clean green home ECO-GUIDE a user friendly, one stop resource to help individuals reduce their dependence on single-use plastic, and save time and money in the process! by jessie franklin Copyright © 2018 by Jessie Franklin. All rights reserved. www.eco-fundraiser.com Table of Contents Introduction and how single-use plastic impacts our environment 1 - three easy steps to reduce single-use plastic dependence, NEEDS, and 7 R’s ​ ​ ​ 2 - online shopping and shipping 3 - grocery shopping and eating out 4 - lunches and post game snacks 5 - kitchen, bath, cleaning products, laundry & other household items 6 - toiletries, self care products, makeup, and sunscreen 7 - parties 8 - children’s toys and crafts 9 - cloth diapers 10- shoes, clothes, donation suggestions and other 11- what else can I do? 12- letters Introduction Welcome to Clean Green Home — an Eco-guide created to help simplify the process ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ of reducing single-use plastic by making it simple, accessible, and affordable! My name is Jessie Franklin, the founder of Eco-Fundraiser.com - a zero waste school ​ ​ fundraiser - and author of Clean Green Home. Three years ago, I decided to eliminate ​ ​ unnecessary toxins from my home because I began to realize that many ingredients used in household and beauty products, even the so called “green” ones, are chemicals that can be harmful to our health. My research led me to see how the ingredients in every product we use, and it’s packaging - especially single-use and disposable plastic - also impacts the health of our environment. I always thought that plastics would forever have use if properly recycled, but as I learned more, I discovered that recycling them is not the eco-friendly solution that I had believed it to be. My research led to the discovery that if plastic actually makes it to be recycled, it only has a recycle life of 1-3 times (at best) before it will be made into something that can no longer be recycled (like clothing or carpet)! And in many cities the plastic that is collected from curbside bins is sold and shipped to China, or other countries across seas. However, China has now imposed a ban and is no longer accepting plastics from most of the West, making plastic waste and even more pressing situation since it can take hundreds of years to degrade in a landfill. The solution is to find ​ alternatives to purchasing products that are made of, or packaged in, plastic - especially those intended for single-use! Learning how to drastically reduce my unintentional consumption of plastic has been a gradual process of research (hours, and hours and hours), lots of trials, and TONS of errors. So I decided that all of the time and energy I've spent on research could make a more powerful impact on preserving our environment by sharing it with people everywhere - because it’s not about the desire to protect our environment - it’s about knowing where to start (which can be intimidating, confusing, and overwhelming), and how to do it in a practical way. Our society is not set up to make being an eco-conscious consumer easy, but if we all do our best to make informed choices, eventually the tides will turn. I created this Eco-guide, with the intention to help ​ ​ individuals simplify the process of reducing their dependence on plastics, which in turn will have long lasting and far reaching positive effects on the environment. I’ve also included a letter at the end of chapter 12 requesting grocers to carry more plastic free products so that consumers will have easy access to them. Please feel free to copy the letter to send to your local grocer or grocery chain. Waste = In this guide the word, “waste,” means any part of a product or its packaging ​ that needs to be discarded (ending up in the landfill) once its useful life is over. All plastic is considered waste, even if it is a plastic product or container that can be ​ recycled, because these plastics can only be downcycled and made into something ​ else 1-3 times. For example, recycled plastic bottles can be downcycled into synthetic materials (polyester, fleece, spandex, nylon) that will be used to make things like clothing, shoes, carpet and rugs. These items are not recyclable at the end of their useful life, and will eventually end up in a landfill and can take hundreds of years, if not more (scientists don’t really know yet), to decompose. And the chemicals left behind can damage the surrounding environment for years to come. With that being said, now it’s time for a disclaimer: THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS GUIDE REFLECTS THE OPINIONS OF THE AUTHOR REGARDING THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND/OR