I'm keen! I will commit to 'as plastic free as possible without pissing off the husband' haha. He is a bit of a slow-convert to things like this and doesn't like 'challenges' or competitions or the like, but he does know that I do and will tolerate a fair amount (with a bit of grumbling).
My plan is to do a daily Facebook post about something PFJ related for the 31 days of July to reach out to my friends and family. I will try to remember to cross-post to this thread too!
@HappierAtHome I'll include my planned list and you can pinch any ideas you like ^_^
1. Who gives a crap toilet paper (100% recycled paper. Comes in a box, no plastic)
2. BYO mug - I have a cute mug that says "for [fox] sake" with a picture of a fox, as well as a glass keep cup and a plastic keep cup (that I rescued from the garden two years ago), so plenty of non-disposable coffee options.
3. Cutlery keeper. I am planning to make a keeper for my handbag cutlery instead of randomly jabbing my finger with a fork tine while rummaging, or tasting gritty bits from the bottom of my bag when I use my steel straw.
4. Box o' veg from the local farm which employs refugees, hoping to reduce food kilometers as well as packaging.
5. Safety razor
6. Meat. Found a local butcher who sells hunted pests (rabbits, deer etc) who I am hoping to visit and see if he will sell meat without packaging and I can put it in my own container. This may also give us a meat option which is a little easier on my tender heart. I am already 6/7ths vegetarian due to qualms about the meat industry, but I would like to eat pest meat if it is a possibility for the 7th day.
7. A friend and I have committed to doing a beach trash-bash each weekend in July. We have done two of these already and it is quite a bit of fun. (Also free, good for the planet, and exercise - very Mustachian)
8. Worm farm update
9. Water- bottle, thermos, drink from a bubbler or a tap.
10. My gym has steel straws you can drink your smoothie through and then washup. I will shout them out for this.
11. Bamboo toothbrush.
12. Loose leaf tea. I will purchase a tea strainer and drink loose leaf tea. I dropped the glass strainer from my teapot last month and it (and I) shattered.
13. Implanon. Since I have had this BC implanted I haven't had a proper period for two years, just a little spotting now and then and one freak event. Way less packaging for sanitary products as well as no plastic blister packs from 'the pill'. I am sure this is not an option for everyone (and I feel like the little tube is technically plastic), but it has changed my plastic consumption dramatically.
14. Powershop - my power company sends all updates by email and I pay my bill through their app - no plastic windowed bill in the mail. (I also have a code for $75 off both my bill and theirs if anyone wants to switch which seems like a sales pitch but I can hopefully frame it in a non MLM type way -_-).
15. Grocery shopping with reusable bags. The two big supermarkets in my state will stop providing lightweight single-use plastic bags from the first of July, we have already been using our own bags as much as possible, but occasionally still bringing home a plastic bag which we 'needed' to line our bin, which leads to...
16. Bag-free bin. Can't believe it took me this long to work out - but I am trialing just using a bucket as our bin, and a wire basket for recycling. There is a tap in our bin room, so I can swish it out if there is anything yuck in there, and then I can scrub it in the sink if it reeeeeally needs it, but most of our food scraps go to the worms, so there isn't much wet rubbish anyway.
17. Mug libraries. There are at least two on my university campus and I will shout them out as a great idea (borrow a mug to put your coffee in, bring it back clean later, donate unwanted mugs to the cause).
18. Shampoo... I am going to try using a shampoo bar. I have relatively short hair and Mr has quite long hair, so this one might be just me.
19. Bar soap. I don't love bar soap... but I am going to try some out to see if I can find one that doesn't leave my hands feeling like desiccated coconut.
20. Dishwasher tablets - I have found one brand (one!) that comes just in a cardboard box without individual little wrappers or one big holding 'bag' inside.
21. Washing powder - I have found one brand that comes in a cardboard box without the little plastic scoop.
22. Local bulkfood store. I will be collecting my produce box from here anyway, so I will be on the lookout for any great deals (they had free lemons last time I was there!).
23. Beeswax wraps - my Mum gave me some but I haven't used them yet - looking forward to giving them a go.
24. Hankies - we don't really use tissues, usually toilet paper to blow noses (who gives a crap from pt1) but sometimes we use tissues on the go - I have hankies, I like hankies, I just need to remember to pack them (and to wash them - it's winter here eek!).
25. Email our local bars and ask them to switch to paper straws instead of plastic. Especially since we live so close to the beach.
...
31. Summary, review of the 'dilemma bag', post PFJ thoughts.
I still need to think of 5 more topics- July does have 5 weekends, so I can double up on the trash-bashes, but I am looking for other ideas too. Glad to have like-minded people to pick ideas from that aren't going to cost an arm and a leg.