Sustainability is a buzzword that seemingly every corporation is promoting nowadays.   Green initiatives and waste reduction plans can be found on nearly every corporate website, but how many companies are really making a difference in their communities?   Johnson Automotive is taking its latest environmental cause seriously and inviting the community to take part in it, even if they aren’t Johnson customers.   The initiative is a partnership with TerraCycle, a recycling company that eliminates barriers to safely return hard-to-recycle waste. This means everything from plastic packaging to one-use coffee capsules can be collected and recycled without having to worry about it being accidentally sent to a landfill.   “It’s pretty cool – anyone can buy a TerraCycle box,” explained Katelyn Paul, marketing communications manager with Johnson Automotive. “You can buy them and have them for your house. When it’s filled up, the shipping is already prepaid, you just have to mail it back. The TerraCycle box is for things that are hard or impossible to remove from the waste stream on your own.”   TerraCycle’s home-use boxes range anywhere from $81 to $199, depending on the size and how much your household plans to recycle. You just select which type of waste you’re looking to dispose of and order the correct box. Options include one-use coffee capsules, general kitchen waste, art supplies, disposable gloves and more. There are a variety of different sizes available, so everyone can find a box that fits their lifestyle.   Don’t think you make enough waste to justify a box at your home? That’s where corporate partners like Johnson come in.   “We have our big boxes, and you can bring the things that go in them,” Paul said. “We’re having people bring bags of K-cup pods from nearby offices. They’re bringing them in to our store. A lot of people are saving disposable cups, straws, soda and coffee cans, and bringing them in – we also have a snack wrappers and bag box. I haven’t run into a situation where somebody brings something we can’t take.”   The boxes are all labeled, but separation is still an important part of ensuring the TerraCycle process is a success. When you’re conditioned to just toss a wrapper in the trash, it can be a hard habit to break. Johnson ensures that all of its employees are trained on properly sorting so that they can answer any questions customers might have and they make use of the boxes themselves.   “It’s an awareness thing,” Paul said. “We do a really good job making sure someone’s been trained on the boxes. We wouldn’t want someone to throw their chip bag into the trash can when its right next to a TerraCycle box. We are one of the largest Subaru dealer in North Carolina, so we have a lot of people visiting our dealership. That means a lot of coffee and snack-related waste.”   The word has spread; not only are employees and customers taking advantage of the TerraCycle boxes, community members who have no interest or desire to buy a car have been dropping off their recyclables.   “I have people call, and they come and bring [recyclables] in, and fill our boxes,” Paul said. “You don’t need to want to buy a car, we won’t sell you. Just bring us your recycling.”   The outreach has worked, with Johnson returning thousands of units of recyclable material as of April 2019. The TerraCycle boxes have become such a draw, the dealership has given some of its boxes to Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh, creating another easy drop-off point.   The TerraCycle partnership started as a part of the Johnson Subaru’s “Subaru Loves the Earth” initiative, which has now placed the zero waste boxes in Subaru dealerships around the country. The partnership, which began in 2018, has proven incredibly popular, and Johnson Subaru is committed to continuing it.   “When we initially discussed TerraCycle, it was born out of Subaru corporate’s zero waste initiative. TerraCycle is a boots-on-the-ground example of how the brand itself is really committed to that. We love being able to share and tell people about it,” Paul added.

