Unless you’ve been living under a rock the last few years, you’ve probably noticed the rapid growth in the zero-waste movement. Not rapid enough, in my opinion, as we’re still up to our necks in trash, but at least it’s a step in the right direction.
Over the past few years, I’ve been making marginal efforts to reduce my personal footprint, as well as that of my household. I plan on taking those efforts from marginal to concentrated over the next few months. I’ve got mountains to climb still, but with new eco-friendly companies popping up all the time, it’s becoming increasingly easier to live a low-waste lifestyle. The marketplace is filled with new, innovative products created to replace single-use plastics and packaging that end up in landfills and in our oceans.
There are now countless blogs and websites, and the list of eco-influencers is growing daily. I have the pleasure of calling one of them, my friend. I’ve watched her make consistent changes over the last year, small changes that add up to a not-so-small impact. I thought it would be interesting to dig a little deeper into this and share her journey with all of you!
Edie: What made you decide to go plastic-free? What was your
why, your turning point?
Ashley: I had started to hear more and more on the news about the effects of plastic in our oceans. At first, I ignored these claims because I assumed my plastic use wasn’t the problem. I figured I lived too far away from oceans and had faith in my community’s recycling program.
But, the news continued to highlight these issues and I eventually came to learn that only 10% of our plastic is actually recycled. My biggest turning point though, was in October 2018 when the UN announced that we only had until 2030 to make a lot of changes to avoid Global Warming from being irreversible.
My son was only 3 months old and I was probably still dealing with some hormonal imbalances at the time, but this news sent me into an anxious spiral with many sleepless nights lying in bed scared for my son's future and feeling completely helpless.
Then I came up with the idea to remove one plastic item from my life each week as my 2019 New Years Resolution and post my changes on my Instagram and Facebook. It would force me to keep going, knowing other people might be paying attention, and I also hoped to make some awareness and hopefully inspire a couple of people to join me in making the same changes.
I knew it was a small step to the action required but it was
something and it helped me change my focus to something positive.
E: Did you have an inspiration point? There’s a handful of well-known ‘eco celebrities’ out there — have any of them inspired you to do this?
A: After learning of my New Year’s Resolution, my husband bought me two books (Life Without Plastic, and Give A Sh*t). I used them a lot at the beginning, for inspiration. I only came to learn of some eco celebrities after I was well into my new year's resolution and looked for further inspirations online. Bea Johnson from Zero Waste Home is someone I follow closely now.
E: And what was the easiest transition to make?
A: Deodorant. Now I just mix baking soda with some water and apply it to my underarms. It’s one of the first things I changed, and I still swear by this a year later, which still blows my mind because I bounced around from deodorant to deodorant every few months since puberty.
E: What was the hardest?
A: Toothpaste. I still haven’t found a solution I’m satisfied with, and admittedly sometimes use my husband’s ‘normally packaged’ toothpaste between trying out new waste-free or DIY toothpaste options.
E: What has your biggest overall challenge been on this journey in the last year?
A: Huff! That’s a tough question! But, I guess the toughest thing is that Zero Waste / Plastic Free is starting to trend (so awesome!) which means that it’s now a market to exploit (not so awesome!). There are so many ‘alternate’ products out there, but not all of them are great options and I’ve spent countless hours researching products before going ahead and purchasing them. Then, taking more time to post about the changes online… It was honestly a full-time job! I never expected the whole thing to be so time-consuming.
E: Are you satisfied with your success? What is your biggest lesson learned throughout this journey?
A: Yes, I really am. I’ve had an overwhelming amount of people reach out to me with questions and requests for recommendations to help them on their own plastic-free journeys. I honestly expected most of my online friends and followers to block me after week 20 haha! But, so many people have reached out, even if just to say they love my posts. It has been really inspiring and gives me hope.
E: If you were to start over, would you do anything differently?
A: With a new baby and a wedding in June 2019, I bought more items than I would have liked online. I wish I had done more of my purchases “offline.”
E: What are your plans going forward? Are you going to continue adding on new changes over the next 52 weeks, or will you simply concentrate your efforts on the changes that you’ve already made?
