PRACTICAL ADVICE ABOUT HOW TO LIVE WITHOUT PLASTIC
Author of new book offers tips on how to reduce ecological footprint
For Chantal Plamondon and Jay Sinha, the journey towards a plastic-free life started when their son was born in 2003. The Wakefield, Que., couple didn’t want to store breast milk in plastic baby bottles, because they worried about chemicals leaching out of the plastic when heated and seeping into the liquid.
The pair — lawyers who used to work for the federal government — got busy researching alternatives, such as glass bottles. But they had a hard time finding any.
So in 2005, they launched the online shop Life Without Plastic to sell everyday products made without plastic, such as bamboo toothbrushes, stainless steel food containers and cloth sandwich bags.
They’ve since quit their government gigs — Sinha worked for Environment Canada as a policy analyst — to focus on reducing the world’s dependence on plastic and educating people on the health and environmental risks of plastic.
Last December, they released their first book, Life Without Plastic: The Practical Step-by-Step Guide to Avoiding Plastic to Keep Your Family and the Planet Healthy.
“When we initially got into this it really was about finding alternatives for our son — it wasn’t so much about us,” says Sinha, who also studied biochemistry and ecotoxicology. “We started reading about chemicals that can come out of these plastics and we didn’t want to expose him to that.”
Of concern were chemicals such as BPA (or bisphenol A) found in polycarbonate plastics, often used to make food and beverage containers. Research shows BPA can leach out of the plastic and has been linked to numerous health problems because it disrupts hormonal functions. They were also troubled by the environmental impact of plastics, which pose a risk to waterways, wildlife and our food chain.
Last year, the United Nations declared war on ocean plastic, noting more than 8 million metric tonnes of it leaks into the ocean each year — akin to dumping a garbage truck filled with plastic into the water every minute.
The UN estimates that by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans unless people stop using disposable single-use plastic items, such as bags, utensils and bottles.
“The pollution issue is just getting so out of hand,” Sinha says. “It can no longer be ignored.”
To help raise awareness, he and Plamondon published Life Without Plastic, which shows readers how to take stock of their own use of plastic and suggests alternatives.
He recently spoke with the Star about how to be a smarter shopper, why air travel bugs him and the plastic-free kit you should never leave home without. Since disposable single-use plastic items are a big part of the problem, what simple actions can people take to cut back?
We suggest people create their own plastic-free living kit and take it with them wherever they go. It should include a reusable bag, made of cotton or heavy-duty plastic, a reusable water bottle and cup, made of glass, stainless steel or ceramic, and reusable utensils made of stainless steel, bamboo or wood. You can also use a Mason jar, which is uber-versatile and can be used as a coffee cup, to carry lunch or for bulk food items.
And when you go for takeout or to a food court, bring your own container. Styrofoam is often used for hot and oily foods, this increases the leaching of chemicals from the plastic, in particular styrene, which is toxic. What do you tell a newbie who’s starting to cut back on their plastic consumption?
Don’t feel overwhelmed. Start with one thing and do that. For example, single-use disposable plastic straws. Most of the time they’re hardly used. Sometimes in a bar or restaurant you’ll automatically receive a straw with your drink and just take it out. Get into the habit of refusing a straw — just tell the server beforehand. It’s a question of retraining retailers and food vendors to not automatically put this waste out there because in many cases it’s pure plastic that goes straight into a landfill. If you do want to use a straw, it’s easy to carry your own, made of stainless steel, glass or bamboo. You suggest doing a plastic audit at home. What is that?
Go through your house, room by room, and write down all the different types of plastic you see. In a separate column highlight possible alternatives. Look at ways you can switch out certain things that may be easy to do and may be risky — risks are things that are touching food, like plastic food containers. Any tips on being a smarter shopper at the grocery store?
Bring your own bags. For fruits and vegetables, use mesh bags made from organic cotton. Often, you don’t even need a bag — I just bring my apples, oranges or bananas (to the cashier) and put them in my bag after paying for them.
For cheese and meats, bring your own food container. A lot of cheeses are wrapped in plastic, and because it’s an oily item you’re going to get some leaching. If you’re unable to find cheese or meats sold without plastic packaging then remove the plastic as soon as you get home and store them in a nonplastic container. You can also use food wraps made of cotton and treated with beeswax, which work beautifully.
For liquids, such as oils, tamari or honey, use glass or stainless steel containers. And get into the habit of bringing them with you. How does one deplastify when it comes to household cleaning detergents, which are often in plastic containers or wrapping?
You can buy cleaning liquids in bulk, using your own container. And with just four ingredients — water, vinegar, baking soda and borax — you can make all kinds of different cleaners. Vinegar is fabulous — we use it all the time. People might complain about the smell but it goes away quickly. Or, use warm water and baking soda, with a bit of an essential oil — mint, eucalyptus, orange or lemongrass — to get the odour you like. How do you minimize plastic in personal care products, such as soap, shampoo, deodorant?
Buying in bulk and making your own. There are also amazing options that are natural and package-free in health food stores. For example, a shampoo bar has zero packaging. You use it the way you use a soap bar: lather it up in your hands and lather up your hair. For feminine hygiene, there are reusable cloth pads and liners available. For shaving, avoid plastic razors by getting an old-style safety razor. How else can we cut our plastic usage?
A lot of plastic waste is generated by the airline industry and can be easily avoided by having your own cup, bottle and utensils. We use a stainless foldable spork — combination spoon and fork — and have never had problems with (airport) security.
Another area is clothing. When clothes made with synthetic fibres, such as polyester, fleeces, nylons, are washed, they can release fibres containing microplastics that are not caught by municipal waste water treatment centres. Those fibres go into waterways and those microplastics are eaten by wildlife in the water, fish, birds or plankton. So opt for natural fibres, such as cotton, wool, silk, hemp and bamboo.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.