Cities and towns across the country are prohibiting single-use plastic bags while the Garden State’s bill is sitting idle in the Statehouse. After you take a seat at your favorite local restaurant and order drinks, you might notice an up-and-coming movement yet unusual change once you see the straw—it’s made out of paper. While not every restaurant is on board with paper straws, they have become more noticeable in South Jersey and the only option for restaurant goers in Shore towns. Aside from the ridding of plastic straws, the backbone of legislation under consideration is a ban on single-use plastic bags in cities and towns in New Jersey. It all began last summer when bill sponsor Sen. Bob Smith, head of the Senate Environment and Energy Committee, and other lawmakers in Trenton proposed a bill to Gov. Phil Murphy to place a five-cent fee on plastic and paper single-use shopping bags. Although Murphy thought the bill was well intentioned, it wasn’t up to par with his standards of a strict policy, and as a result, the bill was vetoed.   Murphy wanted the bill to resemble California’s statewide ban prohibiting plastic bags and a fee for paper bags. Now Smith is amending the bill that would ban single-use plastic bags, plastic straws, polystyrene food containers and possibly paper bags from all restaurants and retailers in the state. Violators could potentially be charged a fine of up to $5,000 for each offense. If the bill were to be approved, it would make New Jersey one of the top states (aside from Hawaii, which has a proposed Senate bill of banning nearly all plastic items from restaurants) that has the toughest statewide plastic and Styrofoam ban in the country. While legislation stays inoperative in the Senate for now, towns in South Jersey have already taken the first step toward an anti-plastic state, and Shore towns specifically have already put the ban into effect this past summer. Avalon’s ban (eliminating the practice of merchants using single-use plastic bags, plastic utensils and Styrofoam containers) went into effect in June—prime season for vacationers. The ban is a part of the Avalon Clean Water Initiative which attempts to remove plastics from waterways. Scott Wahl, Avalon’s business administrator, says there has been a lot of positive feedback from businesses regarding the ban, even though they’re feeling the brunt of the change. “The biggest adjustment for the merchants was discussing with their suppliers alternatives that would satisfy the terms of the ordinance,” he says. “Some of these other materials, in some cases, are more expensive but all of the merchants understand what we are trying to accomplish and become a greener community.” As for the general public, Wahl says the majority of people understand and are in acceptance of the legislation. The town has implemented Terra Cycle containers at select locations in the borough to drop plastic bags, which are sent to a company that guarantees every bag will be recycled. It’s typically assumed that throwing plastic bags into the recycling bin will automatically get recycled, but they are usually sent to the general waste system because of recycling parameters (a plastic water bottle with a lid cannot be recycled, for example). Wahl mentions that Avalon hasn’t seen any issues so far with the ban in place, but realizes there’s potential to modify the ordinance if excessive hardships were to occur on businesses. The council would consider new products that could help the businesses financially. Similar to Avalon, Stone Harbor, Somers Point, Longport, Ventnor City, Brigantine, Long Beach and more Shore towns up the coast imposed laws ranging from a ban of retailers handing out plastic bags/utensils to consumers or imposing fees for plastic bags. Linda Doherty, president and CEO of the New Jersey Food Council and vice chair of the board of the New Jersey Clean Communities Council, says that while the New Jersey Food Council supports the promotion of sustainability efforts, members also support sound environmental policy. She believes that towns and cities are taking the wrong approach. “About 50 or so municipalities throughout New Jersey, including South Jersey coastal towns, have enacted or proposed competing disposable bag bans or fees with different requirements, definitions and effective dates that include all types and sizes of retailers, small businesses and restaurants,” Doherty says. “This has created an onerous and unworkable patchwork of local ordinances for all merchants who have established businesses in these communities throughout the state. It also causes confusion amongst customers who shop retailers in different towns.” Because of the competing bag ordinances, the New Jersey Food Council has called on local town officials to support a consistent statewide single-use bag resolution. “No one wants 565 different town ordinances regulating how consumers shop,” Doherty says. “We believe reducing waste statewide is a good thing but a zip code should not dictate disposal bag policies.” Doherty also says there should be one exception to this ban, and it involves raw meat. For food safety reasons, plastic bags should be used to separate and prevent poultry, beef and other food items from damaging or contaminating other produce. Other organizations have a strong opposition to the plastic ban. The American Plastic Bag Alliance (APBA) represents the plastic bag manufacturing and recycling industry in the U.S. and acts as the “defense” against the bans and taxes across the nation. The APBA has had a keen eye on Trenton’s legislation and has engaged in conversation to bring to light consequences legislators and the public might not be aware of when it comes to banning plastic bags. “We’ve got tens of thousands of workers here in the United States that manufacture plastic bags,” Matt Seaholm, executive director of the APBA, says. “So if you were to ban the products and there’s no longer a market for them, as you can imagine their jobs could potentially go away.” A statewide litter study was conducted last year by the New Jersey Clean Communities Council and it was found that of the total materials that make up the litter stream, only 0.8 percent are from branded plastic bags. “Even if you were to ban those products entirely, the best case scenario is that you’re going to reduce the litter stream by that [0.8 percent] and at the same time you’re going to increase costs on retailers and the customers by millions and millions of dollars,” Seaholm says. Dennis Hart, executive director of the Chemistry Council of New Jersey, is involved with polystyrene (Styrofoam), food containers, straws and plastic cups and agrees with Seaholm that there should be a common ground that won’t have such an impact on the economy. The Chemistry Council is promoting recycling and new ways to enhance recycling of these materials. “If [lawmakers] were to ban the polystyrene food containers, right away schools in New Jersey would be in a tremendous hardship,” Hart says. “A lot of the public schools in New Jersey already were hit with state aid cuts in the last year’s budget, and they’re struggling. They’re doing layoffs; they’re trying to see how they’re going to balance their budgets. If they had to replace their cafeteria polystyrene trays or food containers with cardboard or something else, the cost would be tremendous for them. “Food service is a marginal business,” he continues. “They’ve already been hit this year with minimum wage increase, higher corporate business taxes; it’s difficult enough to do business in New Jersey. You add more cost to a marginal business and it’s definitely going to be seen on the bottom line.” Aside from these potential effects, towns are continuing to put in legislation in lieu of the state’s final decision. Last month, Collingswood approved several sustainable-focused ordinances from a ban on single-use plastic bags to prohibitions of public smoking/vaping and vehicle idling. While the ordinances still have a public hearing and delayed effective date, Mayor Jim Maley says the Collingswood Green Team has been working long and hard to develop this legislation. “For the last year, year and a half, we’ve been doing a pretty active education campaign especially at our farmer’s market trying to encourage people to bring their own bags,” he says. “In fact, we’ve kind of got the farmers [to] ask if you want the [reusable] bag just to try to remind people. Now this [ordinance] is the next step that makes it more official.” So while the bill continues to be revised and await approval, towns will continue to move forward or consider putting the plastic bag ban into effect. “This is the future; using recyclable products to help the environment. People used to throw trash out of moving vehicles and smoke in airplanes. Both sound preposterous now,” Wahl says. “Many states, towns and private entertainment locations are joining this movement and we need to be stewards of the environment, to the best of our ability. We can do better than bringing home a sandwich in a plastic bag and then tossing the bag away—and we are.”

Keep Golden Isles Beautiful’s annual School Recycling Challenge kicks off this week, offering the community a chance to participate in a non-traditional recycling effort that will reduce landfill waste.   The recycling challenge will take place until Oct. 18, and the public is invited to bring oral care products, cereal bags and pens, markers and highlighters to participating schools. Those plastic items will be collected, weighed and sent to a recycling center.   “By recycling these used items that are normally tossed in the trash, we are able to make an immediate impact on waste reduction,” said Lea King-Badyna, Keep Golden Isles Beautiful executive director, in a statement.   The collected items will be taken to TerraCycle, an organization focusing on non-traditional recycling and eliminating the idea of waste.   “Again this year, the streamlined process makes it easy for participating teachers and schools to concentrate their challenge efforts and contributions towards community stewardship,” King-Badyna said. “We hope schools will find the experience so easy and fun that they will continue recycling non-traditional items via TerraCycle or our office even after this year’s challenge is over.”   TerraCycle melts down the plastic into pellets and reforms those into low-grade plastic products.   The collected items from each school will be weighed, and the schools that collect the most will win prizes. Last year, schools collected a record total of 155 pounds of items, said Christy Trowbridge, executive assistant of Keep Golden Isles Beautiful.   The recycling challenge aims to not only reduce waste in landfills, Trowbridge said, but also educate students about the importance of recycling. This message is also provided to all third grade students in Glynn County through a Keep Golden Isles Beautiful program called “Is Trash Really Trash?”   “It’s been nice to kind of tie this challenge in with that program,” Trowbridge said.   A Hello GoodBuy community grant supports the recycling challenge, and the Episcopal Church Women of Christ Church Frederica have donated to cover the cost of shipping the items.   Thirteen schools are participating in this year’s challenge, and community members wishing to donate can contact Keep Golden Isles Beautiful at info.kbgib@gmail.com or 912-279-1490 to verify a school’s participation and arrange to drop collected items by the school.

Three fashion brands here are tackling the problem of plastic waste!

Plastic pollution is a major global problem. 8.8 million tonnes of plastic are dumped into our oceans each year. A plastic bottle can take up to 400 years to break down. A tragic fact.   Initiatives are proliferating and we must encourage them to reflect these three Canadian fashion brands, which manufacture their models from recycled plastic.  

