Uhh. . . cat litter? LOL Oh! I didn't see that it was a link.

I'll report back to this in a couple days. Kinda all busy for a bit. But I'm loving sharing ideas.

It seems expensive. I wonder how long a bag lasts.

I also wonder how Sweet PDZ would work for litter.

I'm sure it's expensive. It's supposed to be the equivalent of 20 pounds of clay and last a month for one cat use. I was just thrilled to see something made from hemp. I wonder if it could be used for chickens.

FB has my number. The ads are leaning toward plastic free sustainable stuff. Too bad I can't afford them. https://ethique.com/collections/body-moisturise. This place has shampoo and other things, too.

Mine, too, Amy, but that's okay with me. Speaking of, I'm going to go investigating. I will report back. BTW, did you all see where I posted on FB about the difference between biodegradable and not? Come to find out, biodegradable is kind of a fake advertising word.

Biodegradable doesn't mean anything for all practical purposes. It's an advertising fake word. I've concluded the real answer is to use less of everything. And to remember how I grew up. Mom DID use plastic bread bags. But she saved them and washed them and used them over and over. I think the magic word is to ban "single use plastic." And then to phase out other plastics. I DO plant to get shampoo, cream rinse, laundry, dish soap--all waterless, and packaged responsibly. Too much misinformation on paper products for me to sort out the truth yet. I have a coffee cup that was made from corn residue. I got it from the power company I worked for. They were proud to have produced a cup that wasn't plastic. Feels like plastic. But they admitted there was no good way yet to break it down. This was oh, 8 years ago. And I think that's where we generally are with biodegradables in general. But I certainly can use LESS plastic, and be proactive in not buying stuff with much plastic packaging. Also in being much more responsible in both using paper and recycling paper. By recycling paper, I guess I mean breaking it down for compost.

I did buy some Eucerin bar "soap" on Amazon (hasn't arrived yet). Supposed to be moisturizing and not supposed to have any soap in it. We'll see if it can replace body wash.

My mom made us put bread bags over our socks in the winter to keep our feet dry ⛄️

Kim--we did that when I lived on the ranch and had to go riding in the cold winters. Helped keep our feet warm, AND made it super easy to slide our feet into our boots.

What are options for dish detergents? Anybody found any, yet?

I am one of bread bag people also.

The only thing I think of when people say "bread bag" is that my mom used cloth diapers on us and took bread bags when she left the house to put "used" diapers into to transport home. Disposable diapers were available back then...but they weren't well constructed and gave us rashes. Now, a lot of the young "crunchy moms" are using cloth again....but they're different than the old days.

I take bread bags to the "bag" recycler. I don't know what else to do with them.

I would bake our bread (Tom wants me to quit my job so I can stay home and bake bread. lol) but it takes SO long. He gets spoiled over the winter holidays because I'm home so much and do things like bake bread.

I don't have any suggestions for dish detergents, Nancy. I do know that it's not only the container that is important, it's the ingredients in the product you're using. I use "healthier" soaps/detergents, but there's still the problem of packaging.

I personally don't use it... but from what I read, and heard on "Doug and Stacy" you tube videos...

use Dr. Bronners liquid organic soap. I know, it goes a very very long way, and can also be used as body soap, washing hair and lots more.

https://www.drbronner.com/

I was not impressed with home made dishwasher soaps (these are usually some combination of washing soda, baking soda and borax. Some put in a few drops of Dawn. This is also laundry detergent if you add fels naptha or zote soap.

I have a recipe for bread that doesn't take a lot of working time, though you let it rise overnight. I'll find it later.

Wow! Check out Plastic Free Living Tips and Tricks on FB! Tons of stuff there.

I did check that out Nancy! Wow is right.

Unfortunately I have quite a few friends that are not willing to carry their own shopping bags for various reasons.

I have since I was old enough to walk to the grocery store (in Germany).

But, these friends will give me their walmart etc. bags, which I then use as trash can liners.

I am not a big time consumer, and thus, don't generate much trash. I generate a whole lot more compostable. My trashcan is therefor rather small. :)

Nancy I also am looking at minimalist... wow for that one too.

