greenliving Archives

In Green Living September 16, 2022

Dealing With (some of) The Plastic You Can’t Avoid

Disclosure: I am a happy paying member of Ridwell. I am extraordinarily annoyed at every waste management company’s attempts to stop Ridwell from recycling items they refuse to/are to lazy to recycle (which also stops Ridwell from redistributing still-useful items). Some of the companies have threatened to sue or actually have sued.

Maybe you’re like me: I try to avoid excess plastic with my purchases when I can, I try to patronize businesses that try to avoid plastic, I don’t use the plastic produce bags. Yet neither of us can avoid generating any plastic waste at all–and for us (for me, at least) it’s not a realistic option. We can’t choose how our prescriptions are packaged (we can’t even avoid the totally unnecessary plastic birth control pill dispensers). We can’t choose a “plastic alternative” if we need to use an ostomy appliance or get a blood transfusion or need to be intubated. We can’t opt out of plastic

Curbside Recycling?

KNOW THE RULES! I’ve lived in multiple houses, dorms, and apartments in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Texas, California, and Oregon. In each place the rules for recycling varied wildly, sometimes differing dramatically from one town to the next one a few miles over. If you have access to curbside recycling (I remember in one place it was optional and cost extra–WTF??) I hope you’re both using it AND using it correctly. For most of my life to determine whether I could recycle a plastic I had to look at the logo with the arrows and see what number it was; mostly, #1 and #2 were a go, and the rest were a no.

Imagine my surprise when I moved (back) to Portland, only to discover that in Portland, the numbers are irrelevant and it is the shape of the container that matters!

Size and shape determine what’s recyclable in Portland, Oregon (image by City of Portland)

According to the official website for the City of Portland, “When sorting your plastics, ignore the recycle symbol and number: Plastics recycling in Portland is based on the size and shape of the item. Please rinse containers. They do not need to be perfectly clean, but should be free of food residue and dry before they go in your bin.” Um, really? Yes, really.

Oregon Metro explains it this way: Ignore the numbers. Ignore the arrows. Sort by shape. These items are OK in your recycling container–rinse thoroughly.

Plastic bottles, jugs and jars 6 ounces or larger, any container with a threaded neck (for a screw-on lid) or neck narrower than the base. This includes milk jugs, peanut butter jars, and bottles that held personal care and cleaning products (shampoo, laundry soap, etc.).

Round plastic containers that can hold 6 ounces or more, with a wider rim than base, and typically contain products such as salsa, margarine, cottage cheese, hummus, etc. (no drink cups).

Planting/nursery pots larger than 4 inches in diameter and made of rigid (rather than crinkly or flexible) plastic. Remove any loose dirt.

Buckets 5 gallons or smaller. Handles are OK.

(Incidentally: the fact that I can put something into my recycling bin does not mean it is, actually, factually, really, truly, recycled. Given the absolutely abysmal rate at which plastics are recycled–check out what Consumer Reports has to say about how little plastic was recycled in 2018–I doubt it’s very much. It didn’t get better when China started to refuse loads of plastics from the U.S. It didn’t get better during the global pandemic. I’d love Waste Management, my curbside provider, to provide data on when, where, and how much of the collected plastic is recycled. Unfortunately, that transparency remains lacking.)

What I Can Recycle in NE Portland

Okay, so both in Portland and the Oregon Metro area, I can avoid using a decent amount of recyclable plastic. I use shampoo bars, Blueland hand soap and toilet cleaner, and Dropps laundry products and dishwasher soap; I put my plastic deposit containers into a blue charity fundraiser bag and take them to a Bottle Drop drop-off location (like at the grocery store).These cover the main categories of what I can put into my recycling bin. I’m a bit stuck when it comes to some of the things that come in plastic tubs.

What I CANNOT Recycle? Everything else. According to Metro, that’s:

Any plastic that is not shaped like a bottle, round tub, bucket, or jug :

NO plastic bags or plastic film of any type: pallet wrap, bubble wrap, stretch wrap (think: Amazon bubble mailers, the air cushions in packages)
NO plastic caps or lids
NO plastic 6 pack can holders (all types, including rigid plastic)
NO plastic take-out food containers and disposable plates, cups, and cutlery
NO prescription medicine bottles and other plastic containers under 6 oz (think: no contact lens solution, no travel-sized anything)
NO disposable plastic or latex gloves
NO bottles that have come in contact with motor oil, pesticides or herbicides, or other hazardous materials
NO hoses, ropes, or cords

Some of these things are avoidable, but others are not. Just try to buy a loaf of bread (the regular sliced kind, not the fancy artisan rock-hard-in-two-days kind) without a plastic bag. Or a jug of milk without a cap. It’s not like you can order online and avoid bubble wrap or “plastic pillows” entirely.

