Well I've been reading recently about the so-called "Plastic Islands" - two areas the size of Texas, running 10 meters deep, of tiny plastic particles in the Pacific Ocean that are decimating the fish and bird population. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=en4XzfR0FE8

It is just sickening.

So we have started taking concrete actions to get plastic out of our lives!

Here's some of the steps we've taken so far:

1. Keeping the containers we already have all around us so that they can be reused. For example, I've kept a few glass containers, and then got a load of tomatoes from dad's farm, stewed them, put them into these jars and now they're in the freezer. Money saved: $24 (2 x 12 cans of tomatoes I didn't have to buy).

2. Keeping the current spray bottle from our window and glass cleaner. When the cleaner is done, I'm going to wash it out and fill it up with good old vinegar - which works wonders on mirrors and is WAY cheaper!

3. Keeping the current liquid laundry detergent bottle that we have. Tonight I put 1 litre of water on the stove, heated it up, then added 1 cup Borax, 1 cup baking soda and 1 cap of enviro laundry detergent. This concoction will last the two of us about one month. Because I'm remixing, the Borax, Baking Soda and Laundry soap I do have now - will probably last me about a year! And guess what - I've used 1 plastic jug instead of 12 -just for laundry soap and that container will probably last a few years! Money spent: $15 for ingredients. Money saved: 15 - (7 X 11 bottles not purchased = 77)= $62

4. Keeping two large containers and bringing one to the local cheese factory to be filled up from time to time; and bringing the other to the local tofu factory to be filled up.

5. Bringing the plastic containers that I already use for my bulk foods like grains, flour, sugar, salt, raisins, etc. - right to the Bulk Food Store and filling them up!

6. Tonight I wrote a note to the Bulk Food Store president to request that they start a program to provide incentives to people to bring their own containers; and to request that they start providing bulk versions of enviro personal products like shampoo. Then I can bring in my plastic shampoo container and just fill it up! I love that idea!

7. Keeping my current egg carton and bringing it with me to the market where the egg farmer will fill it up for me.

8. I do not buy plastic bags of any kind. I think it is just awful. I already have been - for a few years now, washing out, drying and reusing most plastic bags that come into the house. It's surprising how long they last -especially Ziplocs! Shame on people who throw out Ziplocs! Money saved: (2 X $4 box of plastic bags per month (garbage and food bags) X 12 months a year = $96

9. I actually have it on my To Do List - to go to the fabric store to buy some material I can use for handkerchiefs - so that I can stop using Kleenex. It's what they always used to do - what made us so special that we're entitled to cut down trees so that we can blow our noses without inconvenience?Similarly, I'm curious about the idea of washable maxi-pads. Think about how much waste we produce in that area!!! Money spent: $10 for fabric. Money saved: 5 boxes of Kleenex per month X $1 each X 12 months = $50

10. I also have, for a long time, whenever I throw a party - used my white cloth napkins and my dishes for the party - this is a conscious effort to not use paper plates, napkins etc. Money saved: probably at least $40 per year in paper products compared to others - but maybe more!)

11. Did you know that good old baking soda works wonders on scrubbing a glass top stove, kitchen sinks, bathtubs and other types of cleaning? It is WAY cheaper, and much less toxic for our water supply! Money spent: about $20 for boxes of baking soda. Money saved: just a guess that I might have spent in the past 2 bottles X $5 per month = $120 - 20= 100

12. I put broccoli and asparagus in the freezer this year using a combination of plastic containers and plastic bags that I already had. Money spent: $60 for vegetables. Money saved: $6.00 per week on frozen vegetables in plastic bags X 52 weeks = $252

13. I make my own bread from organic whole wheat, olive oil and yeast. The 50 pound bag flour that I bought at Arva flour mill cost me $35. It will make about 60 loaves of bread (enough for the whole year!) This will save us 60 plastic bread wrappers and about $140 over the course of the year for not having to buy bread.

Total savings so far:Money: $764Garbage: 12 cans, 11 mirror cleaner bottles, 11 laundry detergent bottles, 27 plastic cheese wrappers, 52 plastic tofu wrappers, 120 plastic bags for bulk foods, 51 egg cartons, 52 plastic garbage bags, 365 ziploc bags (estimate), loads of paper products, 55 boxes of kleenex, 51 plastic bags for frozen broccoli, 60 plastic bread wrappers, not to mention the fact that we really don't buy "quick fix foods" that come in plastic wrappers from the grocery store, we eat primarily vegetables and grains.

Holy shit that's alot of waste saved from one household! What if everyone tried to cut down on at least some of these things?!?!?! That's alot of money saved and waste avoided!

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