Norden, functionality and concern for the future 

Norden has the credo of wanting to rewrite the end of life in the history of plastic with functional outerwear, to withstand cold to -40 , all made from recycled plastic bottles. The products are designed in Montreal and created by a Chinese manufacturer certified according to WRAP and BSCI standards; Norden is certified by PETA and BCorporation.   More generally, every aspect of the company's business is focused on environmental well-being, with a tangible awareness from beginning to end. When you no longer need your coat, the end-of-life program ensures that it is repaired and resold or given to a person in need. If the garment is damaged irreparably, it will be sent to partners at TerraCycle , where it will be 100% recycled.   "Beyond changing our consumption habits, we must bring real solutions to existing waste. We are passionate about people, the planet and we value style, "says Mayer Vafi, co-founder and creative director of Norden. "We are at the intersection of fashion, performance, sustainability and trends. " Rose Buddha is Madeleine, Maxime and Benoit. All three decided to create clothes with the primary objective, not profit, but the respect of nature and people. The next question prompted them to take action: "How to sleep at night thinking that a mother on the other side of the Earth leaves her infant 15 hours a day on the floor next to her, because she has to sew our leggings? We could never do it. "   Since November 1, 2016, the brand has made its leggings with 79% recycled plastic (10 bottles per legging). Each piece is assembled with care, the seams are inspected and the fabrics carefully chosen to ensure a long life. In addition, the proximity of (local) production makes it possible to follow each step and ensure its quality. Recently, the company even offers a collection of jewelry made from their scraps. One more step towards zero waste! Also note that the company supports Tree Canada's mission :  to help strengthen Canada's urban forests and inspire people to participate and mobilize for community greening. Since 2018, the company has taken a green turn , manufacturing (100%) the outside of its bags with recycled bottles. But that's not all, Parkland leather diamonds are now also made from apples. A unique manufacturing process combines apple, solvent and polyurethane waste to form apple leather, 100% vegan, with the same qualities as animal leather. Side figures: It takes 12 plastic bottles to make a backpack Kingston Parkland, and more than 3.5 million plastic bottles that have been transformed into bags and accessories.

And help keep it that way

1. A copy of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up because the first step to a truly decluttered space is actually getting rid of stuff — and this method works for me and lots of other people.

I mean yes, you can also totally watch the Netflix show and learn everything you need to know to get started! But the book's packed with extra motivation and tips. (Although I don't think it's the end-all be-all of how to live, I've used her system for my clothes and shoes, and it really does work.)   (If the whole system seems a little — or very — impractical to you, though, I also recommend Rachel Hoffman's Unf*ck Your Habitat)   Popular

2. A pocketed shower curtain liner that, besides keeping the water inside your shower where it belongs, can hold ALL of your stuff (yes, even if you have a ton of it) BEHIND your pretty shower curtain, removing it from the edges of the tub where it's an eyesore. And with the bottles off the ledges, your bathroom will be extra simple to wipe down on cleaning day, too. 

One of our editors uses this in her shower and loves it — read her review.   Promising review: "I have four boys and a husband and one bathroom that only has a small shower. Every child and adult has their own body wash, shampoo, loofa thing, and adults have razors. That's six people using one small shower that literally has no space to store things. I was afraid this thing would rip with how much crap I was gonna store in it. Nope. It didn't. There is a pocket for everyone plus some. The plastic is like a thick heavy duty better than your average plastic shower curtain liner. The pockets hold up well to daily use and it folds pretty well with all the crap in it as well. Tiny home/large family people need this. People who have a never ending supply of shower things need this. And it all hides behind my decorative shower curtain. :)" —LavoneMoltron    

3. Or if you just know your shower curtain rod a little too well and suspect its tension won't hold with the weight of all your products, a rustproof shower caddy because it has enough space for two people's daily routine and features a locking system (and two lower-third suction cups) so it basically never falls down.

Promising review: "Very well designed! Very functional while maintaining good aesthetics. Comes with rubber clamps if you're storing heavy bottles or the likes so that the caddy doesn't move." —Dheeraj

4. A pack of six stackable clear organizers — they'll divvy up all your drawers so you can a) find everything super easily and b) make the most of every inch of vertical space in your drawers. All of which = way less stuff you have to store out on your cabinet.

You can arrange and rearrange them however you need, and because they're clear, it's easy to find the stuff in the bottom layer — you can simply see through.   Promising review: "These are life saving for clutter. My bathroom vanity drawer has always been a mess and I can never find what I need. This product is amazingly perfect so much so I bought a second set for one of the drawers in the kitchen." —MarolynGentles

5. A nail polish organizer that essentially lays all your color options out like a menu — you'll always be able to see exactly what you have — and lets you stash it cleanly away under the sink, so you don't have to look at it until it's manicure time.

It holds 48 total bottles, 24 on each side, so you can always find the color you want with a single glance. Promising review: "This is better than advertised. Essie, OPI, Pop-Arrazi, Sinful Colors, SH Instadry, SH Triple Shine, SH Xtrreme Wear, Wet & Wild, SH Hard As Nails and Covergirl all fit perfectly; my Julep colors fit two to a compartment! The first row has adjustable dividers, you can use them to keep odd-shaped bottles or do what I do: use one side for my nail stamper, dotting tools, and the drying drops and the other for foam wedges and nail pens. It looks way neater easily tucked under my vanity instead of the baskets and baskets of polishes I had to hunt through!" —Clouds

6. A set of four sepia glass bottles because all your different brands of soaps with clashing labels don't necessarily say ~tranquil, decluttered spa~.

Promising review: "Finally, pumps that are strong and won't easily break. I use these bottles for everything from hand soap (medium thickness), to my personal mixture of hair oils (coconut, neem and tea tree — very thick) and extra rich hair conditioner. All of the mixtures flow easily. The pump also doesn't dispense too much, so you're not wasting product. As for the glass, the color is beautiful, as pictured and it's a good heavy, quality glass." —True-Review   Popular

7. A drain millipede so you can free up the cabinet space you've devoted to stocking drain cleaner (which doesn't work half as well, BTW) because your tub clogs up like, weekly. The millipede is covered in tiny little hooks to grab onto the clump of hair that's preventing your sink or tub from draining well, and yank it all up so water flows freely.