A: Currently I’ve been concentrating my efforts on the changes I’ve already made, while still always looking for new plastic-free alternatives as things need replacing. I’ve also been thinking of starting a new challenge of making monthly changes to lower my personal carbon footprint down as much as possible.
E: I know that you did this as a 52-week New Year’s resolution, aiming for one change per week. Can you please tell me why you decided to do it by week, and what those 52 changes were?
A: I guess it just seemed to make sense to me. Having a weekly goal forced me to continue to reflect on my current choices. I felt it would be challenging but not impossible.
Week 1: Food Packaging choices at my current grocery store
I chose to start easy but impactful. Nothing about my daily routine changes at this point. but, as I fill my grocery cart each week, I will be choosing products packaged in sustainable materials. I’m talking old-school Heinz Ketchup bottles and other glass and metal packaging, and no more packaged produce, etc. It isn’t 100% right away because unfortunately, not all grocery stores make it possible. It’s a work in progress goal.
Week 2: Beeswax Wraps
I bought mine from Shop Etee and love them! They are seriously as good as they claim. I thought it would be annoying to clean them after each use but it’s not. Once these ones are ready for the compost bin, I’ll be buying more for sure! Bye-bye plastic-wrap and sandwich bags!
Week 3: Bar Soap
It’s hard to remember exactly when liquid soap became a thing but it sure caught on! We use liquid soap on our hands and our bodies all the time, which of course means plastic. Plastic soap bottles and plastic loofahs. You can get natural loofahs but most households use the colorful plastic ones that are just tossed into the trash when they become too loose (guilty!). I’m going back to the bar!
Week 4: Deodorant
Here comes some honesty… Since puberty, I’ve struggled with body odor. Each brand of deodorant I would try would only kinda work for a month or so, until it didn’t. But, then I read a blog about plastic-free solutions and the man said he simply uses baking soda and water to form a paste. Well, I’m happy to say that it does work. It works better than anything I’ve ever tried. It checks off several boxes for me when it comes to deodorant: Plastic-free, no more body odor, natural (no more aluminum and chemicals going into my body), and it’s cheap!
Week 5: Razor
I said goodbye to my old pal Schick after dulling out the last blade. I ordered a safety razor online through Tiny Yellow Bungalow, but they can be found on almost any zero-waste stores. The razor and the blades are made with 100% infinity recyclable metal, so I no longer feel guilty each time I replace the blade. I also feel like I’ve stepped back into the 30s and can hear Frank Sinatra playing every time I use it, which makes me smile.
Week 6: Toothpaste
I’m not 100% satisfied with my solution yet. A few years ago, I tried making my own toothpaste using coconut oil and baking soda, but it made a mess of my sink and, I’m sure, clogged my drains so I stopped. There’s a fantastic company in the US called Bite Toothpaste that I was excited to start using once they shipped to Canada, but it would cost me $7.50 USD each month to brush my teeth. So I found a tooth soap made locally. It tasted like I was washing my mouth out with soap. I’m hoping to find something better before it runs out.
Week 7: Face Wash
I bought a bar of face soap online, and I’m going to make my own face scrub using sugar. Sadly, many of the commercial products on the shelves use plastic micro-beads as a cheap way to add color and exfoliants. The problem is that our water filtration systems aren’t able to catch these because they’re so small and they end up being eaten by small fish and krill, with then get eaten by bigger fish and then end up on many of our dinner plates and in our water bottles. Yuck!
Week 8: Dishwasher Soap
When you can’t find a plastic-free solution that’s also environmentally-friendly, in stores, it’s time to DIY. I found a simple recipe in the book ‘Life Without Plastic’, and it actually does a really good job!
Week 9: Toothbrush
Billions of plastic toothbrushes go to landfills each year and many end up in the ocean. So I started using a bamboo toothbrush with boar hair bristles. Yup, that’s right… I’m brushing my teeth with pig hair! It definitely takes some getting used to but it’s what we brushed our teeth with before plastic was invented, so it’s not as out-there as you might think. Most bamboo toothbrushes sold today still have nylon bristles and tell you to pluck them out and compost the handle. Gaia Guy was the only brand that I could find that is 100% biodegradable (handle and bristles). And, since it’s a by-product of the meat industry, and there are still a lot of meat-eaters out there, I’m okay using pig hair until someone invents an alternative biodegradable solution.