Ridwell: Supplemental Recycling

Since I can’t avid plastic bags or film, plastic lids/caps, and many of the other items, what’s a smart woman to do? Join Ridwell.

Ridwell is essentially a supplemental recycling service. Every two weeks they pick up plastic film (that’s bubble wrap, bread bags, etc.), batteries (which should never go into a landfill or dump as they release chemicals that form a hazardous toxic soup), light bulbs (samesies!), and “threads” (clothing, fabric, shoes). These are part of my core service, and I paid around $100-125 for an entire year of service (26 pickups). I have a porch box, and a (washable, reusable) cloth bag for each of the core categories. If I have more stuff than my porch box can hold, I can add a bag for $1. I also have the option to add a (separate) bag of plastic clamshells (like strawberries come in at the grocery store) for $1, a large bag of styrofoam pieces for $9, or fluorescent light tubes (starts at $4).

In addition, each pickup has a “featured items” category. A few things I remember in that category: crayons, Halloween candy, corks (like from wine bottles), metal bottle caps, plastic bottle caps, prescription medicine bottles, holiday lights, winter coats, electronics, school supplies, sports equipment, bicycles and bike equipment, diapers, bread bag tags, toiletries, kids books, non-perishable food. There have been more. It includes many hard to recycle plastics. Many of these items are not recycled, because they are still reusable; so they are distributed to non-profit partners in my area.

Three of my Ridwell bags–the categories I use most.

Ridwell sends customers a newsletter with information on what percentage of the core categories gets recycled. There’s also a blog with articles about Ridwell’s activities, and my account page links to a page about the Ridwell partners in Portland, such as PDX Diaper Bank, Children’s Book Bank, and WashCo Bikes.

So, for example, in May I got an email that informed me: ” You packed our warehouse sky high with clean, compressed #1 PET plastic. Together, we diverted over 112,000 lbs (>56 Tons) of clamshell plastic waste from landfills. Instead, the clamshells were recycled by our partner, Green Impact, and given a second life as 2 million new containers, protecting your favorite berries and snacks. This is all thanks to 25,000 Portland members, like you. Happy Clamiversary!” It also had a link where I could learn more about Green Impact. This is one of many such emails I have gotten from Ridwell. Transparency matters. (Too bad Portland’s contracted waste haulers are too busy protesting Ridwell to let their customers know where the recycling actually goes, eh?)

By the way, if Ridwell operates where you are, I think I still have a few opportunities to give you one month of free Ridwell. Drop a comment, and then shoot me an email.

Other Supplemental Recycling in Portland: James

Maybe you can’t get Ridwell where you live. I hope you have another option like James’ Neighborhood Recycling Service. James is a Portland resident who works in certain neighborhoods here. He runs a pick-up service and operates at community events. James can take all sorts of plastics for recycling, including things like cassette tapes, empty contact lens blister packs, styrofoam, straws, plastic utensils, and more. He takes electronics like batteries, lightbulbs, power cords, laptops, and more. James also accepts some other unusual, hard to recycle items including: wine corks, cereal bag liners, toothpaste tubes, floss containers, toothbrushes (non-electrical), inkjet and toner cartridges, pumps (from lotion, hand soap, etc.) and spray nozzles from non-hazardous products.

If you’re not in Portland, try running a search for local recycling options, community recycling, or similar. You might even have a zero waste group in your area that operates on Facebook, NextDoor, or another social media platform.

Plastic Film Recycling–Near You?

Avoiding plastic film is really difficult. (Bread bags, bubble wrap, etc.) Check out Plastic Film Recycling for more information and resources. To find a drop-off location to recycle plastic film, try the drop-off directory. (I found 160 locations near me, searching by zip code.) The directory also has a page for what falls into this category (yes to product wraps, air pillows, and plastic mailers) and what is excluded (no to frozen food bags, “compostable” bags, and six-pack rings).

If it seems like a pain in the butt to make a special trip for a handful of bread bags, why not reach out to your neighbors? If you have kids, they could turn it into a community service project with their Brownie Troop, Cub Scout pack, church youth group, school, or other organization.