Promising review: "The shower drain has been clogged for months. We’ve tried so many bottles of Draino and other products, but nothing worked. After I saw this product listed on BuzzFeed, I thought I would try it. (It’s less expensive than Draino Max, so why not?) It was incredible how much hair this thing pulled up from the beginning. It look about five minutes and lots of clearing of clumps, but the shower is draining perfectly again! Like some other reviewers have mentioned, it’s best to toss it after use, especially if your drain is as bad as mine was. I’m definitely hooked!" —E. Marlowe Popular

8. And a universal fit–hair catcher for your drain that stops those gross built-up clogs from forming in the first place. Which means you (or those you share a bathroom with) can freely rinse any shed hair to the drain with no worries about clogs, instead of sticking clumps of hair to the wall and leaving 'em there for far too long.

If you live somewhere with a more humid climate (or tbh just a humid bathroom in general), it's probably a good idea to rinse it off and lay it on its side to dry after every few showers or so, to prevent mold — btw, that goes for every hair catcher out there!   Promising review: "I've been very impressed! It's tall enough to fit easily over my pop-up drain and the weighted top keeps it in place, even with my faucet running almost directly on it. I have medium-length hair and seem to shed almost as much as my cat, but the drain protector catches it all and is easily removed and tossed away. Best of all, in my case, the silicone hasn't held onto mildew or mold — I have been able to spray and wipe away any grime with very little effort. It looks like this drain protector will last a very long time." —Suneimi  

9. A few medicine cabinet organizers because they'll let you fit even more stuff behind your mirror (taking advantage of all the vertical space available and freeing up storage space elsewhere) while also ensuring that everything stays neat, orderly, and easy to find.

Promising review: "This fits perfectly on the bottom of my medicine cabinet. It is very sturdy plastic with a great design. I can't believe how many jars, tubes, etc., it has managed to corral. Everything looks so neat! If they make a smaller one for upper cabinet shelves, I'm buying it. Wonderful little product!" —Alex

10. And a little toothbrush holder that can mount directly on the inside of your medicine cabinet (or TBH the inside of any bathroom cabinet), so your brushes are covered, out of the way, and separated from one another, but still quick to grab when you need them.

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A big green wave is breaking in our bathrooms. And it's not just about finding organic formulas. Today, consumers demand a lot more : transparency on the origin of ingredients, respect for harvesters, reduction of the impact on the environment, a recycling program "zero waste" ... All with formulas always more sensory! More than an awareness, a real philosophy now advocated by many brands that multiply commitments for both the well-being of the skin and for that of the planet. Welcome to the era of "Clean Beauty".  

Commitment 1: I offer the best to my skin

  Why ? To bring him maximum benefits with safe formulas.   With natural ingredients Plant oil , butter, essential oils , hydrolats or herbal extracts: the skin loves! And for good reason, they are more in affinity with her than synthetic molecules. Rich in vitamins, nutrients, fatty acids and even minerals, the ingredients from nature are real benefit concentrates . In addition, they are usually integrated into formulas without controversial components such as silicones or some preservatives, that's good!   And what for? For everything ! Today you will find soothing, purifying or anti-aging formulas for body, face and hair.   With simple compositions The trend of formulas that use a limited number of ingredients is gaining ground. The goal: to reduce the risk of intolerance but also to offer maximum transparency by eliminating controversial or superfluous components. Without perfume, without alcohol, without silicone or paraben, these products advocate the return to the essential but especially an effectiveness adapted to all the skins, even sensitive .   And where do I find them? Essentially in face or body care for fragile skin.  

Commitment 2: I preserve nature

  Why ? To limit the consequences of the products I use on the land and oceans.   With respectful solar filters Every year 14,000 tonnes of sunscreens are poured into the oceans *. In order to limit their impact on the aquatic environment and in particular on coral reefs, some brands have decided to develop solar products without using controversial filters such as oxybenzone, zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. in the form of nano-particles . These products are also often more resistant to water and have a high biodegradability.   And protection side? No worries, the formulas are just as effective against the sun's rays. They display indices 30 to 50 and UVA protection like the others.   With biodegradable formulas This is the product itself and not the packaging. For the moment, this mainly concerns rinsed formulas such as shower gels , facial cleansers or shampoos . They are said to be "biodegradable" if after their use, they can be transformed naturally by micro-organisms (in CO2 for example).   And for the other types produced? Some brands are already working on biodegradable formulas for body milks, for example, which can also leave residues during the shower.  

Commitment 3: I reduce my impact on the environment

  Why ? To minimize waste and consume more reasonably.   With products made in France The made in France is on the rise and that's good for the environment. Choosing a product manufactured closer to the place where its ingredients are grown, and therefore reduce the transport required for its development, is significantly reduce its carbon footprint. It is also a good way to support local production, sustainable supply chains and the protection of the diversity of flora.   And for me it changes what? Choosing cosmetics made in France is also ensuring the traceability and consistent quality of natural ingredients that contains the formula of your care.   With recyclable packaging Many brands are engaged in this fight. First to reduce waste but also to reduce the consumption of raw material. The aim is to encourage packaging made from recycled materials , to limit their weight or single use parts (spatulas), to replace cellophane with a compostable material. Some brands also participate in programs like TerraCycle. They make it possible to recycle unsupported packaging by conventional channels such as "travel" formats.   And to go further? Visit the Loop Zero Waste eCommerce site which, associated with some brands, offers a new consumer model by offering returnable, reusable or recyclable packaging.

Reducing landfill waste is the focus of the annual Keep Golden Isles Beautiful 2019 School Recycling Challenge and the public is invited to support local schools in this Oct. 7-18 endeavor.   Partners in Education, PTAs, businesses and members of the public are invited to take part in the challenge as well by collecting and donating used oral care products, pens/highlighters/markers and cereal bags to participating local public, private and home schools and institutions of higher education. Simply contact Keep Golden Isles Beautiful to verify a school’s challenge participation and then arrange to drop collected items by the school Oct. 7-18.   The collected items will be recycled via TerraCycle, an organization focusing on non-traditional recycling and eliminating the idea of waste.   The challenge is made possible by a Hello GoodBuy community grant.   For challenge information, to verify school participation or to register for the 2019 School Recycling Challenge, contact Keep Golden Isles Beautiful at info.kbgib@gmail.com or 912/279.1490.

