Adventures in Living Greenish

It’s no easy task living green in today’s world. You can make what appears to be wonderful choices only to find out later a particular item isn’t nearly as “green” as you’d been led to believe. In the early 90’s I worked as a bagger at the commissary on base. If you don’t know, the commissary is a grocery store located on a military installation and a bagger is the person who places your groceries in a bag, takes it to your car and loads it all in the trunk. Baggers work for tips only but come payday they can make a tidy little sum for a few hours work (and get a pretty good workout too).

I’d come into this profession at a time when brown paper bags were all that was available. Yes, I am older than plastic grocery bags but sadly, those bags will outlive me by a few thousand years (at least). Back then a movement was growing…one that wanted to protect the forests and prevent logging. In an effort to “save the trees” we were forced to accept plastic shopping bags as a new eco-friendly alternative. Let me tell you, they were a b*itch to use. Prior to these flimsy, filmy, floppy things our job was easy…the paper bags were strong and stable and they stacked so nicely in the back of a vehicle. The new plastic bags tore easily and had no “form” so once you set it down the contents would spill out. But hey, we were saving the world!

Fast forward to 2019 and single-use plastic bags are being banned around the world. What was once intended to save the forests is now being blamed for destroying the oceans and the world. And it seems that every other day we’re learning that our “green” choices are no longer green…as a matter of fact, they aren’t even blue or yellow.

Case in point (and one I only recently learned about) is silicone. Loads of “zero-waste”, “eco-friendly”, and “plastic-free” websites are touting the benefits of silicone and may be leading people to believe these items are compostable. While silicone does have *some* of its origins in sand, which is plentiful and natural, the production of it converts it into something much less…green. It does not, in fact, compost and is rarely ever recycled (I mean, is anything these days??). And like plastic, it cannot be recycled into Infinium. You can read more about that here and here. So those silicone storage bags and oven mitts and BBQ sauce brushes aren’t the answer most of us have been looking which makes me sad.

When were we on the road I wrote several posts about the things we were doing to try to live greenish so I thought I would share what we’re doing now that we live in a home. I wrote this one on a different blog. I’ll add to this list as we find other options (or find that the ones we are currently using are found to be non-sustainable or “green-washing”).

Shampoo and Conditioner

I’ve been struggling to find an eco-friendly shampoo for about 5 years. And while I’ve found several I like, they all come in plastic bottles and I hate dealing with plastic bottles. While on the road I even tried no-poo (for about 9 months or so) which only resulted in me having to chop off several inches of damaged hair. I’ve heard about shampoo bars but have been unlucky until now…I think I might have found “The One” in this bar from Whiff Botanicals.

It’s palm oil free and has an unscented version which has been important to me in the past when dealing with “female issues”. This brand comes in completely compostable packaging and pairs a conditioner with the shampoo.

Want to be even “greener”? If you’re looking to go above and beyond you might try the no-poo method. No, this isn’t the one that uses baking soda or ACV…it’s literally water only. People say it can take from 1-24 months for your hair and scalp to transition.

Dishwashing Soap

I’ve also struggled with dish soap. I’m a sucker for Mrs. Meyers Lavendar anything. It was the only thing we used at the Sivananda Yoga Farm (dish soap, hand soap, laundry detergent, all-purpose cleaner) so the smell elicits wonderfully peaceful memories. It’s pretty expensive at our local grocer (almost $5 per bottle) and I now have so many empty squirt bottles that I have run out of ideas on how to use them (one is used for a 50/50 mix of homemade apple scrap vinegar and water for horse hoof care, one of de-skunking the dogs and one for a vinegar rinse for my hair (which I hope to not need in the future).

I’ve actually longed for a bar soap meant for dishes (hell, maybe it’s the same thing as regular soap and I’m overthinking this whole thing) so I was pretty excited to find this bar from No Tox Life. I love how it lathers and it seems to clean my dishes just fine. But I’m sure my mom would hate it. She’s the type who likes a pan full of hot, soapy water at the ready. Truth be told, I am too but I’m working on that.

The bar is supposed to last a very, very, very long time. So, at $12 per bar it might appear pricy but should be longer lasting than the 3 bottles of dish soap in my Subscribe and Save order (currently $11.37 for a one-time order or $9.66 with my discount). Plus I don’t have to deal with the plastic bottles.

