When it comes to living plastic-free, party supplies can be the last thing you might think about. But it’s so easy to shift to plastic-free options, why not put them on your list now?

You’ll save money in the long run by buying long-lasting reusable supplies once instead of throwaways over and over again. And you’ll throw away a lot less trash, too.(We’re updating this post for Plastic-Free July 2020.)

NOTE: Even though “compostable” paper plates and napkins are available, they usually can only be composted in an industrial facility – not in your home compost pile. If they are “recyclable,” check with your local recycling facility to see if they will accept them – many don’t.

Here are the 5 Plastic-Free Party Supplies I Have That You Don’t Want to Miss

Here’s a picture of the plastic-free party supplies I usually use.

1. Plates – I have several sizes of reusable plates: salad-sized dinnerware for buffets, and full-sized plates for potluck dinners. I have bought the salad-sized plates over time when they were on sale after the Christmas holidays.

The dinner-sized reusable plates are by Preserve. They’re made from 100% recycled #5 plastic. They’re dishwasher-friendly and if you ever decide you want to get rid of them, Preserve will take them back and recycle them. I have both the 10.5″ size and the 7″ size, which are perfect for dessert, fruit, or salad.

NOTE: I normally don’t recommend using recycled plastic, but because these last so long and you won’t be throwing them away, they’re a good alternative, especially for an outdoor picnic or party.

2. Napkins – I went to the local Dollar store and bought the festive 100% cotton bandanas pictured above. They’re big enough to cover a lap, colorful, and very easy to wash. I think I have around 50 of them at this point. They’re good for picnics, too.

3. Table cloths – If you like to have seasonal or holiday themed table cloths (like for birthday parties, Thanksgiving, or Christmas), you’ll find a wide variety of reusable cotton table cloths online, at thrift stores, on sale in department stores, and at local yard sales. At this point, I have reusable table cloths for the 4th of July, Halloween, general birthday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, plus table cloths I use for picnics.

4. Forks, Knives, Spoons – Plastic-free cutlery makes so much sense. The plastic stuff is usually so weak it breaks (I was at a party just today where the knives and forks weren’t strong enough and kept splintering.) You can get a 36-piece set of stainless steel flatware on Amazon that will last you 20 or 30 years. The set includes 12 each of a fork, knife and teaspoon.

5. Glasses/Cups/Tumblers – Of all the items listed here, glasses take up the most space. I have about 40 8 oz. glasses at this point, and I keep them in a couple of boxes that I stack and put in the back of a closet.

NOTE: You can get stackable stainless steel pint cups, with the advantage being both that they’re durable and they are unbreakable. But the smallest size they come in is 10 oz. I prefer to serve smaller drink portions, which is why I go with an 8 oz. glass. Figure out what’s right for you.

Preserve, the same company that makes reusable plastic plates, also makes reusable cups. They’re a bit big for me, but they might be perfect for you. Take a look.

I store all the table cloths, plates, napkins and cutlery in the cute duffle bag in the picture. Then I just tuck the bag out of the way in a closet, where it can easily be retrieved.

Get More “Green” Party Tips Right Here!

Where Can You Get Affordable Plastic-Free Party Supplies?

Speaking of Sales…

I buy many plastic-free party supplies on sale. All holiday-themed supplies will be 50 or 60 or 70% off the day after the holiday. Department stores like Macy’s, as well as the Big Box stores like Wal Mart and Target, are the place to look for post-holiday supply sales.

Borrow and Lend…

A Big Green Purse reader (and neighbor) wrote recently to say she’d accumulated enough reusable plates and glasses for a party for 40. She has let the neighborhood know that they’re available for anyone to borrow!

The post How Many Of These 5 Plastic-Free Party Supplies Are You Missing? appeared first on Big Green Purse.

It’s Plastic-Free July, so we’ve updated earlier posts and added new ones to bring you almost 30 ways to go plastic-free in 30 days. Our goal: to bring you as many ways as possible to help you replace your plastic stuff with, well, stuff that’s not plastic.

We’ll be saying a lot more about what’s wrong with plastic throughout the month. But for starters, one of the biggest problems with it is that the darn stuff just doesn’t biodegrade. In other words, it lasts forever (some of it lasts for thousands of years, which is forever as far as I’m concerned).

Even when you think it’s gone, it’s just broken down into tiny pieces of micro plastic that are getting into our food (like fish and oysters) and water.

