Going Plastic Free in 2016

I don’t really believe in making resolutions, but I do believe in fresh starts. And it only seems fitting to use the new year as an excuse to start fresh. So here is where I declare 2016 to be the year I officially kick plastic out of our home. For the record, we’ve been going plastic-free for about five years now (insert emoji of smile-less, straight face). Though it feels like for every set of glass food storage or set of reusable sandwich bags that I buy, a plethora of plastic princess cups, plastic tupperware housing homemade food from loved ones, or sets of cute plastic bunny plates make their way into our home. Between gifts from well meaning relatives and poor judgement on bringing opinionated toddlers to Target, I’ve felt like I was fighting an uphill battle, but I’m putting my foot down this year.

Why is plastic such a problem? It’s not eco-friendly, it all leaches chemicals of some sort (even those deemed to be safe), some of it off-gasses and I don’t believe it to be a safe way to store or serve food. Don’t get me wrong, it’s impossible to avoid these days, as everything is shipped, sold or packaged in plastic and I know my efforts at home are only making a small dent, but I feel like anything I can do to avoid it will help. Plastic has the highest risk of leaching chemicals when food is stored or heated in it. It can also leach chemicals after being run through the dishwasher, as the high heat encourages it. While it’s great that so many cups and plates are “BPA Free” these days, turns out that some preliminary studies have shown that what they replaced BPA with is actually more harmful than BPA was.. Add in other chemicals like Phthalates into the mix and I just can’t find a way to feel comfortable with my food cozying up to plastic. Not to mention, I just hate plastic from an aesthetic standpoint. I’m drawn to more classic, timeless things like glass or wood. I also hate dealing with all the cheap, discolored, plastic items. Even outside of the kitchen, things like shower liners (often made of plastic-like vinyl) off-gass and just look cheap and disposable. 

So I could get rid of everything in one fell swoop, as I do have enough non-plastic options to squeak by, but I really want to find the best products to replace everything. So this year I’ll be sharing my new finds, as well as sharing some of the non-plastic products we’ve been using and loving for years. I want to be more mindful, in general, of what we bring into our home, so I think a slow approach is best. In the meantime, here’s a post from this past fall on nontoxic options for kid’s feeding time. I have more finds to add to that post soon, as well as lot’s more for the kitchen and the whole home. Happy New Year and here’s to a nontoxic 2016!