People sure go way the other way from the average Joe.

Moni

Which one was it, Moni? A minimalist life? with 57k members?

We're not big consumers, either. I haven't bought any clothes since my last trip to Minnesota 2 years ago, when I scored 5 pr of used levis and a few tops from my favorite thrift store up there. I'm heartbroken, because that thrift store went out of business later than year. I'd been buying all my work clothes and levis there for 15 years. I admit I have been buying a lot of books recently--multiple copies of the same books, also--buying them used and passing out to friends. Books about sustainable living and the environment.

We do several things right, GDW and I--and need to do better with other things. Education is key, would you all agree?

I thing a big deal for us will be using LESS. Less plastic, less paper. Buying products according to how they're packaged (re plastics), being mindful of recycling paper. I'd hope to be able to use most of our discarded paper in compost piles. We'll see how that goes. I've been shredding it.

We'd gotten a little lax on trips to town. It's difficult with becoming a bit more involved with volunteer activities. I don't like it.

Also, I've decided we're going to have to go to Sprouts in Broken Arron every 4-6 weeks to stock up on bulk items. Can you all tell me what kind of containers we could use for the bin items?

The Sprouts produce bags are supposed to be compostable I can't remember what they provide at the bins, I'm sure they're plastic bags. I would call sprouts and see if they will weigh a container you bring from home. They sell nylon reusable produce bags that you could put beans or seeds in as long as they're big enough not to go through the fabric. Flour and stuff is another story. They also sell spices in bulk. Though we reuse spice bottles. Reasors also has bulk items. Theirs are in dispensers, which some how seem more sanitary to me.

Here's the bread recipe. https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/no-knead-overnight-artisan-bread/

Sometimes Ron puts this in loaf pans. I want to say it makes 2.

Larry that is a great idea. I save mine too

nancy dr bronners is great soap for cleaning.

dish washer detergent I used bleach and then vinegar in the rinse dispensers.

my opinion I would not buy any bulk open bin items at all because of sneezes. 😬 working in grocery I have seen too much. If there’s an item u truly want in bulk have natgro or sprouts order a 25 or 50 pound bag

Kim, don't tell me about grocery stores, I don't want to know. I'm already worried about restaurants.

Nancy it's : Practical Minimalism

For Sprouts and for Winco I use: https://www.amazon.com/Reusable-Produce-Lightweight-See-Through-Vegetable/dp/B07T1TD17N/ref=sr_1_11?crid=90H7FL3LAGCO&keywords=reusable+produce+bags&qid=1580163270&sprefix=re+usable%2Caps%2C168&sr=8-11

They of course, don't work for powdery items... and if you get raisins or craisins you will need to wash them for sure.

Thanks for the bread recipe, Amy, I can't wait to try that out. It looks really good.

Moni, I use the mesh bags too. I like them a lot. If I must use a plastic produce bag, I reuse it too! More often than not, I'll just take my produce to the register unbagged. It sorta makes some cashiers grumpy. Oh well. I don't need a plastic sack to carry 5 apples home OR 3 potatoes.

About the bulk bins...I'm super picky about food (how it's grown, etc.) and often there's not much information about the product. It's just sitting in the bin. Where did it come from? How was it grown/processed? Etc.

There's a YouTuber who takes jars in to the grocery store and has them weighed before filling. I think that is super cool. Her channel is the Fairly Local Vegan (although I think she changed her name to Fairly Local Family. She buys their clothes and household stuff all second hand. She bought a pair of leather sandals for one of her kids because they were sturdy and well made...and she knew they would be handed down to her younger kids. The vegan freaks destroyed her for buying leather. Anyway...she is no longer "vegan" [but she still doesn't eat animal products]...her point was that these sandals were already in existence and were cheap. The trendy vegan options were expensive and other things...I'm rambling.) ANYWAY, I think it's great to take your own jars to the bulk bins.

Paper sacks CAN be used like cardboard in the garden, though.