Week 10: Reusable Shopping Bags
10 years ago, reusable shopping bags were barely a thing. The impact of the plastic shopping bag on the environment never crossed my mind because it was normal to use them. Now, it’s common for almost everyone to bring their own bags grocery shopping. We all have a big stash of bags like this now.
Week 11: Baking Sheets
I kept telling myself we didn’t need to buy new baking sheets because the parchment paper and aluminum foil we use covered the surface anyway. Long story short; I’ve since learned that plastic is what makes parchment paper and non-stick surfaces, well… non-sticky, and the plastic leaks toxins into your food when baking with them. With a lot of research, I came to the conclusion that stainless steel, ceramic and glass are the best materials to cook and bake with.
Week 12: Sippy Cup
I’ve searched the internet high and low for a plastic-free sippy-cup, and Klean Kanteen is where I landed. The body is made of stainless steel, so it’s non-toxic and 100% recyclable at the end of its life. The lid is plastic (unfortunately) but is apparently recyclable at the end of its life, too. Once my son outgrows the ‘sippy’ stage, I’m able to simply buy a new lid instead of an entirely new bottle (and they do have stainless steel options. Yay!) The company is big on reducing waste so they claim their products are made to last.
Week 13: Shampoo & Conditioner
I initially ordered a shampoo & conditioner bar online and tried it for three weeks on and off, hoping my hair would adjust, but it made my hair feel like…well, like I had rubbed a bar of soap on it. With a recommendation from a friend, I purchased shampoo & conditioner bars from Lush Cosmetics, and they’re amazing and I’m hooked.
Week 14: Cancelled my towns free Newspaper delivery
I’ve decided to take some advice from Bea Johnson (author of Zero Waste Home), and focus on using zero waste to simplify my life. It’s a pain in the butt having to constantly toss the papers in the recycling so I contacted our local paper and asked them to stop delivering them to our house. This reduces the needless demand for plastic bag and paper production, and it’s one less thing I need to worry about cleaning.
Week 15: Chapstick
I like to tease my husband by calling him Napoleon Dynamite because he is constantly asking about the whereabouts of his chapstick. I bought him one from Nu Grocery to test out since he goes through them so quickly. We have both fallen in love with them because the quality of the product is so much better than what’s available in plastic tubes and the packaging on these ones is biodegradable!
Week 16: Toys
We love and appreciate all of the toys that have been given to our son, and he still plays with just about all of them. But as he grows up and outgrows his current toys, I’ll be doing my best to replace them with wooden or metal toys, or gently used plastic toys. And, I’m going to try to keep his toy count to a minimum and show him that there is more to life than possessions.
Week 17: Coffee at Home
I have already been making my home-brew from a French press (which requires zero waste, unlike most other options) and since moving to this city, I have been getting my beans from Planet Bean Coffee Co. (which is organic, fair trade, and local). The last time I went to Planet Bean, I noticed their bulk paper bags were lined with plastic, so this time, I brought my mason jar and had them weigh it before and after I grabbed my grains. Going in, I was nervous about getting weird stares from the baristas but they happily helped me without question.
Week 18: Makeup
I went on the hunt for a plastic-free cosmetic brand and found Elate Cosmetics. I’ll admit they aren’t cheap, but they are Canadian, vegan, cruelty-free, non-toxic, gluten-free and mostly plastic-free. Their packaging is made of bamboo (a sustainable product), therefore biodegradable. The makeup pallet is reusable with a magnetic board so you simply order refills instead of the whole thing, and the refills come in wildflower paper to plant in your garden. So cool!
Weeks 19 & 20: Water Filtration Charcoal sticks & Reusable Water Bottle
I found these bamboo charcoal sticks while browsing for ways to cut my plastic. What I love about them is that they have three lives; 1) Filter water for four months, 2) Deodorize the fridge, and 3) Fertilize the garden while composting back to the earth. I also have my Swell water bottle — and bonus, they sell charcoal sticks for water bottles too, so I keep some in my bottle so that if I ever need a refill in pubic I don’t have to worry about the quality of water. it came in handy while staying in a couple of hotels this year.
