I am sure by now you have heard all the rage around ditching plastic! Can we all get up and do a happy dance for a moment.
Many countries are now trying to ban or limit their usages of plastic bags and one time use plastic products, see links for news articles. We had the #plasticfreejuly which trended on social media and we now have more local vendors and shops carrying great long lasting sustainable products! This is a movement we, at The Coach House, are jumping right on into. There is always room for improvement in our own day to day lives to ensure we are doing what we can to ditch the nasty one time use plastics.
The Coach House Therapeutic Centre
One of the newest products we started to carry at The Coach House are locally made fabric snack bags and bees wax food wraps. Personally, I have implemented these into my own life and I have to say 'It is so easy'! Just like plastic wrap, the beeswax wraps are mold-able and very versatile. You can cover a bowl of left over food, use it to bundle up that 1 inch sliver of cheese (you should have just eaten) or that 1/3 of a red onion you are saving for later. The bees wax doesn't transfer to the foods, you don't have to worry about harmful chemicals leeching into what you are eating and they are easily cleaned by washing them under cool water with dish soap and hung to dry.
The starter pack (4 sizes) of beeswax wrap by Rhymes with Orange and the snack packs can be purchased at The Coach House or specific sizing can be purchased through Jacki's etsy store!
For the DIYer out there, online has a bunch of how to resources on how to make your own beeswax wraps. You need fabric and some beeswax beads. Here is on link that had an easy how to video .
Another item we have available at the clinic are linen draw string bags. These little bags are great for packing dry foods, storing re use-able cutlery and napkins, or produce. You can pick them up at The Coach House for a few dollars. I find my produce, such as garden tomatoes or lettuce, stores well in these because they still allow the produce to breathe.
Now that I have spiked your interest in making very easy and affordable changes to your habits. Lets dive into more great local shops where you can purchase more reusable items !
Gifted
Gifted has a huge selection of products but we chose a few to showcase, you will just have to go in and see the rest for yourself. All the items in the above picture are in stock and come in many other beautiful patterns and colours! On the left we have an array of sizes of bowl/mason jar covers. They are handmade with cute designs or saying on them! The middle are the metal straws, silver and copper, and brush cleaner. Top right is S'well water bottles that keep your beverage hot for up to 12 hours and cold for up to 24 hours. Finally the bottom right we have an item to replace your paper towel. It can wipe up your messes and be rinsed off. Once it becomes well used it can be composted.
Our final Gifted show case item is a great staple to bring with you on your trip to the market or grocery store to avoid putting your produce in the plastic bags. These light weight mesh produce bags tuck easily into your purse or reusable grocery bag. A pack of 5 will cost you $15 and you will LOVE them! Get them while they are still in stock as they go quick.
 |
| Metal straw in use from Gifted |
Cocoon Apothecary
Speaking of reusable bags, I found that I would always leave home without my grocery bags because they were so bulky and I had them tucked away in the closet. But that has all changed now that I picked up these adorable and compact bags from Cocoon Apothecary These French Market bags will only cost you $5.00! I love them and feel very European market chic when I go shopping. It may sound crazy but you also become very conscious when shopping as you can't hide what you buy! I found installing hooks by my front door and hanging my French market bags and little linen bags were a great visual reminder that I needed to take these with me when I leave.
 |
| Photo from Cocoon Apothecary with their French market bag |
Side note; Did you know that once you finish with your skin care products from Cocoon Apothecary, they have a recycling program where you bring back the glass bottles for a refund!
 |
| snack pack of nuts and iced coffee to go |
Mason Jars
These little guys are my best friends! You can pick a case of them up at Canadian Tire or Zehrs and their uses are endless.
I store some of my nuts, baking supplies, dried herb in them or use them for my to go smoothies, iced coffees (see image on the right with bamboo straw) or snacks to work (mini jar of mixed nuts).
 |
| dried herbs and tomatoes for storage |
Stainless Steel
Though glass is an excellent storage solution, it has some limitations when it comes to portability- mainly that it can be heavy to carry around and breakable. One container won't be noticeable with added weight, but add a few for a full lunch and it can add pounds to your bags, especially kid lunch bags. You also have to be mindful when you are tossing around bags to make sure there is no breakage. Enter stainless steel! This is a great option when it comes to lunch containers that are going to be carried around. There are a few brands that make different options from individual containers of various sizes and compartments (like Lunchbots found at Fenigo) to bento box styles like Planetbox. Planetbox has been our favourite, one reason being it's one piece- nothing for kids to lose! Planetbox can be found at Village Kids in Elora.
Larger Reusable Containers
These are very useful when you buy big bulk bags of rice or flour. I also like to have my smoothie additives (hemp hearts, chai seeds, flax seed, dates, shredded coconut etc) visible which helps me be creative when I am mixing together a new smoothie. If things are tucked away in my pantry, I seem to forget all about them! I picked up most of these snap lid containers from HomeSense, I prefer the snap latch lids rather than the screw tops but that is just a personal preference.
Shop around, be creative and do what works for you and your decor.
So now you have some of your gear, but not sure how to use it like a pro?!
Zero Waste Collective
A fantastic online resource is Zero Waste Collective. This site will continue to inspire you on making daily changes. If you are hunting for a specific reusable item and having trouble tracking them down, Zero Waste Collective has an online which is divided into subheadings like 'On The Go' or 'Kitchen Item's !
Our friend, Jenn, from The Eco Well has done some collaborative work with Zero Waste Collective and wrote some DIY blogs on their site!
To stay up to date just follow them on Instagram and Facebook for latest DIY releases and way to stay plastic free.
Zero Waste Bulk
We just have to start making this a new habit, which is challenging at first, but worth it in the end.
Try carrying some of your own re-usable cutlery, straws and travel mugs when you are planning on getting a take out lunch or coffee. This can help tremendously.
No comments:
Post a Comment