Chennai Times #PLASTICGOTTAGO
PLASTIC-FREE LIVING CHEAT SHEET
PLASTIC-FREE LIVING CHEAT SHEET
23.12.2018
The writer is the Director (Urban Governance), CAG
The #PlasticGottaGo campaign is run by Chennai Times in collaboration with Citizen consumer and civic Action Group.
Satyarupa Shekhar
We’re now saddled with landfills, climate change, plastic oceans, water shortage, pollution, microbeads that fish are eating, microfibres that humans are inhaling, and the chemicals used for colours and scents that we are all exposed to. Businesses must redesign their products and processes. But as consumers, we can choose to live a life that is free of plastics and toxicity. Here's the second ready reckoner to help you along this journey to break free from plastic and say plastics gotta go.
TIPS TO REDUCE PLASTIC IN PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS
Read the product label and avoid anything with polyethylene in it.
Use bamboo toothbrushes and earbuds/swabs.
Look for tooth powder and ditch the paste tube.
Use a bar soap instead of liquid soap. Look for bar soaps the come with no or paper packaging.
Use shave soap instead of shaving cream in a can or tube. Try wooden or bamboo combs and hair brushes made from natural bristles. Bring back your steel reusable razor with stainless steel blades. Switch to reusable sanitary products.
HOW TO COMPLETELY AVOID PLASTIC IN PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS
Look out for shampoo bars. You can also learn to make one at home or buy from someone who makes them.
Deodorant also comes in glass and paper packaging. Better still, make your own chemical and plastic-free deodorant from baking soda. Just add a few drops of essential oil and use with cotton.
Try hair salves, gels and pomades that come in tins or glass jars.
You can also make your own lip balms and lotions. Check out online or join a class near you.
Look into plastic-free sunscreen options.
Buy toilet paper without plastic wrapping or in cardboard boxes.
There are natural dental floss that come in refillable containers. Look out for those coated with natural wax rather than microcrystalline wax, which is petroleum-based.
TIPS TO REDUCE PLASTIC DURING TRAVEL
Carry your own plastic-free cosmetics and toiletries. Avoid using the ones in hotels as they are usually packed in small plastic containers that are destined for landfills.
Bring your own water bottle, cutlery and travel mug. Even on the plane! Airlines are among the worst polluting industry, so do your bit to reduce plastic waste. Make your own snacks, so you do not have to buy packaged food.
Carry your own headphones.
Refuse the mini bar! Shop for food and drinks locally. Even if you cannot avoid snacking, at least, you can ensure that you don't leave a ton of plastic behind.
WHY DO WE NEED TO ELIMINATE PLASTICS IN PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS?
Many personal care products, such as toothpaste and facewash, contain microbeads that are sometimes inadvertently ingested during use. They also cannot be filtered. So, they are released into the oceans.
Diapers, pads and wet wipes are made of polypropylene and contain lots of harmful chemicals. When flushed, they amass in the sewerage system and cause blockages and sewage backups.
Many personal care products are designed to come in small quantities that need frequent restocking. The packaging is also meant to convey quantity and quality. Unfortunately, all this heads to landfills and the ocean once they are used.
Plastics are held together with chemicals called plasticiser. Two of them are cause for grave concern: bisphenol-A (known as BPA) and phthalates. BPA and phthalates can be found in detergents, shampoo, soaps, and hair sprays. These plasticisers are classified under the umbrella of ‘endocrine disrupting compounds, which means that they can block the action of our natural hormone system’. They can also exacerbate conditions such as diabetes, which causes kidney damage, and are associated with increased cancer risk, early sexual maturation, decreased male fertility and aggressive behaviour.
Check if the products contain — polyethylene, polypropylene or polystyrene? The presence of these ingredients would classify this product as one that you DO NOT BUY.
Second check — conduct an additional investigation. Look out for ingredients such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate), PTFE (polytetrafluroethylene) and nylon.
TIPS TO REDUCE PLASTIC FROM YOUR CLOSET AND ACCESSORIES
Avoid synthetic materials with names like: polyester, acrylic, lycra, spandex, nylon. In other words, plastic fabric. And all synthetic fabrics create microfibre pollution when laundered.
Buy shoes and slippers made from natural rubber, rather than plastic.
Alter and modify your clothes and shoes at your local tailor and cobbler.
Switch to bags and shoes made of cotton, bamboo or leather. Look out for wooden watches made from 100% recycled timber, including Indian rosewood, mahogany, coffee tree and teak.
Look cool in handcrafted wooden sunglasses from sustainable materials, including FSC-certified wood, cottonbased acetate, and repurposed skateboard decks.
If you use makeup, buy products free of glitter and minimal petroleum-based oils. Buy pressed makeup that comes in bamboo palettes or seed paper, which can be planted in your garden!
Look for brushes made from recycled aluminium, bamboo and other natural fibres.
Check out reusable cloth balls for your plastic-free makeup routine. They can be tossed into your washing machine without fear of releasing microfibres in to the water.
Support brands that use packaging made of 100% tree-free paper, cotton and bamboo. Bamboo is renewable, one of the fastest growing plants in the world, and versatile.
Do let us know about your experiences as you strive to go plastic-free. Share your stories, both setbacks and successes. You could get featured in our paper or win some cool merchandise. Email us at
ctnoplasticcampaign@gmail.com
Use #PlasticGottaGo and don’t forget to tag us on Twitter @ChennaiTimesTOI, on Facebook @ChennaiTimesOfficial and on Instagram @ChennaiTimesTOI
The writer is the Director (Urban Governance), CAG
The #PlasticGottaGo campaign is run by Chennai Times in collaboration with Citizen consumer and civic Action Group.
