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
Ben551
Level 10
Wellington, New Zealand

Some latest developments in plastic free where I live...

 

A place called The Hippie Straw in Wellington (https://www.thehippiestraw.co.nz/) has started selling a whole range of alternatives to plastic, including drinking straws in all sizes, cotton mesh produce bags that are 100% biodegradable (unlike plastic reusable mesh bags that are still... plastic),  Bamboo toothbrushes, Eco friendly packs, cotton straw cleaners and...

 

... my new favourite... marine grade stainless steel clothes pegs!! 

 

IMG_20190111_204453_731_5fc8d97c-3702-4461-a53b-48f8e40b69cc_1024x1024@2x.jpg

 

We bought a pack yesterday at the market and love them.  They are so strong, which is important where we live because it's windy!  I don't want clothes blowing across the valley, so I need strong pegs.  Also, with that salty breeze, marine grade is important else the pegs will rust (like the spring on a lot of cheap palstic pegs).  I'm really happy with these and see them as pegs for life.

 

 PS: You can kinda see why I crossed the globe to move to this city lol... it suits my hippie inclinations 🙂

Martha354
Level 2
Murfreesboro, TN

Yes lets learn about Hemp it is a good alternative to abolish plastic and much.

 

Ben551
Level 10
Wellington, New Zealand

Forgive me people, but I need to let something rather demonic out on the topic of plastic free... I doubt this will be orderly, as my fingers are shaking and I'm about as angry as I can get (and I don't get angry)...

 

I have guests who arrive tonight and their relatives (who live locally) wrote to me to ask if they could drop a few things off before my guests arrive.  I thought it was sweet, so of course I agreed.  That is until she arrived.... with 5 single use plastic bags of groceries she had bought and proceeded to decant it into my plastic free Airbnb...

 

The contents were:  fruit in 2 layers of plastic, cheese in 3 layers of plastic, cereal in plastic, tea in plastic, all manner of vegetables, snacks, plastic boxed grapes, plastic wrapped plastic, plastic on plastic... plastic with extra plastic... actually feck this, I'm not going to list all this crap...

 

Can I just call her what she is?  Can I?  A LAZY, OXYGEN STEALING DRAIN ON THE PLANET who could not take an extra 8th of a second to look to the left or right, when she was in the grocery story, and buy any one of the HUNDREDS of plastic free options we offer in NZ supermarkets today.  I'm not talking about the hard choices here, I'm talking about the easy ones.  I mean if she had delivered things wrapped in plastic that we took a while to solve ourselves, fine.  I'm talking about the choices that were RIGHT THERE in front of her and even would have saved her money. 

 

Convenience is not an excuse for what I am seeing in my Airbnb fridge.  My plastic free Airbnb fridge.  That is now full of plastic.  That my guests are arriving tonight to see and will... be greeted with a mountain of plastic the size of a hippo.

 

What the hell was she buying fruit and vegetables in plastic for?!?!  All NZ supermarkets sell this stuff without packaging and it is CHEAPER.  I'm being honest here, there is no rhyme or reason for the choices this crazy person made.  My wife went down to look and we are stumped.  What.. the actual feck... does someone buy plastic boxed avocados and apples for?  Where do you even FIND those today?!  And cereal in a giant plastic bag...

 

When she was finishing her plastic redecorating plans, her single-use plastic bags (that we don't even sell in NZ anymore) were empty.  At this point, her parting words to me were "Oh I'll just leave these plastic bags here in case they need them for rubbish".... rubbish... as in she planned... she actualy planned for these monstrosities to be used as LANDFILL BAGS! 

 

I counted to 5 mentally, then replied "How about I recycle those for you, then they can use the plastic free environmental rubbish bags that we already provide under the sink?"  She seemed grateful, and was completely oblivious to my point.

 

Allow me to finish by saying that, as of this moment, I solemnly declare my eternal wish for all persons of this level of intelligence to suffer from an eternal plague of large, biting insects.

 

That is all.

I get your commitment and it sounds like the person was kind enough to deliver gifts to your guest. We transform people by accepting and celebrating who they are and then invite to consider something else. People don't know what they don't know and all we can do is hold space and withhold judgement. 

