even order water because I know the waitress will stick a straw in it, even though I asked her not to. Because she's not really listening to my request, her mind is on a million other things. So I've just learned to bring my own glass water bottle with me into the restaurant. 

"No thanks, I've got my own".

Plastic Free July Days 18-20

I'm coming to the conclusion that there is no easy way to avoid plastic.

And so I decided to stop obsessing over it, and play this thing a little more gently.

I am learning a lot.  I am learning that there is a lot more disposable plastic than I thought there was.  I'm learning that no matter how hard I try it's almost impossible to avoid.  I'm learning that it's going to take more than .01% of the world population knowing about this problem and actively doing something about it.

I'm learning to smile at the inevitability of generating disposable plastic every time I go shopping.  People mean well, but they just don't know.

So I was at the bulk bins.  I was over loaded with my glass jars, and all manner of cloth bags, and paper bags that I keep reusing.  The girl at the customer service desk was dancing to the music playing in the store.  We smiled at each other and I felt pretty good.  So far, I had managed to go to 2 places and not generate any disposable plastic.  I needed pasta.

Imagine trying to liberate dry fettuccine from a bulk bin with a pair of slippery plastic tongs.  Honestly, I usually just dip my hand in and grab what I need, but the customer service girl was watching me, so I said with a laugh, "Is there a trick to getting the pasta out using these tongs?"

My helpful, dancing angel skipped away and came back wearing a plastic glove where upon she dipped her hand in and filled my bag.  My dismay lasted about 3 seconds while I made a note to self to keep my big mouth shut in future.  Then I basked in the glow of a helpful, joyful exchange with another human being who assured me that anytime I wanted help with the pasta, anyone could get a glove on and get it for me.  I resisted the temptation to say, "In that case, I'll just go back to buying it in a plastic package. It's cheaper for one thing, and I don't have to pick it up off the floor." (Did I mention, she dropped the bag and my pasta came into contact with the floor?  Which most certainly is dirtier than my hand.  Good thing it cooks in boiling water.)

It just felt a lot better to focus on her willingness to help me, and her pure joy, than to think about the comedy of errors that resulted all because I was trying to avoid plastic in the first place.  The Trickster hangs out in my back pocket, and I have learned to laugh, when he strikes.

And the biggest laugh I get is from thinking I'm doing any good at all by buying from the bulk bins, when I know that much of that stuff comes in plastic to begin with.

Here's another candidate for an email. Just leave it in the burlap bags, you don't need to repackage it.

#doingmybest

Plastic Free July Day 17

I started out today expecting to come home with plastic.  Hoping not to.  But I knew it was a possibility.  Because I needed to buy some chicken wire, and that usually comes with some kind of plastic.  Either straps or plastic film packaging around the outside.  So I was really gratified when I went to the farm store, and found 50 feet of chicken wire with no plastic at all.  That gave me hope and encouragement

But the straw came with the dreaded plastic straps.  Not even good ol' plastic hay twine, which can be recycled, but plastic packing straps.  Even strapped, straw is a material that manages to go flying all over the place.  I was  bummed. I wasn't expecting that kind of plastic.  But I see why they do it that way. (sigh)

But the real downer today was when I went into town for bread to the local bakery with my bread bag, and decided to order sandwiches.  One sandwich was wrapped in paper--non plasticized paper--yay! but tied with plastic raffia??? --really? Shite! The other sandwich was a total fail. It came in a brown paper box, lined with shiny plastic. Worse! Tucked inside the box was plastic utensils & a plastic cup with mustard in it.

Oh come on!!

I am starting to lose ground here.  Even when I try as hard as I can not to get plastic, I still get plastic.

Some kind soul comes for a visit bearing dessert...it's ice cream encased in disposable plastic, which looks like paper.  The plastic seal was so tough, I had to use a hefty knife just to whack through it.

This is the reality of the situation.  Honestly, it makes me want to cry.

So I'm going to have a little rant here.  Just a little one, and then I promise, it will turn positive.

Here's the things I'm sick of.  I'm tired of not being able to eat almost anything, because I don't trust food anymore. Between GMOs and artificial ingredients (made from the gmos), and toxins, and hormones, and animals that have been tortured and fish swimming in polluted seas, filling their bellies with plastic.

I'm sick of having to examine everything I buy under a microscope to find out if it was grown, or manufactured under organic, humane, safe, ethical, fair trade practices...

