Apr 1, 2023·edited Apr 1, 2023Liked by Bad Manners
Two words: BAR SOAP. Remember that crappy bar of gold Dial from your childhood? Yeah, they still make it. But it's better now. And there's Dove. And Irish Spring. And a whole lot of fancier and pricer soaps that come wrapped in cardboard boxes. They make them for hands, hair, body, all your bits and pieces. Try them all until you find the one you like best!
Try 'good time' shampoo and conditioner, it's great! You can get it at https://us.whogivesacrap.org/ - the amazing sustainable TP company! Your TP comes in a great big CARDBOARD box NOT wrapped in plastic!!! They have tissues and paper towels as well. AND they donate 50% of their profits ensure people have clean water and access to toilets. They are simply an amazing organization. And they have lots of bum jokes if you like that.
Thanks for raising awareness this week! So many ways we can take small steps together. Love you guys!
I starting switching out to more sustainable options 2 years ago one step at a time.
▪︎ A sodastream to replace the bottled drinks we were buying.
▪︎ Items that my local refillery carry ( I'm lucky to have one filled with knowledgeable people who have helped me make the switch when I'm ready to make the next change): Shampoo and conditioner bars, shower gel, hair gel, deodorant, laundry soap, cleaning products
▪︎ cotton napkins
▪︎ flannel cloths cut to fit my swiffer
▪︎ carry reusable cutlery and collapsible straw in my purse
▪︎ refillable water bottle and coffee cups
We were filling our recycle bins to the brim every week and now it's only worth putting out every 2-3 weeks.
Buy my son’s biodegradable diapers, Freestyle World! Over 18 billion disposable diapers end up in landfills every year. Disposable diapers are the third largest contributors to landfills in the world. 🥰 just saying....
Consider bees wax impregnated colorful pierces of fabric as an alternative to plastic wrap. Wipe clean with a wet sponge, mold to shape of bowl top or chunk of cheese with just the warmth of one’s hands. . Several artisans in our community offer assorted sizes of these reusable and beautiful covers at our farmers’ market. I give assortments away to family members, often beginning their life as reusable gift wrap then move into the kitchen. Mine are several years old and still going strong.
Thank you for this. I didn't know there were reusable bags which could be used for waste. I do try to use the paper bags used at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, but I will look for those as well. Of course the only real way to genuinely end this horrific amount of waste is to end capitalism. To end the mountains of trash that results from planned obsolescence and people's indoctrinated belief that paying a small fortune for something should not guarantee that it lasts at least one lifetime. I once bought a used toaster on Ebay for $22. It was made in 1932 and worked perfectly. Probably cost $2.00 when new. That which is built today is built to last no more than 5 or 6 years. An end to a competitive and the start of a more cooperative society should exclude billionaires flying around in private jets - to mandate what the rest of us should do about the emissions of which they themselves are the driving cause. We once had excellent public transportation which was purchased and destroyed by those who cared less about the environment and solely about their own bottom line. Our tax money built them roads so that they could force us into private cars and the endless cost of fuel, one way or another. We once could drink tap water, now due to the poisoning of o9ru water for the benefit of factories and cafos (which in a moral, a sane world should not even exist), our water has been poisoned. We have monocrop agriculture instead of what would most benefit both us and the earth. We need to stop following the mandates of the greediest among us and remember that hoarding is a mental illness, not just when aluminum foil and rubber band balls are concerned, but also money. We need an economic system that serves all of us, not just the greediest and most self-serving.
Absolutely. We have to stop putting profits in front of people. Planned obsolescence makes me so fucking angry. My grandmother used one blender her whole life and I've had 8 minimum. We can't buy our way out of climate collapse. We are going to have to force these oligarchs and mega corporations to change, one way or another.
I was also a serial blender buyer until I finally bit the bullet and got my Vitamix blender. It handles anything and keeps on blending - I used to need to buy a new blender every single year. Mine has never needed repair but I know a couple of people that have managed to break theirs and, unlike almost everything else you buy today, the manufacturer repairs them at a reasonable cost. The only thing that ends up in a landfill is whatever broken parts the manufacturer had to replace. I think this is one of a very, very few times that you can actually buy your way out of the problem.