Lizzie
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

I'm sorry I missed your last post here @Ben551. I can understand your frustration here. I often go litter picking nearby the river and then come back the next week and see lots of litter again, but I keep telling myself that it is better than not doing it at all. In general in the UK, I do feel that more and more people are becoming more conscious of what they are buying and things are catching on such as reusable coffee cups, which is positive. 

 

Keep up the great work, you are a massive inspiration, perhaps we need to instill a thought-process when asked if we would like a bag..."what would Ben do?" 🙂 

 

On a side note, I've noticed some interesting topics in the news recently about solar power roofs...I think it could be an interesting discussion point here in the CC. I'm starting to think there are a few of us, who like talking about eco stuff. 


--------------------


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.

Ben551
Level 10
Wellington, New Zealand

Hey @Lizzie  - suffice to say, I've calmed myself after the plastic horder guests.  It's one of those things where, I know people out there are lazy and stubborn about supporting the environment but when you're running a business that prides itself on being "clean and green", and have someone pollute it... it was a bit much. 

 

The other thing is, it's normally older folks that use statements like "can't teach and old dog new tricks" as a way of saying "this doesn't apply to me"... but the lady who did this was younger than me!  She even had children; i.e. the generation that will have to pay the biggest price of the damage done in the last 50 years.  She probably also complains about the price of food to feed her children... all the while ignoring the cheaper, plastic free avocadoes that are on the same shelf as her boxed ones.  It's like watching a clip from the movie idiocracy.  Next she'll be trying to water her plants with Gatorade...

 

I think a perpetual envirionmental type discussion would be great.  I think it should cover all manner of things like... (off the top of my head):

  1. Waste reduction (general)
  2. Plastic free
  3. Energy saving
  4. Space saving (even the tiny home thing is eco)
  5. Chemical free
  6. Home grown / organic gardening
  7. Upcycling
  8. Home made

 

How is that for a start?

Warren-and--Nurul0
Level 2
Singaraja, Indonesia

Hi Lizzie great to see other like minded people. Wait for more. 

Deedee0
Level 2
Longmont, CO

I bring my own bottles to our local bulk store and fill them with liquid soap, shampoo and conditioner so that I don't keep buying new plastic containers for my guests. You can also buy the largest plastic shampoo etc. container you can find and at least cut down on the use of the little sample bottles. I realize not every town has a bulk store. There are many coffee shops and markets where I can purchase bulk tea also and use a tea strainer/ball for making tea, thus also cutting down on paper (wood). I have just recently started buying yoghurt in a glass jar as there is only one company that markets it that way. It is more expensive but I really detest buying plastic yoghurt containers. It's so hard to avoid buying all plastic. The large toilet paper containers from Costco are wrapped in it and it's the best tp and cheapest anywhere so hard to resist. I like to have fresh flowers in the house when I have Airbnb guests and those all come wrapped in plastic. If it was summer, I can cut flowers from my yard but that's only a few months of the year. I wish I could use no plastic at all but I haven't reached that point yet. Something to achieve for. 

Kel14
Level 1
England, United Kingdom

Hi all

I’m new to Air b&b and have just discovered the Community, so a big hello to all.

 

Im very passionate about going plastics free and so glad to see so many equally trying there best. 

 

I have also have large body wash pump and the shampoo & conditioner I but my salon refills the same containers which is L’Oréal Seame Oil & Jasmine with no baddies within it, so more and more are acting positively. 

 

What I also do is get my milk delivered from ye old milkman in glass bottles with organic milk, my guests love this and I never run out as my milk and juice is dilivered weekly. 

 

Im also writing a kind letter to all my favourite food items to request they find an alternative packaging solution to plastic. 

 

Ive written to large supermarkets asking to develop a Plastic free isle, too. 

 

I have a butter dish dish and honey pot that I refill, thus means no more plastic butter tubs or honey squeeze plastic, to which you could refill also. 