In Uncategorized August 31, 2021

More Ways to Say “No” to Plastic.

Disclosure: Portions of this post were provided by New Hope Network and are from Melaina Juntti’s article, “10 Ways to Say No to Plastic.” I am a member of the New Hope Influencer Co-op, a network of health and wellness bloggers committed to spreading more health to more people. New Hope is NOT related to #PlasticFreeJuly, which is based in Australia. Also yes, I am well aware that July ended more than a month ago–thanks for notice!

While working on the first part of this article, I learned that the most-used “throwaway” plastics are single-use plastic bags, straws, bottles, and coffee cups. Not only do these items last literally forever, they are also items you rarely actually need.

Leave Plastic At The Store

Fewer stores these days let you keep plastic clothes hangers, but plenty will still ask if you’d like them at checkout. Unless you’re in dire need of new hangers at home, say no and encourage the store to reuse them. Personally, I re-did my entire closet in the Bed Bath & Beyond version of Joy’s Huggable Hangers; my closet looks sharp and more clothes fit inside. I took my wire hangers to the drycleaners for re-use, and donated my plastic-tube-type hangers to charities that deal with clothing donations (always phone first–not all charities want your plastic hangers). Are you buying from brands/stores that insist you take the hangers, or tell you that they “can’t” re-use them? WRITE A LETTER–preferably on paper (since no one does that anymore)–and tell them they need to do better. Then vote with your dollars.

Say “Nope” to Single-Use Plastic Bags

Dry cleaning bags. Speaking of clothing, if you have a lot of clothes that need dry cleaning, the plastic waste adds up fast. See if your dry cleaner will let you leave your own garment bag with your items. (Don’t have a garment bag? The thicker plastic hanger bags that stores like Macy’s and Nordstrom use to cover long dresses and suits can be reused almost indefinitely–I have several that are two decades old.) If they say no, consider shopping around for a new dry cleaner that’ll let you skip the single-use plastic bag.

Grocery Bags. Ideally choose cloth reusable grocery bags. I’m partial to Chico Bags, as they take up almost no space and are easy to stash in your car, backpack, or bike pannier. Bonus, they will take back bags that are dead and ready for their next adventure. If you choose paper bags, you must reuse them. Why? Producing paper bags create more pollution during their manufacture, consume four times more energy than plastic bags during manufacturing, are somewhat inefficient to recycle, and more. While plastic lasts longer and has more environmental consequences, you have got to re-use those paper bags to make them “better for the environment” than plastic. Consider the entire lifecycle of the bag!

Produce bags. Do you need them? Probably not. You’re going to wash those apples before you eat them, right? If you really think you must have a produce bag, try using a zippered net lingerie bag (bonus: lets the stuff inside breath and is easily washable). There are mounds of choices at Amazon and other online retailers, and Good Housekeeping wrote an article on their top picks.

Ridwell–for when you’re stuck. I don’t know whether you can get Ridwell, but if you can, by all means SIGN UP! (If they are available in your neighborhood, I might have a single pick-up I can gift you.) Ridwell is an amazing service that takes items your local waste service cannot recycle and keeps them out of landfills. While it includes more categories–and may be enough to help you downsize your garbage service!–the one I use most often is “plastic film.” That includes those annoying air pillows that come with the things you ordered online, the all-plastic mailers Amazon started using, bubble wrap, bread bags, the bag my Sunday newspaper comes in, and more. (Ridwell also takes items that are reused by charities or properly recycled, including batteries and light bulbs. The rotating categories include all sorts of things from sporting goods to bottle caps to wine corks.)

Sweeten Your Sip

Straws. Before I get accused of being able-ist, hear me out: some people genuinely need plastic straws. Did you know that the popular bendy straws were developed for use in hospitals? True story. If you truly need a plastic straw, use one without guilt. Those of use who do NOT actually need them can avoid them. For the rest of us, here’s what to consider:

(1) Do you really NEED any straw at all? Again, save for a small portion of the population, you can drink from a cup without a straw. (Starbucks recognized this and switched to sippy-lids for cold cups, just like they have for hot ones). Could you just say “no thanks” to all straws?

(2) The Straw is NOT your friend. Did you know that people who drink from a straw drink MORE than those who do not? (That’s why so many “how to drink more water” articles list “use a straw” as a tip!) Or that the plastic straw may leach chemicals into your beverage? (I’m not a big scaremonger, but when the Washington Post writes about it I’m at least willing to hear it out.) Straws may also increase tooth decay, and more. Think about that the next time you’re offered a straw for your sugary and/or acidic soda.