By Sandi Schwartz   Getting dressed up in silly costumes and indulging on tasty treats is a blast at any age, but all that fun comes with an environmental price each year when we celebrate Halloween. Have you ever stopped to notice all the plastic involved with Halloween? Plastic trick-or-treat bags. Plastic pumpkins. Plastic decorations. Plastic costumes. Plastic candy wrappers. All of that plastic can surely add up. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, more than 30 per cent of municipal solid waste in the U.S. comes from packaging, including those pesky Halloween candy wrappers.   Fortunately, by tweaking a few of our Halloween traditions, we can reduce the amount of plastic used and wasted during this time of year. These tips give you the opportunity to get creative and show others how Halloween can be celebrated minus all of that petrifying plastic.   Costumes   If you head over to a party store or those pop-up Halloween shops to search for the perfect character to dress up as, you will be inundated by cheap plastic costumes wrapped in plastic bags. Although it may be easy to just grab one, these costumes are wasteful and require resources that increase carbon dioxide emissions. Check out some of these much greener ways to dress up.  

• Borrow from family and friends. Many families have a bin filled with costumes and accessories that are just collecting dust. Get some family members and friends together in the beginning of October and do a costume share. Before you know it, you will be mixing and matching some unique pieces into inventive costumes. Besides saving money, you will be reusing items and giving old costumes a new life.
• Make your own. Just think how meaningful it will be if you design your own costume for yourself and kids. This doesn¹t have to be difficult. Go hunting for fun clothing and accessories at a thrift shop. During this time of year, many thrift stores set up a whole section dedicated to dress-up costumes. You can also look around your house for materials you can reuse, such as old t-shirts, buttons, wrapping paper, food containers, bottle caps, etc. Need ideas? Google and Pinterest are your friends.
• Rent a costume. Consider renting a costume from a local costume shop or checking out the many costume rental companies online.
• Make a statement. If you really want to go all out for the environment, choose a meaningful costume using plastic waste materials to raise awareness about the plastic problem. For example, dress up as the Great Pacific garbage patch or fill clear plastic bags with the cleaned garbage you collected for a month to represent your monthly waste. If you are crafty, make your costume completely out of plastic bags, bottle caps, cups, food containers, and food wrappers. These ideas can provide a meaningful learning experience and an opportunity to get people thinking about taking action.

§ Decorations   Everyone wants to out-spook their neighbour with the best Halloween decorations, but be aware of the endless plastic décor at the store. Typical Halloween decorations often include synthetic spiderwebs, black plastic spider rings, plastic pumpkins and skeletons, and more.   There are so many plastic-free decoration options to use as alternatives. First, look for ghosts, witches, and other decorations made from paper or cardboard since they will decompose much faster than plastic. You can also cut them out yourself; try hanging some black paper bats to frighten your guests. Next, go a bit more natural and choose edible and compostable decorations like colourful gourds, sunflowers, dried fall leaves, wheat, or even a bale of hay. And, of course, you can¹t go wrong with carving pumpkins into all types of jack-o-lanterns to set the mood.   Another way to go green this Halloween is to reuse materials you already have. Weave a spider web with some old natural twine. Make a ghost by stuffing a towel in a white sheet, tying with string, and hanging it in a tree or near a door. Add a scarecrow to your yard using some old shabby clothes and a jack-o-lantern head. Finally, challenge your family and friends to use Halloween wrappers from previous years to create custom Halloween decorations to be used in future years.   Trick-Or-Treating   One of the most frustrating Halloween traditions is using plastic bags or plastic pumpkins to collect candy while trick-or-treating. There are so many other options to choose from rather than plastic. Try using cloth bags, pillowcases, and natural wooden or wicker baskets. You can even coordinate with your costume, such as a basket for a Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz costume or a pillowcase when dressed up as a baby.   Treats   Then there¹s those bite-sized, individually-wrapped treats that really cause a plastic waste problem. Unfortunately, most candy wrappers are not easily recyclable because they are made from a mix of materials, including polypropylene, aluminum foil, and paper. It is very tedious “and not worth the effort or cost” to recover each separate component for recycling. Some companies are working on developing bio-based candy wrappers for their products that are biodegradable, compostable, and do not rely on oil-based materials. Mars has partnered with Rodenburg Biopolymers to develop this type of eco-friendly candy wrapper, but it is only available in Europe so far. While we wait for North American candy wrappers to go green, here are some ways that you can cut back on plastic candy wrapper waste during your Halloween festivities:  

• Choose non-plastic wrapped candy. Look for candy wrapped in paper boxes or foil so they can be recycled. Some ideas for plastic-free candies include Smarties, Hershey kisses, and chocolates wrapped in pumpkin-looking foil.
• Find other types of goodies to give out. Skip the plastic-wrapped sugary candy altogether and opt for something more interesting and creative to hand out to the kids: friendship bracelets made from thread, Halloween-themed pencils and notepads, Mad Libs, or colouring books.
• Recycle candy wrappers. Recycle your candy wrappers by participating in Terracycle¹s Candy and Snack Wrappers Zero Waste Box (teracycle.com/en-CA). This is how it works: choose the size box you need, purchase it, throw your used wrappers in it, and ship it when filled. The collected waste is separated into fibres that are recycled or composted and plastics that are molded into new plastic products.
• Reuse candy wrappers. Artists are now getting really creative with waste products. You can find items like artwork, clothing, handbags, wallets, and jewelry made from candy wrappers. Donate your wrappers to an artist or try your hand at making a masterpiece.

 

In this day and age, many of us are hoping to adopt a minimalist lifestyle by owning less and, therefore, producing less waste. For many, the single biggest waste category is single-use plastic products. Although some are safe to use, a number of plastic products are actually extremely harmful to the environment—and ultimately, to our health when they break down into microplastic particles.   At first, I was anxious about the thought of going plastic-free—as someone who keeps her schedule tight, I didn’t have the confidence that I could always remember to bring a reusable cup or a glass straw with me at all times. But with some creativity and reliable products, making the switch was easier than I thought. Here’s what I used.  

1. A set of reusable stretch lids to replace cling wraps 

  I have to admit I’ve long used a ton of cling wrap because of its convenience. But when I came to the realization that those cling wraps are terrible for the environment, I felt guilty. Thankfully, I found these reusable silicone stretch lids that can seal my cans and jars air-tight. To reuse, just rinse them under water. There are six sizes to choose from, which covers almost all typical household needs, from proofing bread dough overnight to keeping leftovers separated from other foods in the fridge.    

2. Our favorite reusable straws that you’ll never forget to bring along

Our favorite reusable straws, the Hummingbird, ranked top in our tests. (Photo: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar)   Our favorite reusable straws, the Hummingbird glass straws are great alternatives to the single-serve plastic straws that are typically offered at restaurants. Although eco-conscious coffee shops are replacing plastic straws with paper ones, they still have an impact on  the environment and they easily break in half. The Hummingbird straw is lightweight and easy-to-wash, which means I can carry it anywhere.  

