Comments on: Can We Live in a Plastic Free World?

By: krithika

krithika — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 03:13:46 +0000

I’m from India, and I guess i’m on my way to becoming like Alwateen.
I use a daatun(a tree twig) for brushing my teeth.
and I use herbs pounded at home instead of soap and shampoo. And you’re so right. even here, they demand thaila for privilege purposes.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 15:33:43 +0000

Denise- it is hard to choose what we can do and can’t do. I do recommend that when using trash bags you use the green ones that break down when disposed off they make them in several different sizes and you can find them at most grocery stores. Then your trash can doesn’t get all smelly and they won’t be sitting in a landfill, but will break down instead of holding the contaminants inside them.
Just please don’t use the plastic trash bags you get from the grocery store (hopefully you aren’t even getting them) they are not biodegradeable and even worse than cleaning out a smelly trash can, we could be stuck cleaning up a really smelly world if the use of those continues. Many think using them is “recycling” but it’s not.

By: Alwateen

Alwateen — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 18:23:36 +0000

Well, striving for sucess, I myself in Pakistan is doing some efforts to STOP the Plastic use in my peronal life – and forcing my siblings to live my life (FORCE, EXTRA FORCE).
there are few funny stuff I’d like to tell you,
people asks for plastic bags for there “show off”
they don’t like to carry vegetable based or cloth bags (extremly cheap) – they say that it is opposite to their pride.
people ask for plastic bags because they cannot carry any alternative, bla bla bla thousand of reasons when it comes to a nation with only 3% of true rate of proper educated people (1% of which thinks ethically) they say “theily do na” means give me a plastic made shopping bag.
So I came after few months of living in germany and I changed my life TOTALLY, (for some people it might be CRAZY A*****)
I go to shops with my cotton bag (you can turn 4 or 5 bags to get enough payload) i keep several small bags to get several things not being mixed up.
I use wooden bed, cotton matterss (made by myself), wooden furniture, do not buy magazines and newspapers (most of the time), don’t accept brouchers (because most of the stuff is non recycleable) I finally made my MOM convinced not to buy any plastic thing for kitchen and scarped the previous things, We use glass and pyrex things in our home.
I planted 10 trees to safe positions in my street this week.
I am building my astronomy observatory (plastic less), chairs are being made out of wood, the floor and all the other stuff of wood. Unfortunalty most of things are made out of plastics but you can’t resist them at all they are necessary.
I am thinking to make a windmill structure all out of wood. (yes I am working on it)
I am planting atleast 15 trees a month which don’t require much water (as the area is less for water) (dates, coconut and kikar (local name) ) and am planning to get it done around 45 per month in this years target. (spending a lot of money on them and rest of it on caring plants)
I am going to buy a woolen carpet and wooden floors (no poleyester) sofas are already cotton (alas mattress) but the rest of the chairs I am going to buy are bamboo made fancy. and wooden based.
I prefer buying CANNED FOOD (CANNED COOKING OIL) and when it is matter of spices (I get best quality from BAZAR (a market openly selling best quality spices) I go there with my fabric bags and glass bottles to the extent I can use.
I don’t buy any plastic canned food item (till it is end of the earth) fortunatly NO medicine (90%) is packed in plastic bottles here (alimunium foils for tablets and capsules) and glass bottles for syrups most of the time. NO COKE and Beverage in plastic bottle, I use cans – yes they are expensive but they are worth buying for our planet.
ok comming to cooking without plastic appliances.
you can beat eggs with hand beater when making cake; reasons: it becomes the best and you get a small workout.
I am using natural gas (green gas) for my oven. (not with conventional oil based generated electricity)
I blend all the stuff with my hand blender, hand mincer, and hand made manuall things.
I don’t use any dishwasher.
I don’t use any microwave (yes I have given it to my cousins) it is unhealthy and made under non-eviormental conditions.
I use biodiesel from used vegetable oils to run my generator to light up, when the local grid is down.
I use my car with Natural Gas CNG – do not use gasoline at all. (most of the cars in Pakistan is doing this as we have plenty of gas resources)
I use MATKA (a clay made cooler by which you can get filtered, cooled, water instead of PLASTIC COOLER!)
I don’t use Airconditioner most of the time, because Compressors with CFC are not good for our planet.
I am looking for a green refrigrator.
I am going to invest in Solar Panels, a Wind Mill and my own setup – instead of a telescope (which I don’t know how am I resisting)
I use minimum battery operated instruments, and try to use long term rechargeable batteries.
I am using wireless internet, wireless networking, (to reduce cabling) I insist my friends on doing so (as a status symbol so they also cut wires)
I THINK A LOT BEFORE BUYING ANYTHING, I THINK ABOUT THE ALTERNATIVE (WHAT IS THE POSSIBLE SOLUTION???)
I USE A LOT OF GLASS STUFF.
Though I use a lot of wood, but I am planting a lot of wood too, and believe me as soon as my trees are getting bigger, I am so much happy on it.
I HATE APPLIANCES made of plastics. whatever I don’t buy most of them including my favorite iPod and other gadgets.
In my future I will be opening a business which focus on cheap green products and 50% of all profit will go on planting the forest. I want my country 60% of forest. MORE FOREST MORE RAINS, MORE CROPS, MORE PROSPERITY.
My family is sick of me and don’t want to change the life style but I am pushing them to do the thing

By: denise

denise — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 23:00:26 +0000

What about plastic bags for trashcans? what if you’re in the bathroom using the toilet and you throw all the butt-wipe tissue in the trashcan? won’t it dirty and make the trashcan smell horrible? All I’m asking is about the trashcans…especially the ones in the bathroom.

By: GreenJoyment

GreenJoyment — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 05:16:53 +0000

Hey Colton,
I definitely believe it’s possible to live without plastic. But it really comes down to individuals deciding that they can live without using plastic products. It’s difficult, and not a step that Carrie and I are ready to make yet 100%. But we’re getting there. What about you? Are you able to reduce/remove the use of plastic in your life?
Warmest,
Jonathan

By: colton watters

colton watters — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 00:56:38 +0000

SO CAN WE LIVE WITHOUT PLASTIC

By: Kristina Norrad

Kristina Norrad — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:57:14 +0000

have you tried getting a cantine or a wineskin…the old fashion wine skin is totally natural…

By: Gary

Gary — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:46:18 +0000

Okay, plastic bottles are bad for the environment and our bodies. What should I take on my morning run to drink water from? I was using aluminum bottles until I found rust inside them. And aluminum is not the best thing for our bodies.