(3) Some restaurants and bars offer wax-coated paper straws. These are compostable in some locations, but not all locations–what can be recycled or composted varies from municipality to municipality. If you don’t need a straw, you can still say no.

(4) Instead of a disposable straw, how about a reusable one? If you’re going someplace where you think you’ll need a straw, or driving, take The Final Straw with you. It’s reusable many times, washable, compact for travel, and a straw. Done!

Bottled Water is for Emergencies

Unless you live in an area where the tap water is unsafe, there is no reason to drink bottled water. Train yourself to think of bottled water as a product that is made for emergencies–like Flint, Michigan (water system scandalously ruined by the government and no, in 2021 there is still no safe tap water in Flint) or a post-hurricane location (pumping stations require electricity which may not be available; water tables may be damaged or polluted)–and not for you.

You might be surprised to learn that bottled water is less regulated than your tap water! Tap water is required by law to be tested for a variety of substances, and many local water utilities publish the results online, like the East Bay MUD (California) does. If you are worried about lead (maybe you have an older home) many water utilities will help you get your water tested, just like Multnomah County Oregon does. Further, did you know that some bottled water is literally just bottled tap water? True story.

Think your tap water “tastes funny”? You still don’t need to waste your money (and our collective resources) on bottled water. Invest in a quality filtering pitcher like the Camelbak, a fridge with a filter (do NOT forget to change the filter!), a re-usable filtration bottle, or a tap filtration system. Yes, the filter may be plastic–but you’ll still use LESS plastic than all those bottles.

Cat Lady reusalbe cup — Cat Lady Box cup. Plastic, but has been used hundreds of times–including the straw! Double-wall guarantees it won’t “sweat” all over my work.

Use a reusable cup of any kind at home. Carry and use a reusable water bottle when you’re at work or on the go. My office has reusable cups, mugs, and glasses, but I have also taken in my Cat Lady Box tumbler. (It has a screw-on lid and reusable straw, which prevents me from inadvertently dousing my files.) Pro tip: choose an insulated brand like Takeya or HydroFlask so it doesn’t “sweat” on you; you have lots of options.

#ButFirstCoffee

About those Coffee cups. This one seems like a no-brainer, because it’s a two-fer WIN: (1) no plastic lid goes into the garbage, and (2) the paper that goes into the cup and sleeve can be used for anything else but instant garbage/compost. It can be a little trickier in practice because you have to remember to your own coffee cup with you, and to clean it on a daily basis, but you’ll also save some cash: most cafes offer a small discount if you use your own cup. (Five cents many times a year turns into real money quickly!) While I like my Whirly mugs with their sturdy handle and snap-on lid, a spill-proof coffee vessel is essential when commuting and to avoid adding a mocha scent to everything in your work bag. HydroFlask is my go-to for coffee on the go.

What have you tried doing to cut down on single-use plastic in your life?

In Green Living August 15, 2020

Back Away From The (Plastic) Bottle

Updated July 4, 2022

Sure, it’s August, so I totally missed the boat on posting about #PlasticFreeJuly while it was, you know, July. But in a pandemic where the months all look alike-ish, who cares? Plus prAna just launched #ReshapePackaging and vowed to remove ALL plastic from their packaging stream by 2021–that’s next year! (Much better than The MLM That Will Go Unnamed who has set the goal at 50% reduction of plastic by 2025.) If you want to learn more, check out the Responsible Packaging Movement page and learn how consumers can help make change–even during the pandemic.

Speaking of the pandemic… The pandemic response has me feeling grumpy about the amount of plastic I “have to” use. The grocery store is my grumpy zone. Stores where I live stopped allowing reusable bags–a few won’t even let them into the store!–and switched to paper bags. Then there was a shortage of paper bags due to supply-chain issues, and so all the stores had reusable plastic bags made from thicker plastic…but were still not allowing customers to re-use them. (BTW, I’ve found a way around this: insist on bagging your own groceries. I’ve asked the cashiers to just scan like normal, and then send items down the belt to the bagging area, where I bag my own. My local Fred Meyer has a scan-as-you-go option as well, where you carry a scanner around the store with you, scan each item, then bag it. When you hit check-out, you scan the bar code on the stand and it uploads your order.) Oh and let me be clear: I fully support all efforts to protect grocery workers, including when stores will not allow them to touch my reusable bags. I just don’t need more plastic in my life.