3. A reusable sandwich bag that also holds snacks on the go 

The lunchskins sandwich bags are a great alternative to Ziplocs. (Photo: Lunchskins)   A classic PB&J sandwich sitting in one of those single-use Ziploc bags just seems sadder than one wrapped in our favorite reusable sandwich bags. The Lunchskins have different patterns to choose from and they’re all absolutely adorable. This bag is the perfect size for packing sandwiches without the need to squish anything—no matter how thick your sandwich is. They’re dishwasher safe but also extremely easy to clean if you prefer hand-washing them.  

4. This bento box with a cult following 

The Monbento lunch box is the only thing i bring to work for lunch. (Photo: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser)   Packing lunch doesn’t have to mean a sad salad. Featuring a two-tiered design, this Monbento lunch box lets you bring a number of cold and hot dishes to work or school, making lunch more enjoyable. Plus, there are options to add a stackable cutlery set, sauce cups that fit in the boxes without taking up too much space, and cute lunch bags that make them easy to carry around. All materials in the Monbento boxes are biodegradable plastic or silicone.  

5. Top-rated glass food storage containers for grocery shopping 

The Pyrex food storage containers are our favorite in the roundup. (Photo: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser)   One of the biggest challenges to living plastic-free is dodging all the “plastic traps” at grocery stores. Meat-packaging, single-use produce bags, and all sorts of pantry items made me feel like achieving my plastic-free week would be mission-impossible. However, I found an easy solution when I started to bring my own containers instead of picking up pre-packaged cuts. The butcher will subtract the container tare to get to the gross weight of the meat, which is done on an electronic scale.   In our testing of the best food storage containers, we fell in love with these glassware containers that are perfect for keeping food safe and fresh. They’re not only a great alternative to the grocery store plastic packaging, but also perfect for meal-prepping.  

6. An organic cotton mesh bag that’s better than store plastic bags

This organic cotton mesh bag holds up to a few pounds of fruits and vegetables. (Photo: Amazon)   Although an increasing number of stores have been switching to biodegradable plastic produce bags, I’ve found they’re way too flimsy to hold anything substantial. One time I put an ear of corn into a store-provided bag and the cob immediately fell through it. This organic cotton mesh bag can hold up to three pounds of fruits and vegetables, and its stretchy material makes sure that it can fit large items.  

7. A produce bag that catches small items 

For produce that are smaller in size, these bags can help. (Photo: Getty Images)   While it’s easy to fit a butternut squash or three large tomatoes in a mesh bag, small vegetables, such as Brussels sprouts and green beans, can’t be securely held in cotton mesh bags. These reusable produce bags are lightweight, featuring tiny breathable mesh that allows some necessary airflow to prolong the lifespan of fresh produce.  

8. Our favorite water bottle that helped me ditch single-use bottled water  

Our favorite water bottle, the Hydro Flask, keeps the water cool. (Photo: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar / Hydro Flask)   If you’re hoping to break the bottled water habit, the Hydro Flask can help. Our favorite water bottle, the Hydro Flask scored high marks in a range of tests: It’s portable, versatile, durable, and well-designed. It’s the top performer in our temperature tests, too, keeping ice largely unmelted well past the 24-hour mark. Its patented double-wall vacuum enables the bottle to keep water cold, keep hot beverages hot, and prevents condensation from forming on the outside, keeping it slip-free, and safe to store in bags alongside papers and laptops.  

9. A stainless steel travel mug to keep my drinks warm

For people who like their caffeinated drinks warm, the Zojirushi mug is perfect. (Photo: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar)   Before I pledged to go plastic-free, I had been a loyal fan of our favorite travel mug, the Zojirushi stainless steel mug, because of its impeccable insulation and lightweight design. Whether I was on a long commute or I brought it on a hiking trip, this inexpensive mug kept my drinks at the desired temperature at all times. The trim build also allows it to seamlessly slip into cup holders and bags.  

10. A set of mason jars to replace most household plastic uses

A set of mason jars can be versatile. (Photo: Getty Images / Olga Miltsova)   Mason jars are a durable and reliable alternative to using Ziploc bags for storing dry pantry goods. Additionally, they’re so versatile that you can use them for canning, storing jam, and making desserts. Bring these mason jars on grocery shopping trips, and you’ll find the store employees happily helping you fill the jars with nuts and cereal.  

11. Solid bar shampoo and conditioners that are full of organic ingredients

These solid bar shampoo and conditioner can keep your hair clean and smooth. (Photo: Aspen Kay Naturals)   I sometimes fail to notice how much plastic waste I produce outside of my kitchen. In fact, I never thought about the environmental impact I had caused by using bottled shampoo and conditioner. Using all organic, natural herbs, Aspen Kay Naturals is able to provide something more eco-friendly than the liquid version of haircare. Unlike the more common brands we’ve seen in stores, this shampoo is 100% soap-free, which means its gentle on the hair and scalp as no harsh cleaners, detergent, or silicone is included in the formula.  

12. Beeswax wraps to keep produce fresh 

Bee's wax wraps are amazing for keeping produce fresh. (Photo: Amazon)   To stop using plastic wraps for half-cut lemons, onions, and other produce, I started putting these hand-crafted beeswax wraps to the test. Even after multiple uses, the beeswax wraps excellently retained the freshness of the foods I wrapped in them. They’re also odor-free, which is better than their plastic counterparts.  

13. Use composting bin instead of plastic trash bags 

Compost bins can help you reduce waste. (Photo: Amazon)   Much of the produce we toss away each year ends up in landfills, which produce a large amount of the greenhouse gas  methane. To reduce the use of trash bags, I started composting the daily food scraps, finger nails, hair, and tissue paper, which are otherwise destined to non-recyclable waste. With a little research, I was able to properly compost my waste without creating an unpleasant smell or attracting small animals. Plus, if done right, I can use the compost to enrich my soil for growing fruits and vegetables in a few months.  

What should I do with the plastic I swapped out? 

  I started researching what to do with the plastic packaging I’ve just swapped out. TerraCycle, a free plastic recycling platform, offers instructions for every type of recycling work. The site lists a growing number of participating businesses that allows me to send the cleaned, recyclable packaging back, free of charge.   For example, if I accumulate a good amount of Barilla pasta packaging, I can sign up the Barilla program and get a free shipping label to return the emptied bags and boxes. Once they receive the packaging, I’ll get reward points that can be used toward donating to non-profit organizations or schools of my choice. If you don’t want to separate the packaging, TerraCycle offers Zero Waste Box (purchase required) to recycle almost any type of waste.  