Love this article! Thank you! We use detergent sheets and reusable Britta water bottles. And bar shampoo and conditioner. I have a lot of hair- it takes a little more time, but makes me feel good that Im doing something for our future.
You gotta check out Long Wknd. All of their products come in compostable packaging. I've been a supporter for a long time - back when they were known as Natural Vegan on Kickstarter!
I love this post! I suffer from a tremendous amount of anxiety surrounding wastefulness, and as my husband and therapist say to me, “you can’t single handedly save the world, but you can do your best and encourage others.” I echo a lot of the other commenters recommendations! I have been using mesh bags to put my produce in from the store and farmers market to keep it organized, reusable glass containers for everything in the fridge because they last so much longer than crappy plastic ones (and if I lose the lid, I can reuse them for organizing other things or for propagating my plants because they’re pretty!), we are looking into composting in our area, and my husband bought a soda stream so no more bottled sparkling water. I also love Ashlee Piper on Instagram and her book “Give a Shit: Do Good, Live Better, Save the Planet.”
Ashlee Piper is so great and really puts our waste and consumerism into perspective. I’m so grateful LA just made compositing part of the city’s waste program
I use The Earthling Co. It definitely took some trial and error but the trick I found is to keep the shampoo bar in the loofah bag so it creates suds a bit more and with the conditioner - I tilt my head and rub the bar top to bottom several times front and back. It doesn't seem like its adequately conditioned, but when my hair is dry it feels really nice and silky. Id love to hear what you think if you give it a try! And Im super stoked you responded! I have been reading your cookbooks since TK1! Huge fan!
Thanks for the years of support and the hot tip. Im absolutely going to try it out. There's always a learning curve but its always easier to get through when you know something is recommended. Thank you!
There is a company called Blueland that makes some pretty great cleaning products. They come as a small tablet that you add to water. Not a big fan of their glass products simply because they keep re-introducing new ones which encourage people to buy them but I just use old bottles that I have at home. They have powder dish soap, which is great laundry tablets, various cleaning products and effervescent, toilet cleaning tabs, which are terrific.
Ethique make some great shampoos in bar form. They also have solid lotions and soaps, but they have soaps and lotions that you add water to. It makes up at home and makes a wonderful creamy hand soap and lotions without all of the plastic waste and shipping weight.
I stopped buying beauty products in plastic. I use (and love!) Oway shampoo. It’s biodynamic and comes in glass bottles that I can refill when I get my hair cut. For skincare I like Marie Veronique.
Bulk the fuck up. I'm totally privileged (because Portland) to have an awesome all-vegan package-free store that's not too far away (although we need a LOT of more these so that we all don't have to drive there!), where I can buy almost everything and put it in my own container. As I started finishing off bags of grains, nuts, sugars, yada yada I realized the enormous amount of plastic that I was throwing away. Now, when I finish one, I'm like "Goodbye motherfucker, and you're never coming back!!". Plus, what's nicer to look at - a cabinet/shelf full of plastic, or one with glass jars. And my garbage pickup bill is less than half of what it used to be.
Even before this, (feeling a bit guerrilla, or gorilla) I took very light (so I'm not paying more than I would for the store's plastic bags/containers in weight) cotton produce bags in to the other stores, and put stuff from their bulk bins in there. Even though this was (and still is - although it looks like OR is about to pass a bill to change this) technically illegal, no cashier (figuring it was well above their pay grade, I'm sure) ever said a word - they were just happy that I knew the SKU/code for them to ring it up (yep, you'll make friends with cashiers if you do this). And if you're self-checking, then you're extra golden.
when i cashiered i loved when people did that! some places will even figure out the tare weight of your containers before you fill them up and take it off when they weigh your products so you don't pay a penny more. it never hurts to ask!
Two words: BAR SOAP. Remember that crappy bar of gold Dial from your childhood? Yeah, they still make it. But it's better now. And there's Dove. And Irish Spring. And a whole lot of fancier and pricer soaps that come wrapped in cardboard boxes. They make them for hands, hair, body, all your bits and pieces. Try them all until you find the one you like best!