Many plastic products also contain endocrine disrupting chemicals that leach into the food or water they touch. These are chemicals that can interfere with our ability to reproduce, as well as cause learning disorders in kids, and maybe even cancer.

Why continue to use plastic when there are so many better, healthier, more eco-friendly options?

A big reason is that you might not know how many great alternatives to plastic there really are.

That’s why we’re devoting this month to all things that are NOT plastic.

What You Can Switch Out During Plastic-Free July

Here’s what’s on our list to help you switch out during Plastic-Free July:

√ Plastic straws 

√ Plastic picnic and party-ware (look out, 4th of July)

√ Plastic face masks

√ Bathroom plastic (like shampoo and lotion bottles and plastic microbeads in face wash)

√ Plastic cups

√ Plastic water bottles

√ Plastic soda bottles (refill instead)

√ Yogurt in plastic tubs

√ Plastic holiday wrapping

√ Plastic cleaning products

√ Plastic Halloween trick-or-treat bags

√ Plastic ink cartridges

√ Plastic sunglasses

√ Plastic toys for babies and toddlers

√ Plastic produce bags

√ Plastic Easter stuff

√ Plastic pet supplies

√ Plastic ocean trash

I could keep adding to my list, but I want to know what you need the most help with when you think about getting plastic out of your life.

Please let me know! Either leave a comment below, or head on over to the Big Green Purse Facebook page and weigh in there.

Plus, let me know what your biggest challenges are when you think about going plastic-free. If I can help you, I will!

Full disclosure: Big Green Purse has affiliate relationships with several companies that offer plastic-free products we may highlight. We will earn a small commission if you purchase a product using our affiliate links. But please know that we’d never do business with any of these folks if we didn’t think they were terrific. And the commissions do enable us to bring you the expert information you need to live the greener life you want, at no additional cost to you. Thanks!

The post 30 Days, 30 Ways to Go Plastic-Free During Plastic-Free July appeared first on Big Green Purse.

I was right! It turns out, making homemade yogurt is one of the simplest shifts you can make – not just for a plastic-free kitchen, but for a greener life all around. It is quick, easy, and doesn’t require any plastic after you get that first small cup of starter yogurt. What you add to it after you make it is completely up to you.

A word about the milk. I use a half-gallon of delicious fresh organic skim milk that I can get in a glass bottle from my local food co-op. The milk itself costs the same as a half-gallon of organic milk in a plastic jug or cardboard milk carton, plus $1.00 deposit on the bottle that is completely refundable when I bring the bottle back. If you can’t get milk in a glass bottle, the cardboard carton is preferable to the plastic jug. I haven’t tried making milk from powder (though I add a little powdered milk to my yogurt mix) and using that reconstituted milk for the yogurt. If you do, let us know how well it works out.

HOMEMADE YOGURT RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

Milk (at least 1 quart; generally I use a half-gallon of milk, which will make at least 8 cups of yogurt)

Yogurt starter – 2 tablespoons (I get a small container of nonfat Greek-style yogurt to start, then reserve two tablespoons of the yogurt I make to start my next batch.)

Powdered milk – 2 tablespoons (Powdered milk isn’t essential, but it makes the yogurt thicker and more flavorful)

EQUIPMENT

Large glass bowl and whisk

Candy thermometer

Microwave or Stovetop Pot

Oven or Heating Pad

Strainer

DIRECTIONS

* Pour the milk into the glass bowl.

* Put the glass bowl in the microwave and heat on high for 10-12 minutes, or as long as it takes for the milk temperature to reach 180 degrees. If heating in a pot on the stove, heat on medium high until milk reaches 180 degrees.

* Use a candy thermometer to test the temperature of the milk. Don’t rest the thermometer on the bottom or sides of the bowl, which may be hotter than the milk. Hold the thermometer in the middle of the milk where you can easily read the temperature.

* When the milk reaches 180 degrees, set it out to cool. You can hurry this along by setting the bowl or pot in a pan of cold water; otherwise, just leave the milk alone until the temperature drops to around 110 degrees.

* When the milk has cooled to 110 degrees, put a quarter of a cup of milk in a glass or small mixing bowl and add the powdered milk. Stir until dissolved (if all the milk doesn’t dissolve, don’t worry), then add the mixture back into the main bowl.

* Add 2 tablespoons of yogurt and whisk into the milk.

