This Weekend One Thing has a safe holiday edge to it. Amy over at Crunchy Domestic Goddess has presented this challenge to her blog readers, and I thought it was important enough to pass on.
No Plastic Holiday Challenge: Avoid plastic in gifts and their packaging, and also in decorations and holiday trimmings.
Sounds easy peasy, right? Wood toys? Check. Plastic-free "big" gifts? Check.
But the actual gifts aren't the only "givers" of plastic. Some other sneaky plastic sources:
- Bags: If you shop for pretty much anything, you'll probably be handed those goods in a plastic bag. That is, unless you're brilliant enough to remember those reusable ones. If you're looking for more, Reusablebags.com has a sale going on, so stock up and cut back on those plastic grabs. Us and Them: Nature's Child gives handy (and easy to tuck into any bag) Chico bags to our in-store customers.
- Product Packaging: Why do so many toys (not to mention small electronics) come in that excessive packaging? You know what I mean: twist-tie here, inches-thick plastic there. Amazon.com wondered the same thing, which is why it launched the "Frustration-Free Packaging." That's all fine and nice. Frankly, I was getting tired of bloodying my hands (and gums) trying to get some products open. But more important than how we feel about this packaging is what it does: minimizes. And we should all maximize our minimalization! Us and Them: Nature's Child does this too! Many--if not most--toys are in very minimal packaging. And, of course, all the floor models are for sale, cutting the packing to nil.
- Gift Wrap. No, the wrapping paper isn't a secret source of bisphenol-A. But what about all those bows? All that tape? If you want a truly eco-wrapped gift, go fabric. My lovely friend Amy Rain (maker of recycled cashmere stuffed animals) has given me gifts for years wrapped in fabric scraps. Yep, she's been out-eco-ing me. She simply used the fabric like wrapping paper, then used cloth ribbon scraps to secure. But for those who'd like to give the wrap that keeps on giving, mosey on over to Crafting a Green World, where she gives step-by-step directions (and pictures) on how to make a gift bag. These dimenstions are specifically for gifting your Homemade Wine, but you're a crafty one. I know you can figure out how to make them bigger!
Plastic is Evil Because:
- We hate hate hate Exxon-Mobil. I know, I know: I used the "h" word. (Please don't tell my word-police son!) Plastic production uses 8% of the world's oil supply. When you buy plastic, you are supporting the oil companies. And considering some, like the aforementioned giant, have had record profits for the past few years, let's minimize our donations to their coffers, shall we?
- Plastic Soup. Sadly, this is not a delicious low-fat meal. There is an actual toxic floatee in the Pacific Ocean, estimated to be twice the size of the continental United States. The Independent reported in February that Charles Moore, the American oceanographer who discovered the soup (and formerly an oil company heir, until this muck pushed him to become an enviro) calls this mess the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" or "trash vortex". Sadly, there are actually two commingling soups: the Western and Eastern Garbage Patches. (Isn't it disgusting that we have to come up with these names, without referring to kids' trading cards from the 1980s?) They stretch from the California coast almost to Japan. They are overwhelmingly made of plastic and according to the UN Environment Programme, plastic debris kills more than a million seabirds every year, as well as more than 100,000 marine mammals.
- It Doesn't Biodegrade. Plastic simply breaks down, or "photo degrades", until it makes its way into the environment in the form of tiny toxic bits. There, they enter the food chain and eventually make their way back to us!
- Boy, is it durable. Scientists think that plastic takes between 400 and 1000 years to "break down". They can't be completely sure, however, as this material is relatively new (1950s for mass production).
You ready? Here are a few ways to avoid plastic. Some of them involve your craftiness and ingenuity, so they actually are great for the environment and your pocketbook.
Get Wood. Buying wooden or other natural toys is the most obvious answer. When you see your child's shiny plastic Christmas list, talk about it. Explain why "Santa" (or grandma) likes to give wooden gifts. Plus, you won't feel sketchy about giving great chemical-free toys!
Rerun. Plastic is mighty fine the second time around! I don't suggest that we all go out and buy plastic goods that are a small percent (hey, zero is a percent) made of post-consumer waste. But if you go for fun gear from Green Toys, totally forgivable and a fabulous gift idea.
Get Crafty. Making your own gifts is a great way to supplement those presents. If you already started making your own wine, you've got a great grown-up gift. But what about the kiddies? A few greats, made from household goods:
- Finger Paint. Check out our blog on Homemade Fingerpaint.
- Eco Child's Play gives the lowdown on making Recycled Crayons. Instead of muffin tins, use cookie cutter shapes, and viola! Great gift for a tot.
- Again, with the Eco Child's Play. They also have a tutorials on other gift ideas, including the oh-so-cool Disappearing Ink. Neato.
- The always favorite Homemade Play Dough. I love different colored beet juice (from golden or red beets) or tumeric for the colors!
Need more inspiration? This BBC writer went plastic-free for a month. We blogged on it a while back.
Sad but true. PlasticBagFree.com is rich with videos, pics, and info. It will convert anyone to minimize!
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