BENEFITS OF THE PACKAGING USED FOR THE REFERENCED PRODUCTS. THE AUTHOR'S OPINIONS DO NOT CONSTITUTE A WARRANTY OR ENDORSEMENT OF THE REFERENCED PRODUCTS' SAFETY OR EFFICACY. And, in case you’re wondering, I am not sponsored by any of the companies whose ​ ​ products are recommended in this guide. I have actually used these products in my own home, and they are what I’ve found to be the best alternatives to products that would otherwise be packaged in, or made of, plastic. I’d love to have you join me on Facebook or Instagram @themindful_momma for ​ ​ updates on new information and helpful hints on how to transition from plastic dependence. Hopefully seeing my posts will help you stay connected with your intention to make a positive impact on our earth, and will be a reminder to stay on the path, even if you make some mistakes along the way. It is my intention to create a supportive and informative community of people like you and I who care, and want to learn how to become good citizens of the earth together. I look forward to hearing from you and answering questions that may come up, so please feel free to reach out to me anytime! packaging and disposal in a nutshell Packaging: Non-renewable resources such as oil and water are used to make plastic. ​ ​ ​ Many products, especially food and personal care products, are packaged in plastic. Plastics are not easily recyclable in all areas, and in some cases, no longer accepted in city recycling programs. Water is also a consideration when looking at single-use plastic packaging. For example, it takes almost twice the amount of water to make a bottle for bottled water than there is water in the bottle for consumption. It’s best to refuse products made of or packaged in plastic. Luckily, you have this Eco-guide to ​ ​ help you make new purchasing decisions! Disposal: Even if plastics can be recycled in your city’s curbside pick-up, they only ​ ​ ​ have a down-cycling life of 1-3 times (at best) before the end product (likely clothing, ​ ​ shoes, carpet, rugs etc.) eventually becomes waste in the landfill or natural environment. The best way to truly reduce plastic waste is to use this guide to ​ help you find alternatives to products that are packaged in, or made of plastic, especially those intended for single-use . How to use this guide: Read Chapters 1-3 for easy tips that you can put to use right ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ away. After that, you can continue to read the guide cover to cover, or simply refer to each chapter on an as-need basis when making your next purchasing decision(s). I’ve included Tips which offer ways to save you money and/or time. And remember, every ​ ​ time that you purchase something you have the opportunity to make a difference, so just take it one step at a time! Chapter 1 - three easy steps to reduce single-use plastic dependence, ​ ​ NEEDS, and 7 R’s ​ ​ Here are 3 easy steps to replace single-use plastic dependence today! #1 Purchase your own reusable water bottle and coffee mug ​ ​ ​ Bring them with you everywhere, so that you won’t need to buy bottled water or accept drinks in plastic cups. You can double your impact by purchasing a bottle that’s insulated and use it when you get your to go coffee, tea, juice, smoothies, or ANY beverage. Fact: About 1 MILLION plastic bottles are used EVERY MINUTE, that’s about 50 ​ ​ ​ ​ BILLION EVERY YEAR in the US alone! About 38 MILLION of these will end up in the ​ ​ landfill! That’s the equivalent to 192 gallons of oil and about 1 billion dollars! There are a lot of different stainless steel bottles and mugs out there now, but many have plastic lids, or contain plastic parts. Here are a few that don’t. Pura offers insulated or non-insulated water bottles for adults and children of all ages. ​ They also offer interchangeable food grade silicone mouth pieces for kids as they ​ ​ move through different stages (nipple, sip spout, straw). ​ ​ Tip: Bring your child’s reusable water bottle into restaurants for their drinks. Just ask ​ ​ ​ your server to fill the reusable bottle with their beverage. If a plastic cup with water is brought to your table, simply refuse it before they set it down. Yolohayoga makes simple, elegant glass and food grade stainless steel insulated ​ bottles wrapped with beautiful, eco-friendly decorative cork (which is antimicrobial). u-conserve offers a great insulated travel mug with a food grade silicone lid (many hot ​ beverage stainless mugs have plastic lids). Water Filters: Many people ask me how to transition from using bottled water ​ because they don’t want to drink tap water (although many bottled waters are comparable to tap water quality).