 

One thing I would like to say that you I’m sure are not aware of,  is DOVE soap is destroyed and still destroying orangutans homes, killing their mothers and leaving many orphaned babies.

 

Dove still uses palm oil not the substitute man made alternative that is available, so please I beg you all do not use dove products, please write to them demanding change they have been many trying to get Dove to stop using palm oil and they still refuse. 

 

They’re is so much we just don’t know what is hiding in many products, we must learn and if a particular brand like Dove refuse we must stop using and purchasing these products. I’ve know about Dove for years and it breaks my heart that these beautiful species are loosing there homes because of humans destruction to their habitate.

 

Awareness is key to change and the more of us that can share this we may create that final push to not accept this and similar.

 

 I look forward to learning more and more and hope all will share their awareness on other products content as well as the very important topic of helpful tips on plastic free.

 

much love kells

Julia856
Level 2
Banksia Beach, Australia

Thankyou for the info on Dove soap. I was unaware. It’s definitely off my list now. 

Julia 

I'm new to Air BnB but was a conscious recycler before. What I've found is that recycling starts at the store. I use reusable shopping bags, and if I forget them I take paper at check out. Then you need to do a lot of what Paul and Lissie have already said. If there are glass jar product offerings I choose those over plastic. I am not above refusing to buy something due to packaging. I choose fresh foods when I can and do the work to clean & store it. I have glass pyrex leftover containers, and use canning jars unprocessed, wrapped in clean socks if I'm placing them in the freezer. I make home made soup weekly and store in freezer in canning jars. 

 

Styrofoam is another "forever" product I hate to buy. You can't recycle it where I live. But take out / left over food containers are my nemesis. I often take my own container to dinner with me especially if I know the restaurant uses plastic or Styrofoam containers. My favorite diner recently shifted to recycled COMPO STABLE cardboard Containers and I frequent there more as a result. 

 

I think recycling is work. But we must do it for our and our children and grand's future to clean up the mess of convenient choices we've made without realizing the devastatingly permanent results. The more we bother manufacturers about packaging choices the better it will be for us and the earth.

Julie1785
Level 2
Omaha, NE

Hello 🙂 I am a green blogger and am currently working on compiling a directory of this type of these types of lodging (fragrance-free, toxin-free, sustainable,etc). It will be on varying levels and each listing will include the areas in which they are going above and beyond. Please message me on my facebook page, gogreenmamas, if you host along these standards or have any in mind that you have stayed at. Thanks!

Esther359
Level 4
Seri Kembangan, Malaysia

@Lizzie, Thanks for the great topic.

For my Airbnb listing:

1) I have a sealable glass bottles that I re-fill filtered water for guests in my studio (one on the dining table and one in the fridge). And a water filter is provided in the kitchen too. I never buy bottled water (always take a re-usable water bottle with me) but sorry to admit, I do provide bottled mineral water for my guests when they check in, though I found some chose not to consume it. 

2) I provide the large refillable pump bottles for shampoo, conditioner, body wash & hand wash and refill them from time to time. Although I found some of my guests seem to bring their own shampoo's and conditioners. 

3) I provide 2 glass containers for guests, no plastic plates or utensils.

4) I use glass containers to fill sugar, salt, oat & chocolate malt powder for my guests.

5) I still use a bin liner for the main kitchen bin but at my own home, I use recycled plastic bags as bin liners.

For my personal life:

1) I use metallic straws and chopsticks and insist to have them in my handbag all the times.

2) I have been using paper bags and reusable shopping bags for the last 10 years or so.

3) I use re-usable glass and plastic containers.

4) I accumulate glass, cardboard, papers, metal, plastics, tins, aluminium cans, bottles, etc and take it to the recycling place when the box is full.

Elaine238
Level 2
Hopkinton, NH

As a family, we are doing all we can to reduce our nonrenewable  materials. I  Even leave a reusable shopping bag for my guests to use and to take with them.  I do get frustrated seeing so many plastic water bottles coming with guests to our home , especially since we offer wonderful filtered well water.  We also use cloth only napkins in our family and for our guests.  Additionally, for cleaning, we use washable rags, not paper towels.