You know what? I'm just gonna stop right there.  Because I could go on about all the things I'm sick of and it would fill pages.

And I did promise to make this a little rant.

The truth is, that all the things I am sick of all have the same root cause.  There are too many greedy, sick, twisted, monstrous, psychotic, sociopaths running things.  There! Rant-in-a-nutshell.

I believe in telling the truth and speaking my mind.  So now that I wrote the words, what does that all mean?

It means, I see it.  I see it all.  I see all the things that make me sick, and in spite of how overwhelming it all is, I  will continue to live as I have been.  Doing the best I can, and breaking the cycle whenever I can.

And I will try to remember that we're meant to experience love and joy and peace and reverence and gratitude and abundance on Planet Earth, as well as taking a hard look at the experiences that contrast those things.  By holding those things up to the light, we are able to see them for what they are.

My heroes are the ones who live their lives fully with integrity and authenticity, in spite of what the rest of the world is doing.  So I try to follow their example and just get on with it.  Even when it seems overwhelming.

Can I get an order of love to go with a side of joy? Hold the plastic, please.  I'll pay for that with a hug and a smile.

Plastic Free July Day 16

I spent the evening up-cycling some lanterns that I removed from my shed, (soon to be hen house).

You know those pretty solar lanterns you put in your yard, until you find out they're meant to last one season?  I had about 8 of them of different kinds.  The original two were made better and I think they're still going.  But the other six were purchased only 1 year later, and were so cheaply made, that the plastic over the solar cells oxidized and the batteries couldn't charge.

But I love the designs and so this evening I began to meticulously take each one apart, with the intention of taking the solar panels and spent batteries to hazo-house, and seeing if they'll also take the plastic housing I removed, which has what looks like a little circuit board inside.  And need I say it?  That housing is made entirely of plastic.

So far I've reclaimed 3 of the 6.  These two crackle glass globes...




The photo doesn't do them justice.  I love how the light sparkles off the fragmented glass, and casts interesting, lacy shadows on the wall.

And one of these pretty Asian style lanterns, with a dragon fly etched into the glass panels.


Now they are back to being useful items, instead of a big disappointment.

Plastic Free July Day 14

I was cleaning out my shed yesterday getting it ready to convert to a hen house.  During the process I removed enough tape and labels from cardboard boxes to fill a grocery bag.  I also found two small to medium size boxes with polystyrene foam peanuts (which I can now recycle).  Then I found a box containing plastic bags of all sizes and a plastic picnic plate.  The plate was a remnant of a Christmas gift someone had given me--goodies wrapped in cellophane on a blue plastic plate, and tied with plastic ribbon.

So much plastic tucked away--in storage, no less.  You might wonder why I would do that, but I have been recycling since the 1980s and it's become some kind of weird obsession to hang on to something until I find a way to recycle it.  Because I have seen recycling evolve (I remember when they didn't take batteries; and when they first started taking plastic bottles, but wouldn't take yogurt containers.)

If someone gives me a gift on a plastic plate, my gratitude comes into conflict with my heart sinking at the prospect of dealing with yet another piece of plastic.  And if I get overwhelmed and chuck it into the garbage, my guilt deals harshly with me as if I've committed mortal sin against Planet Earth, which truly I have - because I know better.  So I will find things tucked away every now and then.

This is a living example of the plastic problem in miniature.  Around the globe, the way to deal with trash is to "put it into storage" by burying it in the ground or dumping it in the ocean.  But it's still always there.  And it's growing.

Am I singing The Plastic Blues?  Well, maybe a little.

There really is only one solution.  And the answer isn't so much in the recycling of it, as it is in simply not creating it any more.

There is no need to create disposable items out of non degradable materials.  

That doesn't even make sense.

My solution is to stop allowing it in my life, while at the same time, trying to find an ethical, responsible way to get rid of the useless plastic items I still have.

Reduce Reuse Recycle was my mantra.  Now Plastic Free heads that list.

Plastic Free July Day 13

I saw a great video today on Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola who operates a recycling company in Lagos, Nigeria.

The code to embed the video didn't work for me, but here's the link to watch Entrepreneur makes money from trash.  What we find out is that she isn't really making a profit, but when I watched other videos about Wecyclers I could see what a huge difference they were making in Lagos.  One video talked about the flooding that would happen from all the trash making it impossible for the water to drain away during the rainy season.  Wecyclers is having an impact on that problem.  

