Ryanne Hodson from ryanishungry.com supplied me with some basic important tips to keep in mind during my plastic-free week. I wanted to share her pointers with all of you.
The main point, and one that I found to be especially true is that my main plastic in-take came from food that was packaged in plastic containers. Avoiding these were difficult but surprisingly doable, especially if you're buying fresh food, which is ultimately better for your body.
Ryanne also suggested making food from scratch, which is the best idea. I love cooking, the problem is that most of the time that would have been allocated to cooking was spent working, so it wasn't an option during the project... I ended up buying cooked food during the week more than I spent cooking, but that certainly doesn't mean that I won't give baking bread a definite try.
As you can see, I'm writing these entries more in retrospect than real-time. I think it's given me time to process the entire experience and think about what it means and also how and if the project has really affected my way of living. As I said previously, even though the project officially lasted seven days, I'm taking it further and integrating it as a lifestyle change... More to come on day three and four.
Alex V. said:
Don't you have bakeries in the US or shops where you can buy fresh bread (that isn't in a plastic container)? Also, isn't paper made from trees? Is there a study which says that paper packaging is less damaging to the environment than plastic packaging? I really don't know, so I'm just curious.
Sarah Atwood said:
Good point, Alex. I have a problem with paper usage because of the amount of trees being chopped down. Obviously, recycling paper helps but we can also recycle plastic so is either a "lesser evil"?
The ingredients to make your own bread are packaged in plastic. There's no winning this war.
Ihadira said:
yeah i have been doing this for years. plastic sucks. i carry my glass bottles around with me everywhere so does my husband and now my friends do as well. Bulk items from the co-op are awesome. growing my own food is the best and making food from scratch and enjoying that goodness makes me appreciate where my food comes from. I threw out all my plastic stuff over a decade ago and only use glass containers and carry those with me. Yes they are heavier but they are so much better for my food.
Ihadira said:
Canvas bags for grocery shopping are the best they never break and I have been using mine for years.
