Beth Terry's Blog, page 16

Our Petitions Make a Difference: Say No to Disney’s Toxic Lunchboxes & Yes to Safer Chemicals

Stop what you’re doing for a second. I want you to start a petition. Or at least sign one. Today is Blog Action Day, an annual event when bloggers all over the world band together to write posts on the same theme. And this year’s theme is “The Power of We.” It’s one thing for each of us to do our part in making changes in our personal lives to reduce our plastic consumption. But if we want to truly protect the planet from the tons of toxic chemicals that are released into our air, water, and...

Luxury Hotel Says No to Single-Sized Shampoo Bottles

Every time I stay in a hotel (and nowadays, with all the travel I’m doing to promote my book, I’m getting to visit more and more of them), I inevitably roll my eyes at the preponderance of single-sized, plastic-packaged amenities: little bottles of shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and single-sized soaps. Sure, many guests love them and stuff them in their luggage to take home, but does that justify their wasteful existence? I’ve blogged many times before about saying no to single sizes, which ha...

Cardboard Costume Challenge for a Plastic-Free Halloween

Halloween Plastic can be scary! But blogger Amber Dohrenwend has one solution to Halloween plastic. She’s the author ofThe Cardboard Collective, a blog about using recycled cardboard (the kind you would fish out of the cardboard only recycling bin or dumpster) to create toys, crafts, and furniture. She lives in a small apartment in Tokyo, Japan with her husband and two children, where she says, they “strive to maintain a simple, cardboard affirming lifestyle.” In an effort to reduce plastic c...

The Reuse Alliance Wants You to Talk Like a Pirate

I realize Talk Like a Pirate Day is over for 2012, but there’s a certain piraty expression that’s good all year round: Arrr! According to the official website, it means “variously,‘yes,’ ‘I agree,’ ‘I’m happy,’ ‘I’m enjoying this beer,’ ‘My team is going to win it all,’ ‘I saw that television show, it sucked!’and‘That was a clever remark you or I just made.’” But that definition fails to mention that Arrr! also sounds like “R,” the first letter of a string of very important words… words with...

Annie Leonard: Don’t Just “Be the Change.” Make Change!

When Annie Leonard (The Story of Stuff Project) admonishes us to “make change,” she’s not talking about dimes and quarters. She’s one of mypersonal heroes and someone I was excited to interview back in 2010. So you can imagine how honored I was this year when asked ifshecould interviewmefor her podcastThe Good Stuff, a companion piece to her new video,The Story of Change. The premise of the video and podcast is that personal changes are great, but they’re not enough. As Annie puts it, “Consci...

Night at the Aquarium on a Plastic-Free Camping Cot

It’s hard to find plastic-free versions of a lot of camping supplies. Plastic makes things lightweight and easy to carry in a backpack. I don’t camp a lot, so usually my strategy to avoid new plastic is to borrow from friends or find things second-hand via Freecycle, Craigslist, yard sales, or thrift stores. At Burning Man last month, I slept in a nylon sleeping bag on a foam pad, both of which I have had for many years. And while the sleeping bag has held up very well and will last me many...

New Freezycup Stainless Steel Popsicle Molds Use Less Space in the Freezer

Summer is not yet over, so there’s still time to squeeze in a post about Life Without Plastic’s new Freezycup stainless steel popsicle molds. (Of course, there’s no rule that says popsicles can only be eaten in the summer anyway.)

But before I talk about this new mold, let me back up a bit. Two years ago, I reviewed the stainless steel popsicle mold from Onyx Containers. Many of us were excited about it because it was a great alternative to plastic or silicone. But, as I mentioned in that revi...

Plastic-Free Sunscreen that Passes the Burning Man Test

As someone with fair skin that burns within just a few minutes, I’ve used heavy duty sunscreen in plastic tubes for years. And even after going plastic-free, I’ve found sunscreen to be a challenge. I blogged about sun protection a while back and got some great suggestions from you guys. And this year, I discovered a couple of companies making all natural, non-toxic, plastic-free (or nearly plastic-free) sunscreen. I even saw a demonstration on how to make your own! And what better place to t...

Made-On Hard Lotion & Hair Product Review + Giveaway

Since I’ll be away at Burning Man by the time you read this post, I think it’s appropriate to offer a give-away in the spirit of that event where nothing is allowed to be bought or sold, only given away for free. And do I have something great to give away. A few nights ago, while cleaning out the pile of stuff that has collected once again by my desk, I found a box of MadeOn Lotion products that the owner, Renee Harris, sent me to review in the beginning of this year and which sadly ended up...

My Plastic-Free Burning Man Adventure

Via Flickr user starfive

I’m a virgin. A Burning Man virgin. Ever since I learned about the annual tribal celebration of fire and self-expression back in the mid 90′s, I have wanted to go and hang out in the Black Rock Desert and express myself. But I’ve never had a friend who wanted to go with me, until recently, when I met Tracey TieF through this very blog. And that’s appropriate because this year when I go, I’m going to be thinking of ways to do it as Plastic-Free as possible. And what’s...