It's overwhelming to think what we're up against with all the non biodegradable trash accumulating on Planet Earth.

But I believe, it's possible to turn this problem around.  Stories like this one, and stories like The Ocean Cleanup give me hope.

For myself, I spent the day cleaning out the shed to get ready for the hens to move in.  I was going to pick them up tomorrow, but I asked if I could postpone another few days.  My yard is secure, and the shed will be adequate, but I need to get some straw and nesting boxes.

And for a small 6 x 6 foot shed, it sure had a lot of stuff in it.  Mostly cardboard boxes from last Winter waiting to go on the garden as mulch.  But out of site, out of mind.  I spent the day breaking down boxes.

I will also have to find a new home for my bike and my lil' electric lawn mower.

Breaking down boxes was a bitter-sweet task.  I'm so attuned to the whole plastic problem now that pulling tape off of boxes so it won't hang around in my soil when the boxes break down, reminds me how much plastic there is, everywhere.

Any way, I will never be lazy or complacent about plastic again.

My Raw Cat Food Recipe

More people are asking about the food I feed my cats, so I thought a blog post was in order.

The first thing I have to say, is it's not cheaper than buying food.  If that doesn't deter you, then maybe this is a good option.

I first decided to go raw, after a lot of research, and agonizing over the cat's diets. I have three cats living here.  Three cats, two humans.

I was feeding exclusively a specific brand of dry food when I started, due to the health needs of one of the three.  In a house with 3 cats, they all get the same thing.  I don't know how old any of my cats are, but I'm guessing that they must have been about 7 years old, when I weaned them off dry, and went to canned food.  And maybe about 9 or 10 when I transitioned them to raw food.

I had been researching dietary needs of cats since I first brought them home in 2004.  But no one seemed to have any thoughts on it.  Multiple vets told me that nutrition was not focused on in their training.  That exasperated me to no end.

Time passed, and I decided to at least get them all off the dry food.  I was adding warm broth to the canned food, to make it more palatable and to take the chill off, when I used a partial can from the fridge.

They were fine with it, but I wasn't.  I was feeding them some of the most expensive food you can buy.  A highly recommended brand which all the research seemed to indicated was one of the best choices.  Then one day I found a piece of shredded plastic in one of the cans.  About two weeks later I found a piece of screen in a can.

I had been researching the raw diet, but had a little fear programmed into me about parasites and bacteria.  But after finding non food in high quality pet food, I decided to stop wasting my money on something I could not be sure of.

There are raw cat food recipes and instructional videos on you tube.  I started out using a recipe which called for approx 4 1/2 pounds raw chicken with skin and some bones, 1 pound raw chicken hearts and 1/2 pound raw liver.

They also recommended supplements.  And even raw egg.  I didn't add the supplements because, I have an friend who is an RN, with a background in nutrition who has done a ton of research on supplements, and the body's ability to use them.  My intuition told me to stay as natural as possible--foods in their natural form.  Which is the same rule of thumb I use for myself.

I opted against the egg, because one-they didn't like it, and two-I wondered how many eggs cats would be eating in the wild.  I mean yes, birds have their eggs inside them before they lay, but they don't lay constantly like chickens do.  They have a more natural cycle.

I eventually ended up leaving out the bones.  I couldn't get them ground down to a fine powder, and the shards were causing then distress.  Yes, cats are designed to eat mouse bones and bird bones, but chickens are for the most part, bigger than cats and they wouldn't be eating bones that big if they were on their own...in fact, they wouldn't really be eating chicken.

So with the raw diet, common sense is called for.  And oh, yeah...good luck finding chicken hearts in quantity.  It takes about 4 dozen hearts to make a pound. I get mine at a local organic farm.  All the chicken I use is organic and local and comes plastic free.  It takes a certain kind-a-crazy to do raw cat food to the degree I do it.  But quantity might not be a problem if you only have one cat.

My current recipe is thighs and breasts (de-boned), with hearts and livers.  For each 16-18 oz. raw meat, I add 4 oz. hearts and 2 oz. liver.  I use the thighs because they need that dark muscle meat, and they are easily de-boned. I use the breast, because they are easily de-boned.  Then I keep the wings and the legs to use for people food.  I no longer add the bones or the skin (the skin was also too hard for them to deal with), but skin and bones go into the stock pot and I make enough bone broth to last the week for all of us.