Try 'good time' shampoo and conditioner, it's great! You can get it at https://us.whogivesacrap.org/ - the amazing sustainable TP company! Your TP comes in a great big CARDBOARD box NOT wrapped in plastic!!! They have tissues and paper towels as well. AND they donate 50% of their profits ensure people have clean water and access to toilets. They are simply an amazing organization. And they have lots of bum jokes if you like that.
Thanks for raising awareness this week! So many ways we can take small steps together. Love you guys!
We’re talking about paper products next week! And you know I love a butt joke
I starting switching out to more sustainable options 2 years ago one step at a time.
▪︎ A sodastream to replace the bottled drinks we were buying.
▪︎ Items that my local refillery carry ( I'm lucky to have one filled with knowledgeable people who have helped me make the switch when I'm ready to make the next change): Shampoo and conditioner bars, shower gel, hair gel, deodorant, laundry soap, cleaning products
▪︎ cotton napkins
▪︎ flannel cloths cut to fit my swiffer
▪︎ carry reusable cutlery and collapsible straw in my purse
▪︎ refillable water bottle and coffee cups
We were filling our recycle bins to the brim every week and now it's only worth putting out every 2-3 weeks.
Yesss! I love seeing my recycle bin so low. It’s a great way to measure progress.
Buy my son’s biodegradable diapers, Freestyle World! Over 18 billion disposable diapers end up in landfills every year. Disposable diapers are the third largest contributors to landfills in the world. 🥰 just saying....
Mesh bags for produce!
Consider bees wax impregnated colorful pierces of fabric as an alternative to plastic wrap. Wipe clean with a wet sponge, mold to shape of bowl top or chunk of cheese with just the warmth of one’s hands. . Several artisans in our community offer assorted sizes of these reusable and beautiful covers at our farmers’ market. I give assortments away to family members, often beginning their life as reusable gift wrap then move into the kitchen. Mine are several years old and still going strong.
Thank you for this. I didn't know there were reusable bags which could be used for waste. I do try to use the paper bags used at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, but I will look for those as well. Of course the only real way to genuinely end this horrific amount of waste is to end capitalism. To end the mountains of trash that results from planned obsolescence and people's indoctrinated belief that paying a small fortune for something should not guarantee that it lasts at least one lifetime. I once bought a used toaster on Ebay for $22. It was made in 1932 and worked perfectly. Probably cost $2.00 when new. That which is built today is built to last no more than 5 or 6 years. An end to a competitive and the start of a more cooperative society should exclude billionaires flying around in private jets - to mandate what the rest of us should do about the emissions of which they themselves are the driving cause. We once had excellent public transportation which was purchased and destroyed by those who cared less about the environment and solely about their own bottom line. Our tax money built them roads so that they could force us into private cars and the endless cost of fuel, one way or another. We once could drink tap water, now due to the poisoning of o9ru water for the benefit of factories and cafos (which in a moral, a sane world should not even exist), our water has been poisoned. We have monocrop agriculture instead of what would most benefit both us and the earth. We need to stop following the mandates of the greediest among us and remember that hoarding is a mental illness, not just when aluminum foil and rubber band balls are concerned, but also money. We need an economic system that serves all of us, not just the greediest and most self-serving.
Absolutely. We have to stop putting profits in front of people. Planned obsolescence makes me so fucking angry. My grandmother used one blender her whole life and I've had 8 minimum. We can't buy our way out of climate collapse. We are going to have to force these oligarchs and mega corporations to change, one way or another.
I was also a serial blender buyer until I finally bit the bullet and got my Vitamix blender. It handles anything and keeps on blending - I used to need to buy a new blender every single year. Mine has never needed repair but I know a couple of people that have managed to break theirs and, unlike almost everything else you buy today, the manufacturer repairs them at a reasonable cost. The only thing that ends up in a landfill is whatever broken parts the manufacturer had to replace. I think this is one of a very, very few times that you can actually buy your way out of the problem.
Love this article! Thank you! We use detergent sheets and reusable Britta water bottles. And bar shampoo and conditioner. I have a lot of hair- it takes a little more time, but makes me feel good that Im doing something for our future.
I have a lot of hair too and am still looking for a bar shampoo I love. Any recommendations?
You gotta check out Long Wknd. All of their products come in compostable packaging. I've been a supporter for a long time - back when they were known as Natural Vegan on Kickstarter!