* Cover the bowl with a towel. Now it needs a low heat source to help the bacteria in the starter yogurt turn the entire bowl of milk into yogurt. Some people will heat their oven to warm and put the milk there. I set my bowl on a heating pad and drape the towel over the bowl and around the pad to create a nice warm environment for the yogurt. I turn the heating pad up to its highest setting for a couple of hours, then turn it down to low for the last couple of hours. It will take 4-6 hours for the milk to become yogurt.

Once your yogurt is made, put it in your refrigerator, either in the big bowl, or in individual glass jars. As you eat it, a pale yellow liquid will begin to pool in the yogurt. This is whey, and it’s good for you! Either stir it back into the yogurt, or drain it off and use it in pancake batter, milk shakes or protein drinks. If you want to make thick yogurt like the consistency of Greek yogurt, line your strainer (or a colander) with cheesecloth or a fine towel and pour your yogurt into it. The whey will drain off and leave behind your thick and creamy concoction. (Your yogurt should stay refrigerated, even if you are draining it.)

Homemade yogurt is delicious by itself, but use your imagination to enjoy it with all kinds of foods.

* Add it to fruit and granola for a yummy breakfast. Use it in place of milk for pancakes.

* Stir in dill, a little garlic powder, fresh ground pepper and salt, and a squeeze of fresh lemon and you’ve got a great veggie dip or salad dressing. Stir in thinly sliced cucumbers and serve it as raita with your favorite Indian food.

* Add cumin and garlic and use it to marinate chicken you then grill or broil.  Or … ? Please share your favorite recipes for yogurt, and let me know how you improve on my recipe.

The post Plastic-Free Kitchen: Shift to Homemade Yogurt appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Not so. Just ask Beth Terry, an almost plastic-free diva who made headlines with her blog FakePlasticFish.com last year when she forced the mega-company Brita to agree to recycle its plastic water filters. Beth continues to amaze anyone who drops by her blog with her tactics for eliminating new plastic from her life – even when it means giving up her favorite cheese. Read my interview with Beth, and be inspired!

Where did the idea of Fake Plastic Fish come from? “The name of the blog was inspired by the Radiohead song, “Fake Plastic Trees,” actually. It’s a melancholic song that matched my feeling of deep sadness on first seeing a photo of a dead albatross chick filled with plastic. I substituted “fish” for “trees” to suggest that if we don’t figure out solutions to our plastic pollution problems, fake plastic fish may be the only kind we have left in our oceans.”

Is plastic really so much worse than other “no-no’s” we have to deal with, like synthetic fibers, conventionally grown food, Hummers? “Not worse. But plastic is unique in that it encompasses so many of the environmental problems we have to deal with:

resource depletion (made from fossil fuels);
waste (will not biodegrade & really only downcyclable);
litter (nearly all litter on our beaches is plastic);
harm to wildlife (starving albatross chicks with bellies full of plastic, sea turtles choking on plastic bags, fish swallowing toxic nurdles);
air pollution (toxic fumes from PVC factories & dioxin released when buildings burn);
toxicity issues (leaching chemicals such as BPA, phthalates, styrene, antimony, etc. as well as bioaccumulation in the marine environment that makes its way up the food chain.)

“Because plastic is so fraught, it’s a good place to start, no matter what your main environmental interest, from toy and foodware safety to climate change concerns to wildlife protection. And as individuals start limiting the amount of plastic in their lives, other steps often follow. For example, once I was in the habit of bringing my own bags, bottles, and containers to avoid disposable plastic packaging, it was easy to add a cloth napkin to save paper. These steps go together.

“My definition of plastic, by the way, includes synthetic fibers. If a jacket can be made out of recycled water bottles, it’s plastic!”

What’s the most effective way to encourage people to use less plastic? “Education is key. Through Fake Plastic Fish as well as Green Sangha’s Rethinking Plastics presentations, I hope to give people the opportunity to have the same kind of “Aha!” moment I did the first time I read about the devastating effects of plastics on birds, fish, and other wildlife out in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and realized that my own actions had repercussions thousands of miles away.

“Once folks have the desire to change, we should ask them to start wherever they are. Drastic changes usually lead to burnout and failure. In interviewing other plastic-free bloggers for Fake Plastic Fish, I’ve learned that what motivates each of us to act is very personal. A mom concerned about child safety might start by replacing plastic foodware with glass or stainless steel. Another person frustrated by waste and litter might begin by eliminating plastic bags and bottles and opting for reusables as much as possible. Someone concerned about climate change may want to find alternatives to products made from fossil fuels and may be interested to learn that wasting has a direct connection to greenhouse gas emissions.”