I grind the thighs, breasts, hearts and livers and mix with one scant teaspoon salt for each pound.  My weekly recipe of 4 1/2 pounds meat plus 1 1/2 pound organ meats comes out to 6 pounds of total food to which I add 2 scant tablespoons of salt (equal to 6 teaspoons).

I use Himalayan Pink Salt, which reportedly has 84 minerals. That's important to me, because I'm not adding supplements.

I grind the chicken, but these days, I'm leaving some small chunks of the meat (about a pound in chunks), because I want them to get the benefit of chewing their food.  The act of chewing is not only good for the teeth, but releases certain enzymes to digest specific foods.  And watching them eat, I think it helps them remember their instincts, which I feel is beneficial to their health and emotional well being.

After I have mixed all the meat with the salt thoroughly, then I put it in half pints and freeze it for the week.  My three cats who range in size, go through about 3/4 of a pint of food a day, which I divide for two meals a day.  But your cats will tell you what they need.  Give yourself about 18 hours for a half pint of cat food to thaw in the refrigerator.  I warm a little bone broth gently and use it to supplement the food and to take the chill off after being refrigerated.

Please use common sense handling practices.  You're handling raw chicken.  Make sure it's fresh to start.  Process it quickly.  Don't let it sit around in the open air for too long.

I don't think cold food right out of the fridge would be all that digestible.  I don't let the food sit out to take the chill off, because that would invite bacteria.  Instead I use the warm bone broth to do that.  Think about how they would eat a freshly killed mouse.  It would still be warm.  That temperature is about right.

I have researched the parasite issue, and according to the information I found, if you're not feeding them the intestines, you shouldn't have too much to worry about.
 
It is my understanding based on the research I've done, that if your cat has healthy gut flora, it can handle most bacteria and parasites.  But please do your own research for peace of mind and talk to your vet.

I am not a vet.  I'm just sharing my own experience with the raw food.

One last thing...I mentioned gut flora, and I want to share an opinion, just something else to consider.

If your cat has been on processed food for a long time, and/or had antibiotics at any time, the gut flora may already be weakened  to a degree.  Go slowly.  You don't want to overwhelm your pet's digestive system.  Talk to your vet.

I transitioned my pets into the raw food very gradually.  I started by adding a small amount of lightly cooked chicken in with the wet canned food I was feeding them, and gradually began transitioning away from canned altogether.  When they got used to just the lightly cooked chicken and broth, then I began cooking it less and less.  (Note: For cooked food, allow it to cool some before serving, so you don't burn them if they're over eager.)

Cats are designed to eat raw food.

I trust my cats to know what they need.  It's been 3 years, and they do well on the raw food.  I was worried about not supplementing their food, until I realized that my cats have access to mice.  When they need something in their diet they know how to supplement for themselves.  I have a fenced yard that is pretty cat proof.  They can't get out, but small animals can get in.

It is completely natural for cats to eat small animals.  The act of hunting sharpens their instincts, and probably provides them with a flood of beneficial biochemicals.  I had to get over my human perceptions of squeamishness in order to allow my cats to express themselves naturally.  Which as we all know leads to a healthier life.  Also because my cats instincts aren't being suppressed, they don't really kill something unless they eat it.  (Although, Zoë brought me a garter snake one time.  I thanked her and released it outside the fence, apparently unharmed.)

I know this post is kind of long, but hopefully you have some things to think about.

Do your homework, talk to your vet, ask yourself if you want to buy raw food already made from a local pet food supplier, or if you want to make it yourself.

And above all ask your cat what he/she wants.

Is Your Body Using The Water You Drink?

This time of year, it's really hard to stay hydrated.  I just reached for my water glass, and one of my cats at the same moment woke from a sound sleep and went to her water dish.

It's Summer, and our cells are thirsty.

There is a lot of controversy over how much water to drink.   There are just as many articles about getting too much water as there are articles about not getting enough water.

My feeling is that it's going to be different for each individual. 

One of the first ever BodyTalk techniques I learned was a technique called hydration.   It is a way to allow your body's wisdom to remember how to use the water in your body.  Allowing your cells to remember how to take water in and use it.

All cellular activity requires water.  When  chronic dehydration becomes a normal state of affairs, your tissues  become less able to use the water available to them.   Your cells simply can not absorb water as they were designed to do.  

Hydration of cells is a matter of water moving across the cell membranes and into the interior of the cells.  Water must be able to move freely across the cell walls in both directions, carrying nutrients into the cells and waste products out.

