Alternatives to Plastic Packaging

According to Smartcycle, "Americans throw away 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour." The company makes products out of recycled plastic soda pop bottles. The items they make are reusable food containers and shopping bags. They do not need to be thrown out or discarded, and can be recycled again.

Green Lunching

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The Fresh Snack Pack company uses eco-friendly reusable packaging made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride)-free, non-toxic plastic. Nubius Organics makes reusable lunch bags, which are also lead-free. Use an aluminum thermos, use stainless steel cutlery from home instead of plastics, and buy family-bulk snack packs instead of individual bags.

Green Gardening

If you prefer your food and plantings without pesticides and toxins, grow your own and save the planet at the same time. Several companies make rain catchers, rain barrels and bins, arbors and trellises, birdbaths made of recycled aluminum, permanent plastic planters, compost bins and planter beds. Although some of these items are made of PVC vinyl, they are highly durable and built to last without threat of rot or insect destruction, meaning they never have to be thrown away or recycled back into the environment. Also, when you grow your own food, it goes straight from the earth to your table, eliminating the need for packaging for transportation.

Stainless Steel, Aluminum, Glass

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Inexpensive alternatives to plastic are stainless steel, aluminum and glass. They are easy to clean and reuse, and don't require recycling.

Newspaper and Egg Crate Pallets

Crumpled newspaper is good to use in place of plastic bubble wrap for cushioning breakable items to be shipped. Egg crate pallets are also good package stuffers.

References

• SmartCycle.com
• TreeHuggers