During my trip last year I would stop at grocery stores to get a bagel, and then some ham or turkey and a slice of cheese. All except one deli counter person would put the meat and the cheese in the same bag upon my request. They would just put two price stickers on.

That one said, you can put that in the same bag after you pay for it. My request of saving plastic went on deaf ears. She said, it was store policy. WEIRD.

Moni

Random thoughts. I was looking at my beloved lap blanket that is a fake suede fabric and a fake sheep fleece on the other. I love this thing, it keeps me warmer than anything else. But of course it's synthetic. So then the question is, what blanket would be most sustainable? You could have real sheep skin I guess. I had a coat like that once. It must have weighed 50 pounds. PETA people wouldn't like it, and I suppose vegans. But the fact is, it would decompose. And you can grow more sheep. In my mind, rabbit would be softer and lighter. I think regular wool is itchy. Ron has 2 wool blankets they are both too heavy for me to sleep under. Also, moths eat holes in wool. Mean while, I will have my lap blanket till I die, so at least it will have a long use.

Got my Eucerin soap today. Looks like all but the last ingredient are good and it would have a small amount. I'm considering using it in my hair.

As they make laws against plastic, there will be more awareness of using less. If I have a choice between paper or plastic bags, I go with paper. Some times the clerk looks at me like "you're killing trees". But plastic is killing everything. And I reuse paper bags and they can be composted.

LOL! This is one of my favorites from Portlandia! This is what we're all becoming!

Kim, is this YOU? Natural Grocers have no bags!

LOL LOL!

okmulgee boy

Has anyone tried these? I use 3 cotton balls a day.

Cotton ball alternative

Yes

yes it is me.

when I have to cashier I hear that every other customer

they are usually the same ones who refuse to use the produce ba gs. Then they get a box and put all their stuff in Willy nilly. I want to yell nasty unsanitary.

just bring a bag okay 😉

Agreed paper vs plastic, Amy.

Blankets. . . that's a tough one. Well, guess we just have to use them as long as possible, first. I thought--"Oh, my quilts are all good." But then realized they're not. While I used cotton batting in a few, most used an 80% cotton/20% polyester. So then I researched THAT and find that an 80/20 mix can more or less successfully be composted--that is mostly, though may be a little stringy. Grrr. So IF I ever get any more quilts made, they'll for sure have either 100% wool or 100% cotton batting. (I only use cotton for the quiilt tops and batting, and only cotton thread.)

The more ways we see to improve, the more we see that needs to be improved! AAAGGHH. Moni. . . help!!!

BTW, Moni--I note those produce bags are polyester. I think I'll keep looking and reading.

Someone just asked me the other day what the difference was between moths and butterflies, Amy. Only things I could remember were that moths' bodies are generally larger proportionately to wings than butterflies, and that most are nocturnal, whereas most butterflies are diurnal. And she said, "And moths eat wool!" I thought I'd check that later, so did. Only the clothes moth larvae do, come to find out. . . interesting article: https://www.thespruce.com/insects-that-eat-holes-in-clothes-2146424 LOL

All this new stuff I'm learning--I feel like Alice falling down the rabbit hole.

I haven't tried those, Jennifer. I rarely use cotton balls, for that matter.

I got some Dr. Bronners, Kim. EWG (Environmental Working Group) a function that measures effectiveness of various products.

H/J, I don't wear makeup any more (maybe twice a year). I used to have kind of a lotiony cleanser that I removed with a wet wash cloth. Might have used cotton balls to get mascara off). I GUESS you could use coconut oil and some kind of cloth. While I know cotton balls are processed, it IS cotton. Is there a reason not to use cotton balls? Because they're not reusable?

And roaches eat silk. Natural clothes have natural pests.

I have been the one who forgot her bags. We keep them in the car. Sometimes we buy new ones in that case. And I keep some plastic bags in the car in case I left all the shopping bags in the house. Ha ha ha. At least they get reused at least once.

I wear makeup still on most days. At home, I do not. I think cotton crops are sprayed with a lot of chemicals now-a-days....and they are packaged in plastic. I use them with witch hazel after washing my face and for removing eye makeup. I've thought about buying those substitute cotton balls. They're fairly cheap and I could just try, I guess. I love cotton balls, though!

