How to Live With Less Plastic in the Hudson Valley

How to Live with Less Plastic

1) Buy in bulk

Whenever you can, purchase dry goods and spices in bulk, but make sure you’re being realistic about the amounts; overbuying and waste are not the aims here. Use old glass jars to store grains, lentils, nuts and seeds. If you can take the jars with you to the shop and fill them there, all the better.

2) Replace plastic wrap with beeswax

Health food stores and bulk shops sell beeswax wrap, it’s also easy to find online. It works well for covering cheese, sandwiches, and bowls. Reusable zip-lock bags are also now available and are much better options than throwaway bags.

3) Bottle your water

Keep glass bottles to fill with tap water and store in the fridge. You can use a cheap charcoal filter in the bottle to make the water taste better. If you buy a lot of bottles of sparkling water, consider a SodaStream to carbonate your own drinking water.

4) Use glass storage containers

If you have plastic containers at home, replace them with glass when they wear out. Glass is a safer material since plastic can taint food. Also consider enamel pots that can go from the oven to the fridge. A bowl covered with a plate is another eco option.