Toothbrushes and Dental Floss

It also happened to be time for new toothbrushes. Our old ones, while made from bamboo, still contained nylon bristles. After some searching, I found these which claim to have charcoal-infused bamboo bristles and are 100% compostable. In the past, I’ve had to pull the nylon bristles out prior to composting and then dispose of all those tiny pieces of non-reusable, non-recyclable fibers.

I’ve been using this 100% compostable dental floss from Public Goods. It comes in a glass jar that’s refillable and it’s a lovely floss. I’m about due for refills, which Public Goods sells very inexpensively on their website, but after an inquiry about their packaging I found out they come in a plastic bag. I searched through Amazon and put these refills in my shopping cart but I haven’t yet tried them. It appears they will fit inside my glass container, which would be awesome. I’ll update y’all when I have a chance to test out the new floss.

By the way, Public Goods is a member’s site that specializes in “high end, low-cost essentials”. Membership is $59 per year (kinda pricy) but I happened to back them when they were starting the company and received a lifetime membership for a one-time fee of $59. So far I’ve liked everything I’ve tried and I enjoy the simple, no-frills packaging. They are moving toward sustainability but many of their products are still only available in plastic…with the suggestion to just recycle it. I hope they continue to make changes and move toward home compostable packaging, paper or glass when possible. If you want to try them out this discount code will get you $20 off your purchase (I’ll get $20 off my next order too! It’s a win/win!).

Here are our newest toothbrushes:

Laundry and Dishwasher Detergent

We’ve been using Dropps Laundry Detergent for about a year now. I was intrigued the first time I saw their ad and hooked when the products arrived 100% plastic-free. Dropps are (mostly) liquid laundry pods that dissolve in water. They also carry laundry booster pods and scent pods if you prefer that fresh-from-the-laundry smell…I know some people who refuse to switch from Tide because they can’t imagine scent-free laundry as being clean. Oh, and they also offer a great dishwashing pod!

All of these Dropps products come in cardboard boxes that are compartmentalized so they don’t burst open and leak everywhere. I have received several boxes without issue. They are easy enough for Clark to use (one pod per load), leave no mess (no spills!) and reduce the number of large plastic jugs we have to get rid of somehow. Dropps offers scented versions, stain and odor-fighting versions, baby safe versions and versions for sensitive skin.

I can help you save a little money if you’d like to give Dropps a try. The first is through our referral code which will give you $10 off a subscription.

The other way to get big savings is by looking for a Groupon like this one that offers up to $100 worth of Dropps products for $45. I’ve used these Groupons before and let me tell you, they are an outstanding value (the Dropps website does make you create a subscription but those can be canceled any time).

How we strive to be even “greener”…we wash all of our clothing in cold water. Heating, of any sort, is one of the biggest energy hogs so we choose not to use heated water on our clothing unless absolutely necessary (as in the case of very greasy rags or questionable pet/chicken messes). We also utilize our clothesline and wooden indoor clothing rack as much as possible but with much room for improvement. I’m trying to plan our new utility room to somehow include a clothing drying system for winter and monsoon use.

Toilet Paper (it all comes back to poop)

One of my biggest frustrations is the toilet. No, no…I don’t mean I have issues going but I do have issues with the fact that we use potable water to poop and pee in while people around the world go without clean drinking water. The other frustration is toilet paper.

Last year we installed bidets onto both of our toilets in an effort to reduce our dependency on wet wipes and reduce the amount of tp we use. (Arguments can be made that a bidet a waste of even more clean water but others have found this not to be true). I used to buy 100% post-consumer recycled toilet paper at the grocery store but was having a difficult time finding it not wrapped in plastic…or strong enough to not end up poking a finger through (eww).

I came across Who Gives a Crap and did a little digging. While it’s still a recycled paper product it arrives without any plastic (except some packing tape but the company is working on finding a paper tape that can hold these big boxes together) and it’s great quality. Each roll is wrapped in recycled paper, for sanitary reasons, which are at least biodegradable and compostable. We go through about one box (48 rolls) per year which costs us $48. The company is dedicated to making positive changes in the world by donating (as of Feb 2019) over $1.3 million to charity while saving trees, water, and energy.

You can get $10 off your first order by using this link (I’ll get $10 off too but it won’t cost you anything).

Want to be even “greener”? Install a bidet and then opt to use a cloth to wipe…keep a little bin near the toilet to store the clothes and wash regularly.

