As colorful as plastic, paper ones but metal straws will last a lifetime

Of course, you could recycle them as well. I cut mine up and use them for sprouting seeds (after I put brown paper ends on them).

Stop Throwing Away Empty #PaperTowelRolls, Here's 11 Ways to Reuse Them Around the House

Story by Thomas Nelson, January 28, 2024

"Once you finish your paper towel rolls, don't throw them away! There are so many nifty ways you can transform a simple cardboard roll into beautiful decorative pieces and storage utilities for your home."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/home-and-garden/stop-throwing-away-empty-paper-towel-rolls-here-s-11-ways-to-reuse-them-around-the-house/ar-BB1ho8Ob?rc=1&ocid=winp1taskbar&cvid=714c367b4d9844e8b832ba71be9c5010&ei=13

Ways to avoid wasteful packaging, expensive products, food, etc. in the kitchen:

Look for these items at different stores. Not all stores carry the same stuff, and often smaller niche stores are better than the large grocery chains. Even if you can't afford to do all of this, even just what you can when you can makes a huge difference with how much garbage you create.

Save on baking paper and oil, butter or lard by using silicone baking mats. Should last for years with proper handling and care.

Choose brands of food that don't have excessive packaging: milk in glass bottles; flour and flour products in brown paper bags (I use the bags to light the fire in the stove); compressed blocks of yeast instead of small jars or even smaller single use pouches; buying fresh meat and dairy from the deli counter requesting paper wrap instead of plastic and foam trays; save up to buy large quantities of dry goods like pasta which can be bought in paper boxes, rice and beans in large bags. I can also get rice in burlap sacks which can be re-used or composted.

Get things like olives in large jars which are great to re-use for storage as canisters, etc. I also make sure to get olive oil in glass so I can re-use the bottle.

Buy herbs and herbal teas that you use a lot of in large quantities and keep in mason jars. Grow what you can and dry in the summer for winter use. A bunch of little bags adds up to more plastic that one big bag and often that one big bag can be re-used over and over if care is taken to rinse and dry between uses. Obviously don't do this with things like meat or dairy, but for dry goods, bags can be used many times.

Take your own cloth produce bags to buy things like carrots, broccoli, potatoes, peppers, etc.

If at all possible, if you eat meat, buy whole or freezer packs from the farmer. It is wrapped in paper instead of miles of plastic wrap.

Buy laundry strips that come in paper boxes. I just bought a years worth in a small card stock box that with either burn in the stove or compost.
I also buy bath soap directly from a manufacturer here that sells in bulk and I take my own bag to buy it. I buy seconds once or twice a year at a discount for a bulk quantity.

The whole foods store here has a system where you can get your plastic shampoo bottles, soy sauce, miso and other types of wet food in your own clean re-used bottles. The bottles are weighed before you fill them.

It's hard to avoid plastic but if you are careful about what you buy and choose wrapping that can be re-used many times before it is recycled, you will soon see a huge difference on how much kitchen garbage accumulates. When I lived alone, I made one bag of garbage about every 4 to 6 months, and recycling trip about every 2 to 3 months. Now with extended family living with me, I find I am having to train them on not making garbage and saving money.

Wie ist es bei der @rewe_group@twitter.com @lidl@twitter.com #Aldi usw. mit der Umstellung auf #plastikfrei verpackte Produkte aus?

RT @soulbottles@twitter.com

Die britische Supermarktkette Budgens testet momentan in einer ihrer Filialen #plastikfreie Zonen. Dort wurden in den vergangenen 10 Wochen über 1.700 Produkte auf kunststofffreien Verpackungen umgestellt. #soulbottles #lessplastic https://bit.ly/2HT8Ii4

Ich kaufe schon seit einiger Zeit keine Getränke mehr, die in #Plastik-Flaschen abgefüllt sind.

#plastikfrei

RT @soulbottles@twitter.com

Coca Cola ist Spitzenreiter bei dem Verbrauch von Plastik! 3 Millionen Tonnen verbraucht die Getränkemarke im Jahr. Nestle liegt bei 1,7 Millionen Tonnen. Alarmierende Zahlen, welche deutlich machen, wie groß das Problem eigentlich ist. #lessplastic https://bit.ly/2Y44fOs

Quick reminder: There is an island of plastic garbage, the Great Pacific garbage patch, estimated to be the size of 700k to 15m square kilometers (Russia is 17m square kilometers). It's getting out of hand.

I thought I'd start #lessPlastic to gather tips to avoid using plastic and alternatives to products usually manufactured from it.

Boost and join in!