The hydration balancing technique is directed at correcting the cell membrane imbalances throughout the body so that the cells are capable of absorbing and using the water in the body.

Restoring your body's ability to hydrate, will give your cells the basic tools to function as they were designed.

Plastic Free July Day 12

OK, here it is.

I have a huge mess to clean up.

For those of you who didn't live through the era of video cassette tapes, count yourselves lucky.  These days, if I were to buy? a movie, it would be a download.

But for 20 years we collected movies on vhs cassette tapes.  We loved old movies.

Now I'm paying for it.  In lack of space, in overwhelm, in wtf am I going to do with all these stinking video tapes that no one wants.  I couldn't give 'em away.

And speaking of paying for it, I will be...literally.

For the last two years, I've been trying to find a place to recycle my tapes.  I'm going to have to face facts.  There is a place that will take them, but it's going to cost me. About $200.00, if my calculations are correct.

Somehow, I'm OK with that.  When I researched this subject,  it became evident that GreenDisk was the only solution.  Literally.  No one else does what they do.  They take techno trash and recycle it.

Let GreenDisk safely and securely destroy your old data, recover reusable components, and recycle all the rest of your accumulated technotrash...

So even though it's going to cost me to do this, it seems like a small price to pay for peace of mind.  Peace of mind means, I no longer have to think about it, and I know it's being handled responsibly, not just dumped into a landfill or the ocean.

And when I think about that stuff being gone, my body relaxes and I feel the stress draining away.  I have been sitting on this "stuff" for years, because I haven't known how to dispose of it responsibly.

It's time to move on and be done with it.  I'm tired of being a slave to this plastic trash.  Feeding it with my anxiety while it takes up space in my life.

I'll post more about this, as I go through the process.

That's all for day 12.

Plastic Free July Day 11

I heard back from one of the companies I wrote to.  This very nice email is from To-Go Ware.  I am sharing it here as encouragement.  I did a post on Plastic Free July Day 1 featuring their reusable container.  Is it any wonder I love their product?

Hi Rita,

Thank you for your wonderful email and for your support! We love hearing from our customers and especially when they have new ideas or suggestions.

The suggestion to change the product tag application is a great one and would definitely help to drive home our no plastic motto. I will contact our manufacturer to see if there is a different way to apply the tag...hemp twine is a great idea too!

Also, thank you so much for sharing your post about the tiffin! This is great and I can't wait to share it with the rest of our team. Thank you again for all your support...we really appreciate it!

Warm Regards,
Kelly

I mentioned in my last post that I am  directing my efforts at companies and local businesses which I already support. There's a reason for that.

I only have so much time to devote to what I believe is such an important cause.  I want to make my efforts count.  So --for now any way-- I am putting my attention on companies that I actually deal with.  

I withdrew my attention long ago from the main stream consumer world, and I find that I exist quite nicely without any of that in my life.

The more of us that actively reject this "Story of Stuff", (to borrow a famous phrase), the less power it has.  When we take our attention off of it, and simply get on with the business of life, in a way that works for us, we stop feeding it with our fascination.  We stop being hypnotized by it.  And we have more energy & resources to devote to the things that really matter in life.

And it's about to get real, as I deal with my old "stuff".  I'll share that in tomorrow's post.

Good luck to all you plastic free activists.  You're doing good work in the world.

Plastic Free July Day 9

I've been gathering a short list of companies (as I become aware of them) to contact with a request to consider alternatives to single use/disposable plastic in their packaging.  I have 4 on my list, two of which are local small businesses.

Drafting emails takes time, and so I've only sent off 2 of the 4 so far.  But I was really excited to see someone else taking this on as well.

Today I read a post from Westy Writes about the same topic.  Check it out.

Then get inspired to impact the world and raise awareness, one email at a time.

That's it for Day 9.

Plastic Free July Day 8

I practice energy medicine. It's what I've done for 5 years.  But I also bind books for our family owned and operated small press.  Today, I want to talk about the changes I'm making to help our business become less dependent on single use plastic.

This is kind of a hard one.  Last night when I was ordering binding supplies on line, I began to realize how hard it really is.  Because so many things come shipped in plastic.  I ordered binder boards, they come shrink wrapped.  I ordered some hand made paper from Tibet for end papers, which typically does not come in plastic.  And I ordered some Super/Mull which also comes in plastic packaging.

