My Journey to (Almost) Living Plastic-Free

10 Dec, 2024

It’s impossible to live in today’s world and not have plastic be a part of your life. But I have significantly reduced the amount of plastic I use (and more importantly, throw out). I started my plastic-reduction journey in late 2021 after being frustrated with the surge in single-use plastics that accompanied the pandemic.

Why did I spend time and effort trying to reduce my plastic usage? Two main reasons:

1. Plastic recycling is a myth
   • In 2018, less than 9% of plastic waste in the US was recycled¹. Because there are so many types of plastic, and recycling facilities vary so much across municipalities, much of the plastic we throw in the recycle bin just ends up in the landfill. And once it’s in a landfill, it can take hundreds of years to decompose
   • The idea that recycling is the solution to the plastic crisis is largely a myth perpetrated by the petrochemical industry²
2. Microplastics are accumulating in our land, water and bodies
   • Once in the environment, plastics break down into smaller particles (microplastics and nanoplastics). These are now present on every ecosystem of the planet, and although the full impact is unclear, it may lead to oxidative damage, DNA damage, and changes in gene activity in humans³

I wanted to write this post because I’ve spent a lot of time researching and trying plastic-free options over the past few years, and I’m hoping others can benefit from my experience.

Groceries & Food

My initial focus was on groceries and food –– the largest source of single-use plastics in my life at the time. It’s hard to give recommendations for specific products since grocery options vary so much from city to city, but here is some general advice:

• Stick to fresh produce and avoid packaged foods. I bring reusable cotton bags to avoid disposable produce bags, and if something is unnecessarily wrapped in plastic (e.g. a cucumber) I don’t buy it
• Most cities have a bulk food store to stock up on pantry items. Where I live in San Francisco, I highly recommend Rainbow Co-op
• Milk in reusable glass bottles is available at many stores. I also use this to make homemade yogurt – it’s surprisingly easy with an Instant Pot (and much cheaper!)
• Farmers markets can be great to pick up items like berries without the plastic clamshell

Probably the single biggest thing you can do to reduce plastic waste from food is to avoid take-out. There are places that have compostable containers, but they are few and far between. And even when the packaging is recyclable or compostable, it’s still a lot of waste being generated.

Now for some specific product recommendations:

Personal Care

• Deodorant
  • Native has great plastic-free deodorant. Unfortunately I haven’t found any plastic-free options with aluminum
• Shampoo/Moisturizer
  • Ethique has fantastic shampoo, conditioner, and solid face/body moisturizer bars
• Soap
  • I use CeraVe cleansing bars in the shower, and Dr. Bronner’s for hand soap
• Sunscreen
  • Attitude sunscreen sticks are the best I’ve found for daily use, although they are often out of stock and have recently had product quality issues. Raw Elements tins are great for swimming (or whenever heavier duty cream is needed)
• Shaving
  • A double-edge safety razor with bar soap is the way to go. Added benefit of being much cheaper and more effective than disposables
• Toothpaste / Floss
  • I use Bite toothpaste bits with fluoride, as well as their floss. If you’re not a fan of subscriptions, try Unpaste tablets. Not quite as minty but they work well enough

Household

• Laundry Detergent
  • Dirty Labs detergent and stain remover have worked really well. Meliora powder is much cheaper but not quite as effective
• Dishwashing Powder
  • Seventh Generation powered detergent is effective and widely available. The box is coated in plastic however, so I’ll try the Dirty Labs version once I run out. Side note: if you want to do a deep dive into why powders are more effective than pods, check out this video
• Toilet & tissue paper
  • I buy the recycled toilet paper and bamboo tissues/paper towels from Who Gives a Crap
• Ziplock Bags
  • Stasher Bags are used on a daily basis in my house, and they’re super easy to clean in the dishwasher
• Plastic Wrap
  • Beeswax wraps are a great replacement (I use Bee’s Wrap)
• General cleaner
  • Diluted vinegar (with a few drops of an essential oil for scent) will handle most of the jobs you throw at it. A one gallon jug isn’t plastic free, but it’s much better than multiple small bottles of household cleaner (bonus points for being cheaper)
  • Citric acid powder can be dissolved in water for a bathroom cleaner. The powder also works great for toilet cleaning
  • For heavy duty disinfecting, I usually spray some isopropyl alcohol
  • If you prefer premade cleaning options, check out Blueland or Grove

Some general principles I follow:

• Don’t let perfection get in the way of progress
  • Any reduction in plastic waste, even a very small one, is progress towards a more sustainable future. I once had a friend make fun of my liquid laundry detergent that came in a cardboard container because it had a plastic inner lining. This attitude frustrates me –– no product or solution is ever going to be perfect, but if it’s moving us in the right direction, in my opinion it’s worth embracing
• Your health is paramount
  • Some things simply don’t have a plastic-free alternative, e.g. most medications. Focus on things you can substitute, and don’t worry about your plastic medicine bottle
• Just because it’s free, doesn't mean you need it
  • Do you really need another reusable bag or water bottle? This goes beyond just plastic items –– I often see people pick up freebies or gifts simply because they’re on offer. Ask yourself if you really need that item, and if not, leave it

Finally, I think it’s worth noting that plastic is not always the enemy. It has some essential use cases –– for example, because it’s so lightweight, its use in cars is critical for improving fuel efficiency/range. My issue is not with the existence of plastic, but with the endless stream of plastics that are used once and then thrown away.

That's it for now. I'm currently focusing on phasing out plastic from my clothing. It's a tougher challenge, especially for workout clothes.

Special thanks to my husband for his enthusiastic support of our household’s zero-waste goals.