Week 21: Freezer Bags
My sister told me about Stasher Bag, and I reluctantly bought a couple. I say reluctantly because I’ve been really trying to avoid silicone products because they are hard to recycle at the end of their life. But, one bag vs. hundreds of disposable bags is definitely the better option. These bags are actually pretty cool too because they are dishwasher-safe and microwaveable, so their use goes beyond the freezer.
Week 22: Reusable Produce Bags
When I decided to start this plastic-free resolution, I thought I had already cut out the produce bags but then I went to buy green peas and realized I couldn’t exactly toss them in the Credo Bags online.
Week 23: Laundry Detergent
I came across Dropps which is an American company that ships non-toxic, plant-based detergents and soaps without plastic packaging (except the tape, unfortunately).
Week 24: Kitchen Cloth (instead of sponge)
This is an item that doesn’t often come to mind when plastic is mentioned but is a huge plastic pollutant. I cut up one of my microfibre cloths to the right size for what I need. Now I no longer have to pay for sponges.
Week 25: Sunscreen
I first took notice of sunscreen with Hawaii put a ban on brands that had oxybenzone and octinoxate in the ingredients. These ingredients have been shown to harm the coral reefs. I wonder what they are doing to our bodies?! Anyway, there are a few natural products out there that still protect against UV A & B and many options come in glass jars. So, that’s what I’m looking for in my sunscreen now.
Week 26: Say no to free stuff/handouts
We are offered free stuff all of the time… from hotel soaps and creams to goodie bags, free samples, and stickers. All of these things are designed to have short lifetimes and ultimately end up in the landfill. A lot of free giveaways don’t even get used and are thrown right into the trash.
Week 27: Hand Dish Washing Soap
I found a suggestion by Bea Johnson to use Dr. Bronner’s Castile bar soap. You simply wet your scrub brush, rub it on the bar, and wash dish then rinse. If you prefer to have a bath or soapy water you just hold the bar under the running water as you fill your sink.
Week 28: Laundry Stain Remover
Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Bar Soap. This stuff works great on removing stains in clothes. I now have a bar sitting in my laundry room, plus the one in my kitchen for my dishes which makes it super convenient when my son spills food all over himself.
Week 29: Started Bulk Shopping
Not the Costco kind, but the kind where you bring your own containers. This kind of shopping is as zero-waste as it gets!
Week 30: Baby Soap
It’s amazing how interchangeable you start to find some products are when you use simple and natural ones! We started using Dr. Bronner’s All In One Castile Soap for our son, and it works as shampoo and body wash.
Week 31: Stopped using Trash Bags
We’ve cut out the plastic bag that normally holds our trash. Our city doesn’t require our garbage to be bagged since they provided us with bins. We are great at composting anything and everything possible (even added a compost bin in the bathroom), so all of our garbage is dry and doesn’t need a bag to keep the containers dry. This solution saves me money and simplifies my life.
Week 32: Stopped using Plastic Shower Curtain Protector
When my shower curtain protector needed replacing I tried showering without it. Sure, my shower curtain got wet, but it’s not like the water sprayed everywhere or anything. My floor still remained dry. The curtain still did its job of containing the water inside the tub. I’m now confused about how the plastic protector ever became a thing... I’ll just wash the curtain when it starts to get gross. It’s more convenient than going to the store to buy a new curtain protector. Again, zero waste continues to simplify life!
Week 33: Say no to straws
I have started asking my waiter/waitress to “hold the straw, please”. Simple, easy, doesn’t cost me anything, doesn’t change my habits. I don’t use a straw when I have a drink at home, I don’t understand why I need one when I’m eating out. If more people start to do this, more restaurants will stop using them.
Week 34: Loose Leaf Tea
No more Tetley for this household! We now buy our tea exclusively loose and in bulk to avoid unnecessary plastic packaging. It tastes better too!
Week 35: Phone Case
I purchased a Pela case online. It is the first 100% compostable phone case and gives some of its proceeds to non-profit environment-focused organizations.