Today when I was packaging up an order of books, I realized once again that there is plastic involved.  But at least the next time I run out of tape, I can replace the plastic tape with paper packing tape.  The kind that is reinforced with fiberglass threads and you have to wet it to activate the adhesive.  

And bubble wrap can be used over and over.  In fact, we've never had to buy it, because it magically appears in everything.  We wrap the books in it sometimes, and then it is used again at the other end.  But today, I did come up with an alternative to bubble wrap, if I ever run out of the stuff...because we've agreed we won't buy it, even though it's mighty handy to have when you're packing up books to mail.

Old fashioned packing material before everything became plastic, was cardboard, and newspaper.  And boxes were often tied with string.  I don't think they allow cording anymore, because of the automated machines.

So yes, I can adjust how I ship things out, but not so much how I receive things being shipped in.  My only option there, is to keep my eyes open for supplies which are sold locally, in bulk.  There is one place left around here where we get a lot of our supplies, but she doesn't carry the items I had to order.

These kinds of local businesses are fast disappearing in the wake of on line shopping.  Shame.  I prefer seeing faces, and hearing voices, and conversing as I exchange money for goods, rather than burning my tired eyes out looking at a screen, and typing numbers into fields.

That's it for day 8.  :)

Plastic Free July Day 7

I spent yesterday with Mike.  It was our 30 year wedding anniversary.  And we have been trying to take Mondays off anyway, so it worked out perfectly.

We went exploring in our community and I bought a lovely summer camisole...much needed, since I am not a typical consumer, and sometimes my clothes become quite threadbare before I find what I want/need.  You should see my shoes!!  (And some of you have).

I am finally learning where to find things.  I was pretty excited to find a comfortable garment, made from organic materials, that I could actually afford.  The tag states Sustainable & Ethical Apparel since 1992.  So thanks Maggie's and thanks to Traditions (Olympia) and other retailers who carry this brand.

 


But it did take the glow off just a little, when I realized that the tag was fixed to the camisole with plastic.  And really, all garments are tagged the same way in this country, with rare exceptions.

This doesn't mean that I have to stop buying things that I need.  And it doesn't mean that I have to accept that there is simply going to be disposable plastic around--like it or not.

No.  I think there is something I can do about it, which requires some effort.  Whenever I find disposable plastic on a product I buy, I am going to start communicating with the company to ask them to consider using a different material on the product they sell.  It shouldn't be too much of a paradigm shift, considering these companies are already dealing in ethical, sustainable products.

I was also considering a campaign to ask the major garment retailers to change their habits around this issue, but when I began researching it, I read that clothing retailers are using the presence of plastic garment tags to discourage people wearing once and then returning the item.

So as an editorial aside, I wish to say this:

Although it is unethical to buy a garment so it can be worn to a function and then returned, I feel that unethical behavior has long been a dysfunction of the garment industry.  The whole industry is corrupt and so they are actually creating a culture of consumers without ethics.  

To the garment industry, I would say, lead by example.  You know where you're falling down. Stop sweat shop practices. Pay a living wage.  Stop attacking self esteem and creating unhealthy expectations of body image in your marketing.  Focus on service.  Focus on creating beautiful clothing for all body types which promote self esteem and empower people.  

Focus on making the world a better place.  Support sustainable practices.  Use authentic natural fabrics, which feel good to wear, rather than using textiles which pollute the planet.  Be authentic and then use that in your marketing.  Teach people to be ethical, by the example you set.  The world mirrors back to you, what you are.  Your customers are a reflection of you.  This goes for any business.

This is a job for bigger brains than mine, but perhaps the time is ripe to make this demand of manufacturers and industries.  Be authentic.  Be ethical.  Oh, and while you're at it, stop polluting, and for Planet's sake! Please stop putting plastic in everything.

Plastic Free July Day 6

I didn't think I had anything to say today, and so I was going to just take a day off from posting, until I realized that something kind of extraordinary did happen that was directly related to my efforts with Plastic Free July.  And to the efforts of anyone involved in this commitment.

I have coffee with a circle of friends every other Sunday.  About 10-12 of us get a large table and we catch up with each other and talk and pull Tarot cards and just generally gain insight into what is happening for each of us.  It's a beautiful group and I enjoy it very much.