It’s not just the big grocery bags though. Corn on the cob is usually a bulk item you pick out of a gigantic stack, peel a little to make sure the ear isn’t a dud, and then take with you. This year, it’s all pre-wrapped on foam trays. You can’t use your own containers for bulk items at many stores. You can’t use the mesh and reusable produce bags. Even my attempts to support local restaurants have increased my plastic usage as some have switched to all-plastic disposable utensils, and many of the take-out containers have plastic (and pandemic rules won’t allow them to fill my reusable containers). I get that it’s all about safety and reducing potential virus transmission, but it frustrates the part of me that has worked to minimize my single-use plastic consumption.

So I’m doubling-down on avoiding single-use plastic in other areas of my life. As prAna says, “progress, not perfection.”

NEWS FLASH: Something is Better Than Nothing

I’m sure you’ve seen the multitude of websites about the “plastic-free lifestyle.” There’s even an entire book, Plastic Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and You Can Too by Beth Terry (Skyhorse, 2012). (If you haven’t, just run a quick Google search.) Websites like the Plastic Pollution Coalition and My Plastic Free Life even have helpful tips on how to start cutting plastic out of your life. While I think that the “plastic-free lifestyle” is admirable–every bit as much as the “zero waste lifestyle”–I know it’s not a realistic goal for everyone. It’s not for me, either–I wear contact lenses (plastic) that must be cleaned daily (solutions only available in plastic bottles); I take medication (packaging/bottles are plastic). Before you suggest it no, I’m not a candidate for laser eye surgery (I need the lenses to correct my severe astigmatism). Good luck getting the FDA to approve refillable prescription containers.

“Perfect is the enemy of good,” wrote Voltaire, centuries ago. More recently, the New York Times reported that “Life Without Plastic Is Possible. It’s Just Very Hard.” I don’t have to be 100% plastic-free to make a difference, and neither do you. Think about an item of single-use plastic and how much waste it generates. Now imagine that 9 out of 10 times, you choose a re-usable item over a single-use plastic. How much waste is left? What if everyone made similar choices–how much smaller would the pile be?

Target Plastic Bottles for Elimination: THREE Solutions

A ridiculous percentage of the plastic bottles you put into your recycling bin are never recycled. This assumes you live in an area where recycling services are available–plenty of the country still has no recycling. It also assumes that the plastic bottle was theoretically recyclable in the first place–not all plastic is. I’ve read articles that claim up to 50% of what goes into the recycling bin doesn’t get recycled. Check out the “The Violent Afterlife of a Recycled Plastic Bottle,” from The Atlantic–I bet you’ll find it eye-opening. I’m sure you’ve also heard that even more US plastic ends up in the landfill since China started to reject American recycling. (It’s unclear if this is related to the trade wars, but there was definitely a problem with contamination, or non-recyclable items ending up mixed in with the recyclable plastic.) In any case, I’ve targeted plastic bottles for reduction. Here are three easy ways to cut out plastic bottles.

Dropps works as well as any laundry soap should: clean clothes, no weird detergent scent. This is exactly what I wanted. If you prefer a scented laundry detergent, Dropps makes a “fresh scent,” “clean scent,” and a lavender-eucalyptus scent. There are also pods for small loads, and a “baby sensitive skin” (which is somehow different from the “sensitive skin” that I get). If this sounds good to you, head HERE to try Dropps. (That’s an affiliate link, and it gives you $15 off your first order. Savings for you, rewards for me.)

ONE: Laundry Detergent–Get Dropps

The biggest plastic bottles I was bringing into the house? Laundry soap. My theory had been that if I bought the biggest possible bottle, I’d end up using less plastic than if I bought a bunch of smaller bottles. Probably true, but still gigantic plastic bottles. With the anti-dribble spouts I never felt like I was getting all of the detergent out, either. Of course there were all the usual problems too–they’re heavy, they take up space, blah blah blah. Freeing my life from plastic bottles of laundry soap was the easiest thing I did. Even though I only want unscented laundry soap, without any added colors or scents.