The bar shampoo by LUSH is absolutely wonderful in my opinion.
I have been really enjoying the bar shampoos from Ethique. They also make lotions and hand soaps that you mix with water at home.
I love this post! I suffer from a tremendous amount of anxiety surrounding wastefulness, and as my husband and therapist say to me, “you can’t single handedly save the world, but you can do your best and encourage others.” I echo a lot of the other commenters recommendations! I have been using mesh bags to put my produce in from the store and farmers market to keep it organized, reusable glass containers for everything in the fridge because they last so much longer than crappy plastic ones (and if I lose the lid, I can reuse them for organizing other things or for propagating my plants because they’re pretty!), we are looking into composting in our area, and my husband bought a soda stream so no more bottled sparkling water. I also love Ashlee Piper on Instagram and her book “Give a Shit: Do Good, Live Better, Save the Planet.”
Ashlee Piper is so great and really puts our waste and consumerism into perspective. I’m so grateful LA just made compositing part of the city’s waste program
I LOVE that I am not the only one who uses laundry sheets! They are incredible. Have you tried dryer balls yet? I love the ones from Friendsheep.
I use The Earthling Co. It definitely took some trial and error but the trick I found is to keep the shampoo bar in the loofah bag so it creates suds a bit more and with the conditioner - I tilt my head and rub the bar top to bottom several times front and back. It doesn't seem like its adequately conditioned, but when my hair is dry it feels really nice and silky. Id love to hear what you think if you give it a try! And Im super stoked you responded! I have been reading your cookbooks since TK1! Huge fan!
Thanks for the years of support and the hot tip. Im absolutely going to try it out. There's always a learning curve but its always easier to get through when you know something is recommended. Thank you!
This Article is rich with clear & much needed reminders.
Thank you🌻
There is a company called Blueland that makes some pretty great cleaning products. They come as a small tablet that you add to water. Not a big fan of their glass products simply because they keep re-introducing new ones which encourage people to buy them but I just use old bottles that I have at home. They have powder dish soap, which is great laundry tablets, various cleaning products and effervescent, toilet cleaning tabs, which are terrific.
Ethique make some great shampoos in bar form. They also have solid lotions and soaps, but they have soaps and lotions that you add water to. It makes up at home and makes a wonderful creamy hand soap and lotions without all of the plastic waste and shipping weight.
I stopped buying beauty products in plastic. I use (and love!) Oway shampoo. It’s biodynamic and comes in glass bottles that I can refill when I get my hair cut. For skincare I like Marie Veronique.
Marie Veronique has gorgeous products. Ughhhh love
Reminds me of slow thinking vs fast thinking.. Take your time over the BIG things, like eating an elephant :-)
Bulk the fuck up. I'm totally privileged (because Portland) to have an awesome all-vegan package-free store that's not too far away (although we need a LOT of more these so that we all don't have to drive there!), where I can buy almost everything and put it in my own container. As I started finishing off bags of grains, nuts, sugars, yada yada I realized the enormous amount of plastic that I was throwing away. Now, when I finish one, I'm like "Goodbye motherfucker, and you're never coming back!!". Plus, what's nicer to look at - a cabinet/shelf full of plastic, or one with glass jars. And my garbage pickup bill is less than half of what it used to be.
Even before this, (feeling a bit guerrilla, or gorilla) I took very light (so I'm not paying more than I would for the store's plastic bags/containers in weight) cotton produce bags in to the other stores, and put stuff from their bulk bins in there. Even though this was (and still is - although it looks like OR is about to pass a bill to change this) technically illegal, no cashier (figuring it was well above their pay grade, I'm sure) ever said a word - they were just happy that I knew the SKU/code for them to ring it up (yep, you'll make friends with cashiers if you do this). And if you're self-checking, then you're extra golden.
when i cashiered i loved when people did that! some places will even figure out the tare weight of your containers before you fill them up and take it off when they weigh your products so you don't pay a penny more. it never hurts to ask!
Also if anyone is looking for a GREAT natural deodorant without plastic packaging, I’ve used this one for year from Notox Market and still love it: https://notoxlife.com/products/deodorant-earl-grey-extra-strength-odor-control-zero-waste