Plastic waste journal #10

Here is our plastic waste for the month of April, 2018:

The can of green enchilada sauce is from Aldi, their canned pineapple is in a steel can that appears to not have any plastic lining, so I was hoping the same would be true for their Enchilada sauce. Not so! It is clearly lined with plastic, and since Aldi has decided to continue using BPA, it is also a BPA-infused plastic. BPA is a big deal, beyond polluting the earth! It has huge health risks, especially for children. Not going to buy that again!

Notice the small pink duck. Well, half a duck…cheap plastic toys break easily. Just skip the plastic when buying toys! When you feel your child really needs a certain toy that is only made with plastic, try finding it in the 2nd hand market. Chattanooga has awesome consignment sales in the spring and fall. The JBF sale has selections that rival a department store. But do take some care when buying second hand, if they were made before 2009, they likely have BPA or phalates in them. For birthdays and Christmas, let your family know that you are trying to cut back on your plastic waste and give a good wish list that either specifies second hand, or includes well-made alternatives. Some plastic-free toys we’ve enjoyed receiving recently include some wooden play foods and a set of awesome wood blocks.

Looking at this pile, I think one area we need to attack is our mail. Not only does junk mail and credit card offerings add to the stress of dealing with mail, but those terrible windows are plastic and not recyclable. Ripping out the plastic window before putting the rest into the recycle bin is getting old…time to look for solutions!