How gratifying it was to receive several responses to my first column on reducing plastic use. I’m pleased to share the good ideas that came to this column.
■Marilyn reuses the plastic bags when she can’t avoid bringing them home. She brings some back and uses them instead of those bags on a roll in the produce department and to store food in the fridge. I liked her last sentence: “Still I try.” It’s what we all must do. To her comments I’d like to point out that bagging one’s produce is seldom necessary unless you’re buying handfuls of small foods. The cashier can pile your items on the scale and then put them into your reusable bag.
■Jennifer reports finding dental floss in a paper container at Rite Aid and scooped it up. I’ll add that Bona Fide Green Goods on Main Street has floss in a refillable container plus the refills.
■Remember when we were forbidden to bring our own bags to the store during Covid? Janet shared the Covid-era advice that is still valid, if you forget your reusable grocery bags in the car, just bring your purchases to the car unbagged and bag them yourself when you get to the car. Janet also uses the alternative to liquid laundry detergent in plastic jugs, namely, sheets that disolve in the washer and come in a cardboard box, available at local green stores.
■Carolyn says when she brings home items that are wrapped in plastic such as toilet paper, she reuses it to line the kitchen garbage pail. This reminds me that anyone with a cat box to clean, those unavoidable plastic wrappers are useful to hold what you scoop.
■Lastly, I heard from the Waste Reduction Committee in New London. They are publishing educational items in their local weekly paper to encourage folks to take this plastic deluge seriously and reduce its use. They hope to stay in touch and share ideas. Just learning that New London has such a committee was welcome news.
Adding to this great list of ideas, I want to raise the matter of the “compostable” paper plates and cutlery you will find on the shelves. If you check the fine print on the packages, they tell you that you need a commercial composting facility to take these things. Per my internet search, the nearest one is in Peterborough. New Hampshire and has sox commercial composters accepting food and yard waste but three of them do not take soiled paper.
So what to do when you’re having a picnic or a party? More internet searching brought up disposable plates made from palm leaves or bamboo. One can also buy bamboo cutlery. All of them are actually quite attractive and some are washable and reusable. A yet more environmentally friendly option is to have a supply of enamelware or stainless steel cups and plates and cutlery and plan to wash and reuse them.
I hope all this inspires readers to try these ideas and to share more of what you are doing to live (almost) plastic-free.If you have a tip, question, or suggestion, feel free to send an email to: features@cmonitor.com.