I've forgotten my bags too. Normally keep them in the car now.

Here's the thing that annoys me. Phone books dropped off at the mailboxes. They were dropped off last week in our neighborhood. Most of my neighbors' are still sitting out by their mailboxes. Lazy. Can't be bothered to pick them up. haha. The only people's who are picked up are ours and the retired people. We took ours to the recyclers. The books are dropped off in a plastic bag. Most people are putting their book and plastic bag directly in the trash. Does anyone use a phone book now-a-days? It's been 15 years since I've looked at one. Maybe "we" can stop with the phone books now.

Amy, I like the Eucerin soap. Gentle enough for my face, but not strong enough for after an afternoon sweating in the garden. My skin does not like Dr Bronners, but I do use it sometimes on my hands. Too harsh. My hair is super picky, and I’m super picky about what I use on it, so I just make sure to recycle the bottles.

I love my reusable grocery bags, not only for the obvious reason, but also because they make things so much easier to carry. And you can fit more in them. Mine live in my car too. If I don’t need a bag I don’t take one, or I get paper. Only thing I use plastic bags for is the cat litter. Audrey is not willing to discuss options on that.

Trader Joe’s has compostable produce bags. I haven’t tested them out yet, but I might this year. I’ll bury one in the corner of a grow bag, and go looking for it in the fall.

At Sprouts, you bag your bulk stuff at the bins and it’s weighed at checkout. I don’t see an easy way to dump out the contents to weigh a hard container first. Maybe there’s somewhere online you can buy your own compostable bags?

I‘d love to buy potting mix and compost in bulk, but I’m not able to do the heavy lifting to move it load by load to where it goes. I don’t think the plastic bags it comes in is recyclable. I need a gorgeous hunky muscular garden helper.

I ordered a couple of stainless steel insulated water bottles off Amazon. I needed big ones, and they had 32 and 40 ounce options. I filled one with ice and water Saturday at 2, and Sunday at 4 there was still ice in it. Mira brand. I can’t drink water unless it’s just short of frozen, so hoping these will work this summer outside.

Is it considered sustainable that I’m getting a bed at a community garden this spring? Looking for somewhere for onions, okra, and butternut squash. And pollinator flowers, of course.

Hi Rebecca, I love my reusable water bottle. I also put tea in it when I want to drink tea. I've cut my bad Sonic habit back a LOT over the past few years. I still get one maybe 3 times a month. I love those peach unsweet teas! But fix tea at home now.

There's a water bottle company from Norman. It's Simple Modern. You can get them on Amazon. Both of my kids use them. They come in pretty colors too!

The thing about weighing the containers is weigh them before you fill them. They write it down and subtract.

At Sprouts you bag first and write the code on the tag. The only weight that’s counted is the one at the register. Even if you weigh it when you bag it, you have to pay what the scale at the register says. They’ll weigh the whole thing.

I guess Sprouts is different from the ones I've seen on videos and such. They show the families coming in and having the jars weighed and then substract that after filling. I don't buy from bulk bins so have no experience with it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPxxhCTi-3U

here's one of the videos. the jar weighing is about at 5 minutes.

Nancy, yes it is polyester.. but a one time purchase, and a very long time usage. I think it is worth it. The cashier has to be able to more or less see the product inside.

They are not ready to go with the extra steps to weigh a container before you fill it. We are in Oklahoma, and it's just not done here.

This is why I bought the bags I did. That works. The few grams it weighs doesn't harm my wallet. :)

Moni

Whole foods used to have a bulk peanut butter dispenser (it might have ground the nuts up on the spot) there were several spigots one was honey. You could bring your own container. I THINK it was Mecca that had bulk olive oil dispensers.

We have the produce bags, too.

I tried using the Eucerin bath bar on my hair. It was fine the first day, maybe the second, but 3rd day it is really stringy and oily. More so than with shampoo.

https://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B012UBNQDE/dechandy2c-20/ref=nosim/?th=1