Yet Americans just keep right on using it. It’s not a big shock. Plastic is cheap, easily portable and lightweight, can be waterproof, and it’s used for flipping everything – toys, dishes, cleaner containers, shampoo bottles, baggies, and so on. You can’t escape. Well, actually you can escape. Fake Plastic Fish is just one blog among many who discusses the quest for a plastic free life. In fact, I talk about it all the time. You can use…

• Cloth shopping bags over plastic.
• Stainless steel water bottles.
• Glass and other dishes over plastic.
• Cloth snack baggies.
• Foil or a food container not plastic wrap.
• Wooden toys, cloth toys, and so on.

You can, even in this day and age use far less plastic if you try. However, there are some who won’t get on board with a plastic free life so I’m offering up these safety tips. Because if you’re gonna use plastics, you may as well use them safely.

Use the safest plastics for babies and young children. Little ones gather toxins and chemicals at a more alarming rate than fully developed adults. If you use plastics for your baby choose safe BPA-free, toxin free options. That goes for feeding gear, toys, and other plastics your baby may get his hands on.

Don’t microwave plastics or otherwise heat them up. The FDA has guidelines about plastics that are kitchen safe vs. not, and while they note that phthalates are only released from the softer plastics, why risk it. This means hand washing your plastics too – because heat from dishwashers releases chemicals as well.

Buy safer food storage plastics that are BPA free.

Lastly, as an earth safety issue reuse and recycle your plastics wisely. If you’re taking on using them, then be a responsible plastic consumer.

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Blisstree

Use plastics safely (if you must)

HGTV shares a list of Garage Sale Strategies to optimize your time and your dollar.  But I think the basics are:

• plan ahead,
• chart a route,
• start early,
• know what you are looking for and what you are willing to spend and
• don’t be afraid to haggle.

There is always a balance to be found between how bad you want something and how badly someone wants to get rid of it.  I know because last summer was the summer of garage sales for me, my husband, brother and any willing friend we could enlist. My parents were selling their house and our collective goal was to eliminate the need for a storage shed and minimize the amount of Stuff we would each get handed over to us and expected to add to our already-full households. We knew before we even set up in the mornings which items we were sick of looking at and would give up at any price and those that were a little more dear. Sure, I’ll say it – I waited until just the right little girl came by to give up my rocking horse. I needed to know it was going to get a good home.

Now that we are trying to transition most of the plastics out of our home, I am finding myself frequenting garage sales as a buyer more and more. How hard is it to find a non-plastic ice cube tray? you would not believe. In fact, I am still looking.

So, I will be out and about on August 9th. Will I see you around?

Post from: Blisstree

Reuse and Recycle on August 9th – National Garage Sale Day