Weeks 36 & 37: Tissue Paper & Toilet Paper
I found this great company online called Who Gives A Crap. They sell bamboo tissue and 100% recycled toilet paper to keep our forests from being chopped down. They also package their product with zero plastic (except, sadly, for the pieces that allow the tissue to stay popped out of the box until the next use), and 50% of their profits go towards building toilets for third world countries. And if that’s not cool enough for you, their packaging is so much fun with vibrant colors and funny quotes). And if that’s not enough to pique your interest… they deliver by subscription, so I never have to do an emergency toilet paper run anymore… all for the same cost as the rolls and boxes of tissue at the grocery. What’s not to love?!
Week 38: Potty
Sometimes it’s not always about finding a plastic-free solution, but buying a used already made plastic option, and saving it from going to landfill for a little while longer.
Week 39: Poppy
Last year I saved my poppy to reuse this year, and for as many years as possible. Of course, I still made sure to donate.
Week 40: Body Butter
I was in dire need of some new body butter, so I grabbed some naked body butter from Lush. You just rub it against your skin (much like chapstick). It smells amazing and takes up no extra space on my tiny bathroom counter as I’ve got it sitting on my soap dish.
Week 41: Fresh Cut Flowers — Since going on my plastic-free journey I stopped buying myself fresh-cut flowers because they weren’t a necessity and created waste. Today I found a store in town that sells flowers in paper and tied with twine. To say I was excited was an understatement!
Week 42: Bread Bag
I bought myself a couple of bread bags and vowed to stop buying plastic-wrapped bread. I just need to slice my loaf and freeze it in the bag to keep the bread fresh for long.
Weeks 43 & 44: Bathroom Cleaner & All-Purpose Cleaners
There are so many on the market but all you really need to get any rough cleaning job done is some mixture of one or all of these things; vinegar, baking soda, lemon, and salt. I finally found a bulk vinegar seller.
Week 45: Coffee on the road
I haven’t purchased nor accepted a takeout coffee, tea, etc all year. The only way I’ll take it is in my to-go mug
Week 46: DIY Playdough
It takes 5 minutes to make and I don’t worry if my son accidentally eats it. I store it in small mason jars in the fridge to keep it fresh.
Week 47: Started 2nd Hand Shopping
I’ve really made an effort to look at second-hand stores, or online buy and sell, or websites. If I can’t find what I need I only buy the best quality to make it last longer. I’ve read a few articles this season discussing that this has been a trend this holiday season. So motivating to hear things like this!
Week 48: Paper Towels
Give A Crap also sells paper towel and I’m really happy with the tissue and toilet paper so I’ve added this to my next order.
Week 49: Tupperware & Take-out Kit
Slowly transitioning all my plastic Tupperware to glass or stainless steel. I’ve really meant to reduce my eating out but I’m not perfect so starting to pack containers and cutlery in my car for “emergency” situations.
Week 50: Dish Scrub Brush
Our plastic dish brush has seen better days and it’s time to replace it. Purchased an all-natural brush that can be composted when it’s reached the end of its life.
Week 51: DIY Hairspray
I ran out my commercial spray and made one out for the few times I need to hold back stray hairs.
Week 52: Vow to reduce purchases to needs (not wants)
By buying less, I have to throw out less! Simple math! And to add to that… finding recycling solutions for items that can’t be recycled through the town, through programs like Terra Cycle, and scrap metal recycling companies.
E: And finally, what advice would you give to anyone who’s interested in embarking on the same kind of journey but isn’t sure where to start?
A: Know that it will be overwhelming at times. The easiest thing is to focus on one room at a time. The kitchen and bathroom are the highest waste and plastic producers, and great places to start. Only replace items as they run out or need replacing. Plastic Free stuff is really “pretty” and it’s so tempting to replace everything you own right away but that’s just adding to our trash problem and it can be expensive. Forgive yourself when you run into unexpected situations that make you have to use plastic. Use these times as lessons learned and think of how to fix it for next time. Good luck!
I don’t know about you, but Ashely has definitely inspired me to beef-up my low-waste game! If a brand new mom can do all of that while caring for a (the cutest) baby, I think we should all be able to make an effort and do our part.
This is an issue that affects all of us, as we are all citizens of this planet, and as we all (I hope) know, there is no
Planet B.