About Shipping

I know, I know…here I am trying to make positive changes while promoting Amazon. Which means I’m having eco-friendly items shipped to me. Doesn’t that nullify any attempts at cutting plastic from our life? We’ve certainly been shocked to receive a small item shipped in a large box with plastic air pillows or a plastic-free item in a plastic shipping envelope. It’s frustrating, to say the least.

In our small town, we have extremely limited shopping options. There’s no Home Depot, Target, Lowes, Costco or bulk grocery stores. We do have a Walmart and a small Ace Hardware but even those have limited brands and even less eco-friendly options…and they have to ship all of their items in as well. We also don’t have curbside recycling (not that recycling is the answer). Our town accepts limited recyclables (#1 & #2 plastic only, cardboard, tin, and aluminum…sometimes office paper and sometimes newspaper) that all have to be pre-sorted and driven to a drop off station about 20 miles from our house. However, I firmly believe recycling is just a bandaid and opting for plastic-free alternatives has a bigger impact.

I spoke to our various delivery drivers (I like to get to know people) and expressed my despair over the situation. Do I drive to town (12 miles one way) to buy (at a higher price) items I need (that have to be shipped in anyway) to reduce our need for home deliveries or do I hope Amazon truly wants to become “net zero carbon” with their shipment (their goal is 50% net zero carbon by 2030).

Last year I made my very first batch of homemade soap. It was rewarding and surprisingly easy. But here’s the thing…something like 75% of the ingredients came from far away (even if I bought it at a local store it was still shipped here). About the only thing that didn’t have to be shipped in was the water…oh wait, it was distilled water and we don’t have a distiller so even that was imported! Since I want to make even more soap…perhaps a shampoo bar or dishwashing bar or maybe even enough to sell my excess bars at the Farmer’s Market…it would make sense to buy the ingredients in bulk to reduce the number of plastic bottles (like lye) that I need. So, like most of my soap-making friends, that would mean ordering from somewhere and getting special shipments. {FYI: I actually purchase lard from a local farmer and make old fashioned lard soap in an effort to use local ingredients…but soap making still requires other things that aren’t local}.

There are a few things you can do to make your Amazon order a little more eco-friendly. One: opt for frustration-free packaging if available. Two: when confirming your order choose to group your shipment in the fewest possible packages. Sure, it may take a day or two longer but hey, we’re trying to save the planet here. Three: select the “no rush” option. Amazon is then able to ship your package in the most efficient manner. Rather than the carrier making a special delivery in a half-empty truck in order to fulfill a shipping promise, you’re offering to wait a day or two so the truck can (potentially) be filled to capacity before heading out. You may even earn a credit toward future purchases.

I’ve mentioned before that I’m always open to “doing better” once I have the knowledge. As a matter of fact, when I was linking those old blog posts way at the start of this post I noticed how many items I was using that are not very eco-friendly (lots of plastic packaging) and that I no longer use. I’ll be sure to let you know what we’re using now. We only know what we know and we don’t know what we don’t know. I’m by no means saying this is the right way to try to reduce our dependency on plastics or that I’m better than anyone else by implementing these feeble attempts at reducing waste. I look around my house and peek in the garbage bin and see so.much.waste. I’ve got plastic everywhere. And, my vehicle, while paid off, is not very fuel-efficient either. Thankfully we only drive it a few times a week. I know we have a long way to go but I still get excited to share things I think/hope/feel might be a little less “bad” than the status quo.

A few side notes:
1-The links above are Amazon, Groupon and Dropps affiliate links. I might earn a small commission from these companies if you use these links to purchase these items. This helps us with feed, veterinary care and farrier visits for the rescue critters at Mutiny Ranch. It does not affect the price you pay.

2-My intent is not for you to buy things, especially if you don’t need them. However, if you’re almost out of shampoo and are about to buy a new bottle perhaps you’ll want to try the shampoo bar above. One thing that’s definitely not eco-friendly is buying thing just to buy. And there’s no need to replace perfectly good items in your home until absolutely necessary.

3-I’ll be adding to this list and updating things as my knowledge grows and I’ve had a chance to test some new items. I currently have a tubeless toothpaste on my list of things to replace…after I use up the 3 tubes of Tom’s of Maine toothpaste I got on clearance for $2.50/tube.

I’d love to hear about the things you’re doing and the items you’re loving right now!

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