What seemed significant today was that more than one person commented on the Plastic Free thing I was involved in.  And I realized that on some level it is spreading into the community via my friends and family.  In fact 5 different people this week talked to me about what I was doing.  They asked questions.  They talked about wanting to get into the habit of becoming more aware.  About making a change on some level in the way they consume plastic.  And they are talking to other people about it as well.

This is encouraging to me, because as more people get involved and change their habits even just a little bit, they begin influencing others to begin thinking about it as well.

It is really easy to get so used to something, like being served an entire meal on single use plastic in a cafe, that we accept it as normal.

But it's not normal.  There is nothing normal or healthy about disposable plastic.  And I am grateful to have the opportunity to expand my awareness to include that realization.

And I am happy to be a part of the ripple effect.

So if you are a part of any type of social change, no matter what the issue is, you can be happy in the knowledge that your efforts are creating change, because you are a living example.

Thank you for your efforts.

https://www.plasticfreejuly.org

Plastic Free July Day 5

DIY Toothpaste

I use this simple recipe

1 part Himalayan Pink Crystal Salt

2 parts Baking Soda

4 parts Coconut Oil

This is very salty, so flavor to taste using mint oil, citrus oil, anise oil, cinnamon oil or the powdered equivalents. Or use what ever suits your taste buds.  Mix all ingredients well.  (If using liquid for flavoring, use sparingly, so the texture won't be too runny).

This is a very sensual recipe.  It makes your mouth feel nourished and cared for.

I use the Himalayan Pink Salt because, I can get it in bulk, and because it has 84 minerals and trace elements, which can only be good for mouth health.  To reduce plastic used in making this, you might consider using powdered herbs rather than essential oils or extracts which usually have plastic packaging.  I think even if you use coconut oil in a jar, there will be some plastic on the lid.

Until I started using this recipe, I was just using baking soda straight, the old fashioned tooth powder.

Some herbs which are linked with oral hygiene are myrrh, anise, citrus, and propolis, or research on line.

That's the Plastic Free Tip for Day 5  --And yes that is a plastic toothbrush in the picture.  That will be another blog post.  ;)

Plastic Free July Day 3

Quick post #plasticfree #zerowaste

My huge roasting pan that I bought second hand.

Every week I buy three chickens, and 1 1/2 pound combined hearts and livers.  Half the chicken goes to us humans and the other half goes to feed the three family cats.

I make raw cat food for my cats every week.

Three chickens a week plus organ meats, add up to a lot of plastic packaging.  So there was only one thing to do for Plastic Free July.

I take my roasting pan to a chicken farm, and buy them locally without packaging.  It all goes into my pan, and within minutes it's in my refrigerator, waiting to be turned into cat food and divvied up to be made into dinners for us humans.

Yes all three whole chickens fit in this thing.  It's vintage.  A remnant from the days when people would cook a hunk of meat and live on it all week.

There are a lot of reasons I do this.

1. By making my own cat food, I not only ensure the quality, but also I am not supporting an industry I know very little about--the Pet Food Industry.
2. I am supporting a local farm--family run business, not corporate farming.  The money goes to support people I know who live in the community, and share similar values.
3. I know the farmers, I know the operation. I know the birds are raised organically, and treated humanely because I have actually worked on this particular farm.
4. Zero plastic packaging! Zero disposable packaging.
5. The freshest food you can get, is that which is grown and raised in your own area.
6. Extremely low fossil fuel consumption to get my chicken because it's not coming from out of the area.

That's all for Day 3.

Animals & The 4th of July Holiday

Friday is just around the corner and if your neighborhood is anything like mine, the fireworks have already begun.  And will probably go on all week end.  I wrote a post earlier in the week about keeping your animals safe and comfortable in the heat and noise.  The highlights bear repeating.  To keep your animal friends safe and comfortable this holiday:

• Try to walk your dog in daylight hours before the fireworks start. 

• Keep them indoors with cat/dog  flap or gate shut.  If your dog needs to go out doors, go out with them to help them feel more secure.  Keep  cat litter pan available. 

• Draw the curtains to avoid startling from sudden flashes. 

• Toys are a good distraction and keep your pet occupied.  And TV or music will help to distract and take emphasis off the noise outside. 

• Make safe hiding places, or dens with blankets and bedding to help muffle the noise. 

• If your animals are hiding indoors, don't try to lure them out.  Just leave them be. 

• Try to act normal  if your animal is stressed so as not to reinforce their fear.

