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All about reducing and reusing
Dear Readers,
In our last edition, I wrote about the global Plastic Free July movement. Over the past five years, the movementโs participants have made changes in consumption that amount to over 1.4 billion pounds of plastic avoided: an astounding feat. That said, Iโd be shocked if any of the individuals managed to actually cut plastic out of their lives for an entire month. To do so would essentially mean reverting to a different time, or living not just off-grid, but entirely off the land.
Journalist A.J. Jacobs, in an article describing his quest to avoid plastic for just one day, illustrated vividly that the stuff is everywhere. He brought his own food containers to a takeout spot; eschewed elevators, with their plastic buttons, for stairs; and eventually spent the night on the hardwood floor โ the mattress and pillows being verboten. โEverything looked menacing, like it might be harboring hidden polymers,โ he reported. By the end of the day, despite his efforts, heโd still tallied 164 counts of interactions with plastic.ย
If youโre looking for good news, Iโll give you some: Even if you canโt really avoid plastic, you can easily cut back. Thatโs why today Iโm sharing a few products that can help you use less plastic overall, even if they contain, well, you know โฆ plastic. Thus: Nearly Plastic Free July. The items in this newsletter fall into the categories below:
- Long-lasting items that use relatively little plastic and replace hundreds or thousands of waste-generating single-use products.ย
- Items we need for modern living that, despite the plastic they contain, are better-made than their counterparts.ย
- Items that can help you ingest fewer microplastics!ย
How have you reduced waste and plastic in your home? What changes have been the easiest, and which the hardest? Are you looking for a replacement to a common item and having a hard time finding one? Iโd love to hear about it.
Thanks for reading and happy shopping!
โ Elizabeth Weinstein, Marketplace Editor
Nearly Plastic-Free Products for July and Beyond
Better Batteries
Paleblue makes reliable, fast-charging lithium-ion batteries that can be reused about 1000 times, which represents a huge money-saving over time. Like most batteries, they do contain 10โ20% plastic by weight, but reusing instead of replacing means much less plastic production. Rechargeable batteries are easier to recycle than conventional ones. Read our review.
Bubbles on Demand
If you love sparkling water, you owe yourself a SodaStream. Iโm willing to bet that youโll soon wonder how you got on without it. (Case in point: Bluedotโs VP literally takes hers on vacation.) The compact device clears space in your pantry, fridge, and recycling bin โ and ensures thereโs always fizzy water on hand. Each bottle can be carbonated over 3000 times. Read our review.
Excellent Water Filters
No one wants to ingest microplastics and forever chemicals. Epic Water Filters offers bottles, pitchers, and plumbed-in filters that eliminate more than 99% of tap water contaminants, including microplastics, PFAS, chlorine, and heavy metals. Each pitcher filter cleans 150 gallons of water. Save 15% with code BLUEDOT. Read our review.
A Baking Mat Guaranteed for Life
A reader once wrote to Bluedotโs advice columnist, Dot, to ask if silicone baking mats are a greener choice than baking paper. The answer: yes. The French brand Silpat offers a generous lifetime guarantee on its mats โ promising it mats can withstand up to 3,000 uses in the oven. Read our review.
Baggies That Do Everything
Stasherโs seriously leak-proof zip-top silicone bags can do everything from storing snacks and freezing leftovers to sous-vide cooking. The bags are dishwasher-safe, but to make them last, avoid turning them inside out โ instead clean the corners with a bottle brush. Each Stasher Bag can replace about 260 single-use bags. Read our review.
Long-Lasting Essentials
LastObject, a Danish B Corp founded in 2018, creates items that will hopefully be the last of their kind youโll ever need to use โ at least for a very long time. Their bestsellers include ear and makeup swabs, tissues, makeup rounds, and sanitary pads. Just one LastSwab can replace over 1,000 traditional cotton swabs. Read our review.ย
Next-Level Toiletry Capsules
Cadence creates attractive, refillable toiletry capsules designed to replace travel-size plastic bottles. Made with recycled ocean-bound plastic, the modular, leakproof, TSA-compliant containers snap together for easy packing. Theyโre a practical way to carry shampoo, skincare, supplements, jewelry, and more. Read our review.ย
Long-Lasting Period Care
Over the course of 10 years, a menstruating woman can use over 2,500 tampons or sanitary pads โฆ or a single menstrual disc or cup. Saalt offers these reusable period products as well as comfortable, absorbent period panties. In addition to preventing waste, the items can save you a lot of money over a decade. Read our review.