My final takeaway    

  Admittedly, there were still areas that I could use some improvements while attempting to achieve a plastic-free life: I brushed my teeth with plastic toothbrush heads and used makeup remover wipes wrapped in plastic packaging. These instances serve as a reminder of how ubiquitous plastic products are in our daily lives, and how challenging it can be to cut them out completely. To live completely plastic-free may still be a long shot for me, but it’s no longer some far-fetched, unachievable idea.

Most of my life has been lived by an ocean—a vast expanse of sparkling blue where I’ve gazed into the unknown more times than I could ever count, marveled at the swirly sunsets, and walked in the uprush at dawn. No matter where I am in the world, a beach feels homey; the water, familiar. It’s only recently that I’ve realized I am not doing enough to protect our struggling oceans, or our world, from the imminent threat of climate change and plastic pollution. The future of plastic recyclability is uncertain or, at the very least, unpredictable and I found myself feeling confused, frustrated, and anxious, not knowing how, or even if, I could make the slightest difference.   Many of us, myself included, have a narrow view of plastic waste—just seeing what we are creating ourselves, in our own homes, and not zooming out to take in the bigger picture. Each time you consume something out of single-use plastic from now on, think about how many other people on the planet are doing the same thing at the same moment and imagine all those billions of water bottles or coffee cup lids or takeout containers being discarded. Where are they all going?   The news is not good: most of our plastics—yes, even the plastics that we think we are recycling—are still ending up in landfills or oceans. According to a 2014 paper called "Plastic Pollution in the World’s Oceans" by oceanographer Marcus Eriksen, more than 5 trillion pieces of plastic are already floating in our oceans. Researchers at the University of Georgia found that by 2015, humans had generated 8.3 billion metric tons of plastics, 6.3 billion tons of which had already become waste. Of that waste, only 9 percent was recycled, 12 percent was incinerated, and 79 percent accumulated in landfills or the environment.   It can be a hard pill to swallow for many consumers to learn that their recycling efforts have been for naught. And it can be even harder to learn that the most impactful thing we can do now is not to recycle and reuse but to reduce—or, in an ideal world, eliminate—our purchases of new plastics. Speaking with some friends about it ultimately led to an “I know, I know” eye roll, which I empathize with because I’ve been in that role too, but ignoring the problem won’t solve anything. It’s our responsibility to seek out the solutions and find out what we can do, at least on the most basic level—at home. It’s not just someone else’s responsibility to deal with since we’ve participated in the problem—so let’s participate in the positive change too. Believe it or not, there are organizations that want our old toothbrushes, wetsuits, and shampoo bottles. We can find a place to responsibly recycle the things that we’ve already accumulated, but to say that it won’t require effort would be a lie. It’s going to take work.   STOP THE SINGLE-USE   I went entirely no-plastic for the purposes of this article, thinking it couldn’t really be that difficult. The biggest challenge I faced was certainly with single-use plastic. I couldn’t purchase most of the convenience foods I realized I relied on day-to-day like cottage cheese, yogurt, cereal, oat milk (or any dairy or alternative milk due to either a plastic top or spout), tortillas, cheese wrapped in plastic film, protein or greens powders, wellness shots, hummus, tofu, tempeh, pre-washed lettuces and herbs, berries, bags of nuts and seeds, cartons of vegetable stock, bags of grains and beans, and almost anything from the frozen aisle. The more annoying challenges were the completely unnecessarily plastic-wrapped vegetables like cucumbers, cauliflower, tomatoes, or mushrooms. And even more annoying, or totally obnoxious, were the plastic stickers that adorned every single lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, avocado, banana, and other produce—this is the point where I almost gave up. I stood there thinking, all I want is a damn lemon and I can’t get one damn lemon without there being plastic involved?! I thought we were doomed as a society. I snapped a photo and frustratingly texted my sister that there was no hope. At the time, my little outburst didn’t feel as dramatic as it now looks on paper. I also had to steer clear of the salad bar, deli case, and any prepackaged meals. At my favorite local grocer, the single-use containers at the deli are biodegradable but the lids are plastic—huge bummer.   If you’re wondering what I actually walked out of the market with, here’s the list: local eggs (packaged in cartons made from recycled paper and pulp or cardboard), glass jars of nut butters, local fruit jam, olives and pickles, honey, maple syrup, olive oil, and fresh vegetables and fruits without stickers or packaging.   I found solace in going to the Santa Monica Farmers Market early on Wednesday mornings. Of course, I brought my own market tote and lots of small reusable cloth produce bags which I used for all sorts of things like green beans, dried beans and legumes, mushrooms, nuts, seeds, and herbs, and only purchased that which had zero plastic involved. I walked away with sticker-free citrus fruits, stone fruits, and unwrapped cucumbers, mushrooms, lettuces, and herbs. The only time this didn’t work for me is when I had a last-minute need to cook dinner for a small group of friends and struggled—but succeeded!—in staying plastic-free at the grocery store closest to my house. As long as I planned appropriately, a trip to the farmers’ market once per week served to provide the majority of the food I needed.   Not being able to rely on convenience foods, like the 6-ounce containers of my favorite cottage cheese or pre-packaged tortillas or sliced sprouted bread, completely changed the way I eat. I couldn’t find a plastic-free almond milk, so I stopped adding it to my coffee. I started eating local eggs for breakfast with a bit of local butter and chopped herbs from my own garden. I’d keep a few big salads ready to go in plastic-free containers, which consisted only of locally-grown lettuces and other vegetables, dried nuts and seeds from bulk bins, and homemade dressing that I kept in a mini glass jar, in my refrigerator—and that’s lunch. Snacks—like pickles, olives, or granola—are all kept in reusable silicone storage bags or glass jars.   To stay prepared, the trunk of my car contains all the essentials: grocery totes, cloth produce bags, bamboo utensils, one or two glass food containers for leftovers from restaurants, and a reusable plastic-free water bottle and coffee cup. Once I got into a routine, it became easy to stick to a zero-plastic lifestyle, but there are definitely times when it’s very challenging.   I’m a proponent of plant-based eating but I have a weak spot for cheese. Going to the cheese counter at any local grocer left me despondent, however, because every single variety used plastic in some manner. I did some homework and was pleasantly surprised that every cheese store I called, including Andrew’s Cheese Shop in Santa Monica and The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills, allow customers to bring in their own containers for taking their cheeses home. I also found that local, independently owned markets and shops are more likely to accept foreign containers since they may not have corporate guidelines to contend with.   