What makes choosing alternatives so difficult? “Plastic is cheap. Just look at all the cheap plastic crap we import every year. And plastic is convenient. Disposable plastic packaging and containers make our fast-paced lifestyle possible. Until our values shift as a society away from rampant consumerism and things that are quick and disposable, manufacturers will have no reason to stop producing plastic products and shipping them in plastic packaging.

“Our government ultimately will need to get involved to make some of these changes happen, like bans and taxes on disposable bags, for example. But let’s also remember that we are the government. First, we need to change our own behavior and then let both our elected officials and the companies that produce the products we rely on know what we want. (DM Note: One alternative to plastic bags: mesh produce bags like those pictured here).

“I love that Big Green Purse is a terrific resource, providing government and company contact information to those who want to take the next step and speak out.

Thanks for the nod to Big Green Purse! What product or service has been hardest to give up because you want to avoid plastic? What’s been surprisingly easy? These are the same questions I ask other plastic-free bloggers in my Voices of the Plastic-Free Blogosphere series! I’d say the very easiest change of all was switching from liquid soap to bar soap. Simple simple. My local Whole Foods Market has a huge selection of bar soaps that come wrapped in only a tiny bit of cardboard.

“The hardest thing for me personally has been cheese. I could go to the cheese shop or deli and ask for cheese to be sliced and put into my own container. But the large blocks and wheels of cheese are either already wrapped in plastic to begin with or must be wrapped in plastic as soon as they are cut. So I just skip it. I did make homemade paneer today. And I can buy fresh mozzarella in bulk. But it’s just not the same as sharp, aged cheddar or gruyere. Not the same at all.

“Another ongoing snag is plastic-free cat litter. The one brand that’s both biodegradable and plastic-free (SwheatScoop) is a complete turnoff to my cats, who would rather use the floor. *Sigh*”

Does it cost more money to live plastic-free? “First, let me clarify that my life is not entirely plastic-free. My main goal is to stop buying any new plastic.

“To answer your question, some things cost more, but overall, I’ve saved a lot of money. I buy fewer new things in general and find ways to borrow, repair what I have, or obtain secondhand through Freecycle, Craigslist, or thrift shops. We got our kitties’ plastic litter boxes and carrier boxes that way. And when my computer monitor died and couldn’t be repaired, I found a used one through Craigslist that cost much less.

“Avoiding new plastic means jumping off of the hamster wheel of consumerism: compulsively needing the newest gadget, having to own every CD or DVD, engaging in mindless sport shopping and retail therapy.

“I may spend more for fresh plastic-free bread from the bakery or fresh chicken in my own container at the butcher shop, but think about how much I’m saving on things like bottled water by filling my own Klean Kanteen with tap water or on sparkling water by using my soda maker instead.”

You had a big victory with the Brita filters campaign (please explain). Who or what is your next target? “Take Back The Filter collected over 16,000 signatures and over 600 used Brita water filter cartridges to demonstrate to Clorox (owner of Brita in North America) that consumers who opt for filtered tap water instead of bottled water want a way to recycle the filter cartridges. We were thrilled when Clorox announced its partnership with Preserve and Whole Foods to take back and recycle the pitcher filters.

“But Brita pitcher filters, while the #1 filter method in North America, are still only a fraction of the market. We’d like to see other water filter companies follow Clorox’s lead. And we’d like Clorox to continue to research a way to recycle its faucet-type filters.

“I don’t currently have any other company to target. These days, I’m more interested in motivating others to speak out for the things they want. I was thrilled when one of my readers contacted me about recycling plastic gift cards, and as a result of our brief conversation, was able to convince her local drugstore to begin a collection/recycling program.”

You said you are learning to sing! Are you learning punk rock, American ballads, or opera? I love La Boheme! “When I was in Junior High, I dreamed of being Pat Benatar. (That gives away my age, huh?) Rent is about as close as I get to La Boheme! I performed a couple of fierce Evanescence songs during my last karaoke night, if I do say so myself. But that could just be the plastic-free martinis talking.”

Want to know more? Check back with Beth and FakePlasticFish.com Monday, April 6. Beth is hosting the Green Moms Carnival. Topic? Plastic, of course.

The post FakePlasticFish.com Shows It Really Is Possible to Live Almost Plastic-Free appeared first on Big Green Purse.