Could you go plastic free?

Lizzie
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Could you go plastic free?

Plastic free.jpg

 

Hello everyone,

  

With regular stories in the news referring to plastic in our oceans, it does feel that there is more talk than ever on wanting to address these issues. As part of this, recycling comes up a lot, but even more so there is a need to have more of a reusable (circular) idea about the product that we use. However, as an individual how easy is it to reduce our consumption?

 

With this in mind, if you had to go plastic free, or look to reduce the amount of plastic you throw away, do you think you would be able to do this? Perhaps you are doing this at the moment?

 

It would be great to discuss and hear your thoughts on this.

 

Thanks,

Lizzie


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148 Replies 148
Paul1255
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Lizzie great post! There is now so much focus on plastic, alternatives- and very interestingly, discovering products that contain plastics that you wouldn't think about....teabags are one. (the ones I am using atm cannot go in the food composting for that reason)

 

I buy jams and spreads in glass jars, I have a glass "tap water" bottle that I re-fill for guests in their bedroom.

 

I purchased miniture sets of shampoo/body wash/body lotions for each guest check-in, and I feel guilt every time I do a room turnover and put them out- the bottles are plastic 😞

 

I try and buy things from the supermarket fresh, rather than pre-chopped and packaged in plastic, and when I buy loose fruit and veg I put it straight in my basket rather than in a silly little plastic bag.

 

I suppose it's about everyone making changes as as much as possible, and considering the impact of what we do.

 

In the UK at least, and certainly living away from the coast means we don't have to see and live with the impact of all the wastage and damage we cause to the environment.

 

When I look in my recycling bin I do wonder how much of it will actually be recycled once it's collected....

Lizzie
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Hello @Paul1255,

 

Great to meet you and it fantastic to hear you are as interesting in this area as I am. 

 

Yeah, teabags was a bit of shock for me too as I am a big tea drinker. There are definitely so teabags you can get though with are plastic free though, but it is worrying how much we don't realise contains these materials. 

 

Interesting to hear you difficulty with toiletries, I don't think you are alone on that and making sure as much waste with things like soap is a popular talking point here in the CC. I have actually recently found a local shop in London where I can get shampoo and body wash to fill up my existing containers. I means I need to go to more than one shop to get all my supplies, but I buy enough to keep me going for a bit. 

 

I wonder, when you guests use the little bottles you provide, do they often leave the bottles behind? 

 

 


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Thank you for the last 7 years, find out more in my Personal Update.


Looking to contact our Support Team, for details...take a look at the Community Help Guides.

Paul1255
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

Nice to meet you too @Lizzie !

 

Guests use the little bottles more often than not, when they do they sometimes leave them in the bathroom when they leave- and I rinse and put them in the recycling, or they sometimes do that.

 

I think lots of guests don’t use them but take them home as a memento as they’re London branded.

 

Regardless- once my stock runs through I’m over to buying large refillable bottles to keep in the bathroom :))) thanks 

I use the large economy sized pump bottles and guests seem to really like them. No one uses the boxed Dove soap I also offer as an option. 

Paul1255
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Pat96 Dove soap is my favourite! I keep it in the bathroom, the guests never touch it ahaha 🙂 

I like the bar soap Dove for me but put the smaller ones for guest in a basket in the pantry in their guest bath - but I keep a huge bottle of liquid shower Dove plus shampoo and conditioner. In months I’ve not had to replace shampoo or conditioner and just replaced the Dove liquid shower lotion after 18 months. Not bad - not bad!  But then I only do this part time. 

i have a large pump bottle of Natural Instinct body wash and that's popular. It lasts ages.  I also offer a fresh bar of soap, palmolive gold, but mostly people don't use those.  I just get large bottles of shampoo and conditioner, schwartzkof, which is cheap but good quality. But often I find peole must bring their own as I don't need to refill much. 

Paul, one way to eliminate shampoo and soap bottles, big or small is to put tripple dispensers in the bath/showers/and maintain half filled. Also include decorate with lable of brand used so that guests know quality or if those cause allergies.

I hope that helps you along those lines. I'm also trying to eliminate unnecessary plastics. My property is in the Dominican Republic and they have a big problem with plastics ending in the ocean. Supermarkets are supergenerous with the number of bags they use to put your groceries in. There's no recycling, yet. So I fill up my suitcases with them and recycle them here. In three trips I counted over 600 bags I saved from going in the Caribbean sea, a small contribution. I'm offering that as a help to longterm renters from abroad, too.

M.

I bought 2 large glass bottles one for shampoo and one for conditioner through a hotelier company in bulk. Honestly people don't like to use these. They were nice brands also. I found people bought their own shampoo's and conditioners. Also about plastic, personally I find it unsanitary not to put my meats in plastic next to my fruits in my grocery bags(yes they are reusable). You can never truly get away from plastic no matter what. I will say that in San Jose, CA they started using paperwaxed straws and they were disgusting. They get soggy. I do use my recycle containers outside for the city to pick up. Thats about all I want to do with recycling. The listings below say their bottles of shampoo/soaps last forever. They last forever because no one wants to use them and no one wants to use bar soaps that have been on other peoples parts. 

I have a wall hanging soap, conditioner & lotion dispenser in each bathing (tub or shower) area.  They have Quart size internal bottles are easy to refill and much more economically and environmentally friendly.  I always refill them when they are half empty from large bottles available at any drug or dollar store.  I have used Better Living Products 71355 Classic 3-Chamber Shower Dispenser, White around $20 for more than 15 years and they are still working fine.  I have 4 bathrooms, so I have an extra one in my comodies closet in case it is needed.

Paul, your'e doing a great job! Every bit helps. I provide large 32oz bottles of 3-in-one shampoo/bubbles/body wash and conditioner. They seem to be working fine and no one has ever taken one because of their size! 

Everyone Soap

EO Products

@Jana51 Why are you so opposed to recycling? I have a stylish plastic bottle I refill with bulk organic soap each time I go shopping at my local food co-op. I have Murchison-Hume brand hand soap and hand lotion pumps sand they  supply one litre refills. People love these and often ask where they can buy them. I also ask people to consider travelling sustainably and to use the tap water I supply in a large glass bottle, rather than bringing plastic bottles. People are usually happy to do this. I think Airbnb has a huge opportunity to show leadership and to somehow promote or highlight Airbnbs which are trying to do something for the environment. Please re-think your opposition to recycling - none of my guests (over 1000) question it or are opposed to it and it only takes a small amount effort to make a significant difference.We just can't keep filling the world up with rubbish and it starts with all of us!

Hi All,

we use the large pumps and have had great success with them. I also have installed a charcoal sediment filter on the cold water tap in the kitchen, it stays fresh as it’s used all the time  so the tap water tastes great. No plastic bottles. We also have a large glass bottle in the fridge. 

Sandra126
Level 10
Daylesford, Australia

Teabags? What? I am surprised and dismayed. I have never been much of a plastic consumer but still use binliners (when guests only have a teabag in it, it has to go) and I provide gladwrap. But I rarely replace it, so guests don't use it much which is great. In the bathroom I have stopped plastic liners in the bin, instead I use a small paperbag.

 

We have a refillable shop in my village too which makes its own showerlotions etc.