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Have you seen Amy Gate's No Plastic Holiday Challenge? It warms my heart when other bloggers get on the no-plastic bandwagon.
A suggestion I would emphasize is to be aware of packaging and shipping materials! It's great to choose handmade and eco-friendly gifts, but often even these come packaged in plastic. And plastic packaging is just the kind of disposable material that is making its way to the North Pacific Gyre.
(Isn't it ironic that a material that lasts forever in the environment is so often made into single-use disposable products?)
So what can we do about it?
1) When ordering online, request zero plastic and Styrofoam packaging specifically. I do this all the time when dealing with Etsy and other handmade sellers, and if they can't accommodate me, I don't order from them. When I do receive plastic packaging, I'll sometimes simply mail it back to the vendor with a nice note asking them to rethink their packaging policies.
I've been criticized in the past for the added fuel costs of sending packaging back to sellers. But I believe that the fuel cost pales in comparison to the amount of energy and resources that can be saved through bringing awareness to the issue of plastic packaging. And receiving back the packaging that they sent out sends a clearer message than a simple email.
2) When purchasing ingredients in the store, try to shop where goods are sold in bulk bins and you can bring your own cloth produce bags or glass jars instead of taking new plastic bags. Think of giving solid soaps and shampoos instead of liquids in plastic bottles. Skip most produce bags altogether. For larger items, they are unnecessary.
3) Re-use packaging when shipping gifts away from home. Or use mailers made from post-consumer recycled paper fiber, like Jiffy Padded Mailers that are filled with post-consumer paper fiber instead of plastic bubbles: http://www.sealedair.com/products/protective/protmail/jiffy_padded.html
4) Don't forget the tape. Plastic packing tape is not the only option. Choose paper packing tape when necessary, and use it sparingly. Most people use way more tape than they need.
5) Find ways to wrap gifts without paper or tape. Many people are enjoying sewing their own cloth gift bags that are reused year after year. Furoshiki is a Japanese style of cloth wrap that requires no paper. Or, if you do want to use re-use old wrapping paper, there is a way to wrap gifts without tape.
6) Give gifts that require no packaging at all: gift certificates for services, meals, experiences. Gifts of time. Teach a skill. Cook a meal. Babysit. These kinds of gifts help bring people together without adding to the waste already choking our planet.
Happy Plastic-Free holidays, everyone! For more ideas on ways to reduce your plastic consumption and plastic waste, please check out my list at http://www.fakeplasticfish.com/thelist.
Beth Terry
http://www.fakeplasticfish.com