When I first tried Dropps, I figured if I didn’t like the way it worked, no big deal. One of those internet ads found me and offered a deal, so I think I paid $5 for my first shipment. When they arrived I was impressed with the packaging: cardboard only, completely recyclable. The detergent itself is in a little plastic-like (but actually plastic-free!) pod. You throw one into the washing machine with the clothing, and that’s it. When all the pods are gone, recycle the box. There’s no other packaging (like the pods are not in a plastic bag inside the box). I’ve been using Dropps almost exclusively since fall 2017, and I’ve only had one shipment with a leaky pod; it was such a non-issue that I didn’t even contact Dropps about it (I just threw out that single pod).

While you can place a single order, you get a better price if you sign up for a subscription. Initially I didn’t think I’d like having a subscription for laundry detergent, but now I love it. Dropps is pretty awesome. You can log in to your account and reschedule to earlier if you’re running low. Dropps sends an email to confirm each shipment, so if you don’t need any laundry detergent you can kick it out a month or two or more. And if you forgot to tell them you moved, you have plenty of time to do so before they ship.(Not that I know from personal experience…) You also get to decide how frequently you want to receive products–it’s not a one-size-fits-all.

Dropps also makes pods that are a scent booster, a fabric softener, oxi booster, and now dishwasher pods (unscented and lemon). Since I originally wrote this post, I used up the last of my big bottle of liquid fabric softener, and switched exclusively to Dropps unscented fabric softener pods. (I have noticed zero difference in my laundry’s softness or static–in other words, I’m getting the same results with Dropps that I got with liquid.) I also switched over to Dropps dishwasher pods. I’m using the lemon/citrus scent, but there are other options (unscented and “fresh rain”).

TWO: Shampoo: try solid shampoo bars

Shampoo bars can be a little weird if you’ve never used them before. I’d say it takes 2-3 shampoos to figure out your best shampoo bar routine. The two biggest things to know: (1) limit rubbing back and forth (at least with my long, straight hair), and (2) anticipate fewer suds.

I say “limit rubbing” because the tendency for most people using a bar product is to rub it. Rubbing a shampoo bar on your hair–at least if you have baby-fine straight hair like mine–is a bad idea. Just like rubbing a towel on your wet hair to dry it is a bad idea. Tangles! Ugh! Instead, rub the shampoo bar in your hands to suds it up, and then transfer the suds from your hands to your hair. I also rub the bar on my hair from the top of the scalp straight down (so no “rubbing” more like one pass) It takes me 2-3 rounds of this to work up enough lather to thoroughly coat my hair and be able to run my fingers through to reach my scalp.

As for suds, at some point in law school I learned that Americans expect their shampoos and soap products to produce a LOT of suds. (Apparently we equate sudsiness with effectiveness.) One dish soap company, for example, had a problem when bottles of a familiar brand of “washing up liquid” (the British term, I guess?) destined for the UK wound up being sold on the American market. There wasn’t anything wrong with the dish soap. British customers do not expect the quantity of suds Americans do, so the product was formulated to produce fewer suds. Americans who bought it were unhappy, because the soap–which was just as soapy, and just as effective at cleaning–did not produce copious suds.

The first shampoo bar I used was from LUSH, a round green thing in a scent called “Karma.” (I later bought various other colors but have no idea what the scents were called.) If you buy it at the store, it has no packaging (though they will typically put it in a little paper bag); if you buy online, it comes packed in a paper bag, in a cardboard box with starch dissolvable packing peanuts. I loved the scent and the way it washed my hair. LUSH sells shampoo bar tins, and I made the mistake of trying to store my shampoo bar in the shower in the tin. Terrible idea–the wet bar sticks to the bottom of the tin and becomes nearly impossible to pull out. The tin is good for storage, and for travel, but let that bar dry before you put it inside! For in-shower storage, your best option is a soap dish with a soap-saver (the little oval thing with the spines that keep your soap from sitting in water), or a wire rack (like on a shower caddy). Ideally, you want to let it dry when not in use so it doesn’t get mushy. LUSH shampoo bars and solid shampoos come in a dozen varieties, and LUSH also makes conditioner bars, but my picky hair did not respond as well. One out of two ain’t bad, right? LUSH also makes solid conditioners, bar soaps, and massage/lotion bars (which I really like!).