• Make sure there is plenty of food and water on hand for your animal, and that your house doesn't get too hot and stuffy indoors.

Most animals recover pretty quickly after the holiday is over.  Our cat Buddy took a full month to recover after the 4th, the first year he came to live with us.  Now, he goes into hiding during the noise, but comes out when it's over.  He's still stressed over it, but he knows he's safe with his family, and we give him his space and don't fuss over him.

Often he slinks from one hiding place to another.  Movement is fine.  If an animal can't calm down, moving around will help them to use up the extra adrenaline.  Eating helps some animals, playing helps others, and some just want to hunker down and sleep if they can.  Let your animal decide for itself how it want to handle this stress.

It's natural to feel for our animal friends and try to "help" them through a stressful time.  The best help you can be is not to focus too much attention on your animal.  Just knowing you're nearby is enough, and the more normal you act, the more relaxed and comfortable they will be.

Here's to a safe & happy 4th of July celebration!

Plastic Free July Day 2

Just a quick post, (after all there will be 31 days of this).

A reminder: When you're looking for plastic free alternatives at the grocery store, you're going to have to have a sharp eye.  Plastic is a very sneaky item, and it can be hiding anywhere.

Say you normally buy soda in plastic bottles. But now you're doing your best to avoid plastic.  So you switch to aluminum cans.  Guess what your cans are lined with.  That's right, aluminum cans are plastic lined, and most still use BPA which messes with you endocrines.

Even if you buy things in glass, you will be getting plastic in the cap at the very least.  I used to make my own yogurt, but even glass milk bottles come with plastic tops.

Recently, I started buying locally made yogurt to save time, which comes in glass jars.  But now that my awareness is more finely tuned to spot plastic packaging, I realize that there is a small amount of plastic in the metal lids they use, and they have a clear plastic label on the jar.

I love what they're doing though, and I want to see their product for a long time to come, so I will contact them and ask them to consider changing their label.  I don't think there is anything they can do about the jar lid other than switch to BPA free jar lids.

Most foods use plastic in their packaging.  Even those little stickers on produce are made with plastic.

I promised to keep this short, so I won't go on.  But I will encourage you to start training your perception when you're shopping to notice plastic packaging.

We can all do better on this.

Ball/Kerr canning BPA free canning lids:  These lids can be identified by the presence of “Made in USA” on the packaging and lids themselves, and by dots around the border of our Collection Elite series lids. The lids also have a coating on the underside that is two or three shades darker than the previous lids – more of a taupe as compared with the previous cream.

From Growing A Greener World post last updated in June 2013.

The photo on the left is from Once Upon a Time in a Bed of Wildflowers

Plastic Free July Day 1

I spent the day binding books for Pegana Press, our small family press, while the temperatures climbed into the nineties. (F.)  Then I cooked supper.  After dinner I announced to my husband that I wanted ice cream!

We haven't had it in a long time, and it was just the day for it.

Mike reminded me that if we bought ice cream there would be plastic involved.  But I was ready for it.

Olympic Mountain Ice Cream creates awesome ice cream, but you won't find it in the grocery store.  It's only available in restaurants.  Which is good, because they have the old fashioned heavy cardboard ice cream containers with cardboard lids.

I wanted Spumoni so we drove over to Pelligrino's Italian Kitchen.  They were super busy, so we got it to go.  Good thing I had my 2-Tier Tiffin Food Carrier with me from To-Go Ware.  The woman at Pelligrino's put ice in the bottom tier, and the ice cream fit with room to spare in the top tier.

I first found this at my local food co-op about a year ago, but they're not cheap, and I had a hard time talking myself into buying one-let alone two, until Plastic Free July came along.  I went for the two different sizes, and I keep them in the car in case we are eating out.

Our neighbors in Seattle/King County have banned styrofoam, so if you get something to go, it is likely to come in a paper container.

Not so, here in Olympia/Thurston County.  There is still a lot of styrofoam  containers being given out in restaurants. Pretty backward thinking for the capital city of our state.  Mostly Mike and I just don't eat out.

But now if we do, I can put left overs into this food carrier and maybe I'll start a trend, because so far I've never seen anyone else around here doing that.

I really appreciate this product, and the thing I would change about it is the little plastic tag holder which loops around fixing the tag to the handle of the Tiffin.  I was so excited that I didn't even notice it until I got home.  I'll bet a little hemp twine would work equally well.  Maybe I'll send them an email.