Other stores, like Sustain LA in Highland Park, make shopping a breeze. Founder Leslie VanKeuren Campbell has done all the hard work and customers get to reap the rewards. The store offers refill stations to fill your reusable containers with household cleaners, body care products, and bulk goods from sustainable sources. Their refill stations also pop up at farmers’ markets around Los Angeles, so keep up with them to plan a visit.   THE PROBLEM WITH TAKEOUT   I almost never get food delivered, but I do occasionally pick up takeout from a few nearby restaurants. I now know that there are really very few restaurants which actually provide sustainable takeout containers—many that we believe to be eco-friendly are actually a mixture of paper and plastic, making them very difficult to recycle. Same goes for single-use coffee cups and butcher paper. Restaurants often refuse to pack takeout orders in a customer’s own container for fear of cross-contamination, so I decided that going to a restaurant would now only involve sitting down and eating a meal on a real plate. I kept a clean glass food container in my handbag to take leftovers home with me, which was never a problem.   In July, California passed a new law that allows restaurants the option of following some new guidelines to accept a customer’s containers for this purpose, but it’s still up to the restaurant to determine whether or not it’s a practice they want to adopt. As Monica Heffron, executive project manager at the Rustic Canyon Family of Restaurants, tells me, it’s not as simple as we might believe it to be. “We…are definitely analyzing the best way to incorporate this more into our operations to cut down on single-use packaging, but it’s not something that can be done overnight and requires a good amount of thought and planning on our end to ensure our process is as safe and effective as possible. The new regulations are an exciting change to see, though, if they represent a larger shift in the mindset of how people look at takeout and packaging in general,” she says.   As someone who was a caterer, I know how much single-use plastic can go into both sourcing and preparing food. I cringe when I think about the amount of plastic wrap I’d go through in one day—now I use beeswax wraps (see below for a DIY version) and reuseable containers only. The Rustic Canyon restaurant group is located in Santa Monica, a city that has set their own admirable sustainability goals, so I asked Monica if the restaurants have set goals beyond what the city mandates. She shares, “We put a huge amount of thought and consideration into our vendors to make sure we’re sourcing seasonal, local, organic ingredients whenever we can. Quality of ingredient is a top priority on every level, especially regarding sustainability. A lot of people only think about what happens in the restaurant, but a lot of it happens before products even reach the kitchen, so being mindful of where one’s ingredients come from is very important to us. We also work closely with the Surfrider Foundation to stay certified as part of their Ocean Friendly Restaurants program – their feedback is a huge help to us in improving our operations to make sure we’re as environmentally-friendly as possible.”   A THOUGHTFUL PURGE    One major concern I have about the plastic-free movement is the idea that we need to immediately toss all the plastic in our homes right into the dumpster. I’ve seen more than a few seemingly well-meaning people on social media go on plastic purges, where they’ll rummage through their refrigerator, pantry, and the rest of the house only to toss full bottles of condiments, unopened yogurts, food storage containers, shampoos, and other items right into the trash, exclaiming that they want a plastic-free home. On the contrary, we should be finding creative ways to reuse or properly recycle all the existing plastic in our homes in an effort to reduce what ends up in landfills and oceans.   I reached out to Brigit Binns, an accomplished cookbook author and owner of the unique culinary retreat Refugio in Paso Robles, to chat about our mutual frustrations and see what she’s doing to reduce her footprint. For starters, she’s made a point to entertain more thoughtfully—no single-use anything. Yes, cleaning up requires more effort, but what’s an extra 5 minutes when it makes such a huge impact? We agree that companies and manufacturers need to be taking more responsibility and communicate more with consumers about how to recycle or send back their products. She says, “without the motivation of money or profit, corporations have less incentive to put in the effort and want to recycle.” Brigit goes on to tell me how many times she’s reached out to companies to ask if they’ll accept containers back for recycling or even just get advice on how to recycle a particular type of plastic. “These companies need to be more responsive—there’s no personal touch or conversation and customers are just left in the dark,” she says. Companies should hear from their customers in droves and start to feel the pressure of us all wanting to see change and greater involvement from the folks who created these items in the first place. At the end of the day, it seems that we can only control our own purchases, our own waste, and our own impact.   Not all manufacturers are on the wrong side of things, of course. A growing number are finding ways to be innovative while also profiting from recycling plastics—turning water bottles into shoes, abandoned fishing nets into sunglasses, and yogurt cups into toothbrushes. I’ve seen examples of plastics being recycled into bike paths, roads, and even housing—I’m hopeful we’ll see many more positive examples like this in the coming years.   TerraCycle.com is a fantastic resource for finding free recycling programs in your area—we’re talking everything from contact lenses and toothpaste tubes to cigarette filters and dog food bags. Again, it just takes effort on our part to figure it all out and make it happen. Yes, it’ll mean saving all of these little items we are so accustomed to tossing into the trash and transporting them to the proper location. I urge local business owners and homeowners associations to offer to be drop-off points for any number of recyclable items. Visit TerraCycle’s website to learn more and get involved.   JUST TAKE A FIRST STEP   For anyone wondering how they can start to make a change: we all need to take stock of how, when, and why we use plastic. Start with the worst offenders. For you, that may mean rethinking a daily takeout or salad bar habit, or maybe it means giving up plastic water bottles and only using a reusable bottle. Just start somewhere. Accept that the plastic in our homes is now part of this planet—let’s just all do our part to make the best of this. The answer is not to purge all the plastic from our homes and go about the day, rather it is to simply be aware and do our best to implement positive change from this moment forward. So finish the plastic bottle of ketchup in the refrigerator, but next time search for a homemade ketchup recipe and store it in a glass jar or only purchase ketchup sold in glass bottles and make sure it’s properly cleaned and recycled. Start small, get friends and family involved, and the movement will grow exponentially.   Don’t forget to speak out and let companies know that you want to see them participating in efforts to find alternative and sustainable packaging. If they don’t hear from their customers, there’s little pressure to make a big change. Take it upon yourself to be part of the conversation and help instill change in how we all prepare, purchase, and consume food.   I’ve noticed that much of the resistance to ditching plastic is simply fear of the unknown. Many of us are so locked into our routines that we just don’t know where to start. Our modern lifestyles beg for convenient, single-use, time-saving, stress-free packaging so we can focus on other things—things that we deem more important. But I ask you, what is more important than this? ◆