Satyarupa Shekhar
We’re now saddled with landfills, climate change, plastic oceans, water shortage, pollution, microbeads that fish are eating, microfibres that humans are inhaling, and the chemicals used for colours and scents that we are all exposed to. Businesses must redesign their products and processes. But as consumers, we can choose to live a life that is free of plastics and toxicity. Here's the second ready reckoner to help you along this journey to break free from plastic and say plastics gotta go.
TIPS TO REDUCE PLASTIC IN PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS
Read the product label and avoid anything with polyethylene in it.
Use bamboo toothbrushes and earbuds/swabs.
Look for tooth powder and ditch the paste tube.
Use a bar soap instead of liquid soap. Look for bar soaps the come with no or paper packaging.
Use shave soap instead of shaving cream in a can or tube. Try wooden or bamboo combs and hair brushes made from natural bristles. Bring back your steel reusable razor with stainless steel blades. Switch to reusable sanitary products.
HOW TO COMPLETELY AVOID PLASTIC IN PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS
Look out for shampoo bars. You can also learn to make one at home or buy from someone who makes them.
Deodorant also comes in glass and paper packaging. Better still, make your own chemical and plastic-free deodorant from baking soda. Just add a few drops of essential oil and use with cotton.
Try hair salves, gels and pomades that come in tins or glass jars.
You can also make your own lip balms and lotions. Check out online or join a class near you.
Look into plastic-free sunscreen options.
Buy toilet paper without plastic wrapping or in cardboard boxes.
There are natural dental floss that come in refillable containers. Look out for those coated with natural wax rather than microcrystalline wax, which is petroleum-based.
TIPS TO REDUCE PLASTIC DURING TRAVEL
Carry your own plastic-free cosmetics and toiletries. Avoid using the ones in hotels as they are usually packed in small plastic containers that are destined for landfills.
Bring your own water bottle, cutlery and travel mug. Even on the plane! Airlines are among the worst polluting industry, so do your bit to reduce plastic waste. Make your own snacks, so you do not have to buy packaged food.
Carry your own headphones.
Refuse the mini bar! Shop for food and drinks locally. Even if you cannot avoid snacking, at least, you can ensure that you don't leave a ton of plastic behind.
WHY DO WE NEED TO ELIMINATE PLASTICS IN PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS?
Many personal care products, such as toothpaste and facewash, contain microbeads that are sometimes inadvertently ingested during use. They also cannot be filtered. So, they are released into the oceans.
Diapers, pads and wet wipes are made of polypropylene and contain lots of harmful chemicals. When flushed, they amass in the sewerage system and cause blockages and sewage backups.
Many personal care products are designed to come in small quantities that need frequent restocking. The packaging is also meant to convey quantity and quality. Unfortunately, all this heads to landfills and the ocean once they are used.
Plastics are held together with chemicals called plasticiser. Two of them are cause for grave concern: bisphenol-A (known as BPA) and phthalates. BPA and phthalates can be found in detergents, shampoo, soaps, and hair sprays. These plasticisers are classified under the umbrella of ‘endocrine disrupting compounds, which means that they can block the action of our natural hormone system’. They can also exacerbate conditions such as diabetes, which causes kidney damage, and are associated with increased cancer risk, early sexual maturation, decreased male fertility and aggressive behaviour.
Check if the products contain — polyethylene, polypropylene or polystyrene? The presence of these ingredients would classify this product as one that you DO NOT BUY.
Second check — conduct an additional investigation. Look out for ingredients such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate), PTFE (polytetrafluroethylene) and nylon.
TIPS TO REDUCE PLASTIC FROM YOUR CLOSET AND ACCESSORIES
Avoid synthetic materials with names like: polyester, acrylic, lycra, spandex, nylon. In other words, plastic fabric. And all synthetic fabrics create microfibre pollution when laundered.
Buy shoes and slippers made from natural rubber, rather than plastic.
Alter and modify your clothes and shoes at your local tailor and cobbler.
Switch to bags and shoes made of cotton, bamboo or leather. Look out for wooden watches made from 100% recycled timber, including Indian rosewood, mahogany, coffee tree and teak.
Look cool in handcrafted wooden sunglasses from sustainable materials, including FSC-certified wood, cottonbased acetate, and repurposed skateboard decks.
If you use makeup, buy products free of glitter and minimal petroleum-based oils. Buy pressed makeup that comes in bamboo palettes or seed paper, which can be planted in your garden!
Look for brushes made from recycled aluminium, bamboo and other natural fibres.
Check out reusable cloth balls for your plastic-free makeup routine. They can be tossed into your washing machine without fear of releasing microfibres in to the water.
Support brands that use packaging made of 100% tree-free paper, cotton and bamboo. Bamboo is renewable, one of the fastest growing plants in the world, and versatile.
Do let us know about your experiences as you strive to go plastic-free. Share your stories, both setbacks and successes. You could get featured in our paper or win some cool merchandise. Email us at
ctnoplasticcampaign@gmail.com
Use #PlasticGottaGo and don’t forget to tag us on Twitter @ChennaiTimesTOI, on Facebook @ChennaiTimesOfficial and on Instagram @ChennaiTimesTOI
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