Low Waste Shopping
- Rebecca Snyder
- Sep 16, 2020
- 2 min read
Today, I went to a low waste store for the first time. I’ll tell you all about it, but first, let’s start with why low waste and plastic free products are so important.
For most of us, we just throw away our single-use plastics and don’t think much about where it ends up. Our landfills are growing, and a lot of waste ends up in our oceans as well. It is estimated that each year 8 million tons of plastic waste end up in the oceans. This is around the weight of forty cruise ships. This is especially concerning because plastic doesn’t decompose or break down like some other types of waste do. Plastic debris can tangle up sea creatures, or they can ingest plastics leading to health complications and choking. A lot of plastics break down into small pieces called microplastics. These microplastics can absorb harmful pollutants and chemicals and then release them into the oceans. Therefore, we should all try our best to reduce the amount of plastic that we purchase, and subsequently, throw away.
I went to Life Unplastic, a Gainesville low waste store. I was pretty impressed by the range of products that were available. There were products to replace plastic items that are commonly used, such as metal razors, bamboo toothbrushes, and canvas tote bags. Many items were ones that you may not even think of as a plastic item that should be swapped. For example, plastic-free deodorant and floss. Another section of the store was all bulk item options. For these, you bring in your own jars or bags, and fill them up and pay by weight. These items range from dish soap to baking soda to loose leaf teas to seasonings to insect repellant and so much more. There were also various jars and bottles for sale. However, they also have the option to leave bottles that you don’t need, and whatever is left is available for pickup for anyone who needs! These items have such a lasting impact because you can continue filling up the same jar or bottle over and over again, instead of buying new plastic every single time.
For now, I just bought a cheesecloth to make homemade non-dairy milk. However, I do plan on buying more, but it is important to remember that the most sustainable option is what you already own! Therefore, I’m not going to buy a new toothbrush, laundry detergent, dish soap, conditioner, and more until I run out of what I already own. I can't wait to try out all of their products and start buying more environmentally friendly swaps. You can expect more sustainable swaps and product reviews to be posted in the future.
Let me know what low waste, plastic free products are your favorites! Life Unplastic's website is linked for you to check out all of the amazing options that it has available! If you aren’t in Gainesville, do you have a low waste store near you? Feel free to reach out on here or on any of my socials (linked at the top of the page) with any questions or just to talk about any of this!
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