The next one I tried was from a company called Ethique that is based in New Zealand. They make square shampoo bars and smaller travel or trial sizes shaped like little hearts. I picked St. Clements as it is made for oily hair. Ethique bars come in paperboard boxes which are, of course, recyclable. As a company, they are committed to zero plastic, including in their shipping materials, and encourage you to #giveupthebottle. They are also committed to ingredient transparency, vegan products, and direct trade. I prefer the square shape of the Ethique bar as it seems easier to hold onto when it is wet and slippery. It’s currently in my shower, so I’m going to count this relationship as a success. Ethique’s shampoo bar box is made from bamboo and sugar cane; the bottom acts as a soap dish with drainage. They also have some cool tips on their website for what to do with itty-bitty pieces, since every product they make is in bar form. Ethique is available from their New Zealand based website, at many Target locations, from Target.com, and from other online retailers. In addition to shampoo, they also make bar conditioners, face cleansers, body soaps, and lotion/massage bars.

I’ve since tried several other shampoo bars, and stocked up on the Vunella brand when they had a good sale. (Box is recyclable paperboard.) These are nice, thick, round bars that seem a little harder (and seem to last a little longer) than the others I’ve tried. My favorite is the coconut lime, but I also have citrus and lavender.

Shampoo bars may seem expensive when you’re pricing them. (At LUSH they run approx. $12-15 each for a 1.9 ounce bar, though a few are 3.5 ounce bars; a full-sized Ethique is $16 for a 110 gram bar which is approx. 3.9 ounces, a sample is $4; Vunella has bundles and frequent sales, and I’d estimate I paid $7-12 per bar) They typically last at least as long as 3 bottles of shampoo, provided you don’t let them get soggy. Depending on how you use them and care for them, shampoo bars can last much longer. So whether they are expensive depends on how much you are paying per bottle of shampoo. I don’t wash my hair every day (though on workout days I might wash it twice), and I’d say a bar lasts 3-5 months. There are plenty of other choices out there, but these are three of the ones that I have tried and can personally recommend.

THREE: Hand Soap Swap: Blueland (bonus swap: toilet cleaner!)

Hand soap seems like an easy thing to swap out–just use bar soap right? If you’ve got a pedestal sink with a sculpted-in “soap dish” like I do, not so much. (That “soap dish”? First it gets slippery and the soap just slides into the sink constantly. Then as soap builds up it get gooey and keeps the soap wet. Messy!) Or maybe you’ve got kids who can’t be trusted to put the soap back, or who leave it covered in sandbox dirt or blue Kool-Aid mix or something. There are a million reasons why someone might choose liquid soap, but it comes with those plastic bottles.

Enter Blueland. When I ordered this, I just decided to go all-in: I ordered one for the kitchen, and one for the first floor bathroom, and enough refillls to last for a year. Fingers crossed, right? When the package came, I was pleasantly surprised to find zero plastic (other than the pump in the bottle). No plastic tape, no plastic wrap, no plastic padding, nada.

It’s pretty easy after you unbox: fill the glass bottle with water, drop a tablet in, watch it fizz. Once it’s done, add the pump top.

One thing though, you do have to re-set your expectations, and maybe your hand-washing routine. If you’re like me, you’re used to pumping the soap onto your hands, running them under water, and then rubbing them together to lather. STOP.

New plan: pump this foaming soap onto your hands, rub them together to soap them up with the foam, and THEN run them under the water. This soap isn’t super thick–it comes out of the pump as foam!–so you don’t need water to make it spreadable. It took me a little while to adopt this new habit, but once I did, I loved this hand soap It smells nice (I got a variety of replacement tablets). A single tablet lasts a long time, and as I predicted when I first bought them, I did not have to re-order until 2021. I now have Blueland soap at all four of the sinks in my house, and the tablets take up very little space in my cabinet.

Speaking of Blueland and my cabinet, in 2021 I also switched to their toilet-cleaning tablets. One package fills the lavender storage tin. To use: put tablet into toilet bowl, wait a little while it dissolves, scrub with the toilet brush, and flush. I bought a tin for each bathroom, and these work every bit as well as liquid cleaner that comes in bottles, or the tablets that come in the non-recyclable plastic packaging.

One reason manufacturers use plastic bottles for their products is the cost of the bottle (plastic is cheap, glass is more expensive). In addition, the transportation costs for glass are higher, because glass weighs more than plastic (freight charges are based on weight). Glass bottles for many products now packaged in plastic need to be thicker to make them less prone to shatter or break, especially since most are used in the bathroom or kitchen. So if a manufacturer switches a product to glass packaging, it makes sense to also make the glass reusable, so it only gets shipped once. That leads logically to shipping refills, and if you’re trying to avoid plastic that means finding a way to take the water out of the product.

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