Beth Terry's Blog, page 21

What Do You Think of the Plastic Produce Packaging at Trader Joe's Nowadays?

Six years ago, Michael and I got a notice that a Trader Joe's grocery store was going to be opening down the street from our house. This was back before I had woken up to the problems with plastic, and the news thrilled me. I had visions of all the fresh salads I was going to buy on my way to work every day. And then a few months later, I saw a photo of a dead albatross chick filled with plastic, and I started attempting to live plastic-free.  By the time the new Trader Joe's opened, I could...

How to Make a Cat Climbing Tree Without Buying Any New Plastic Materials

Several months ago, blogger EcoCatLady left a comment on this blog about how she had avoided buying new plastic when her kitties needed a climbing tree by figuring out how to build one herself with all secondhand materials. She wrote:

My most recent success was that I wanted to get my kids (meaning kids of the feline variety) a scratching/climbing kitty tree for Christmas. I initially was going to buy one, and I found them online pretty cheap… but the more I researched, the more I discovered...

Plastic-Free Book Exciting News!

As many of you know, I spent most of last year and the first few months of this year researching and writing my book: Plastic-Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too (Skyhorse). The Kindle version of the book is available NOW, and the hardcover edition can be pre-ordered. In this post, I'm going to explain:

1) How the book is made and why I'm so excited about its content

2) The differences between the hardcover and Kindle versions (besides the obvious)

3) How you can order...

Searching for free drinking water? WeTap can help.

One obstacle to carrying our own water bottles can be the difficulty finding water fountains or other sources for refilling those bottles when we're out in the world. Since today is World Water Day, I thought I would give you a rundown of some of the strategies I use, as well as tell you about an awesome new Android app.

WeTap Water Fountain Mapping App

WeTap is a project developed by Evelyn Wendell, one of the inspiring activists profiled in my upcoming book, in conjunction with the Pacific...

Dear CREDO Mobile, I like your packaging, but please fix my phone — or let me do it.

It's frustrating when electronic gadgets break, and not just because you have to go through the hassle of fixing or replacing them but because in doing so, a lot of waste is created. So when the headphone jack on my phone stopped working intermittently, I put off doing anything about it for several months. But finally, it got so bad that I could no longer use my headset, which meant an extra dose of radiation from putting my phone right against my head to talk (and of course, also not being...

Can’t Tell Whether a Wine Bottle Has a Plastic Cork or Real Cork? There’s an App for That!

One of the most frequent requests I get is for a list of wines with natural cork stoppers because most of the time it’s impossible to see what kind of cork a bottle has without opening it up. When I first started this project, I began keeping a list of wines and what kinds of closures they had, but I quickly realized how futile that exercise was. There are so many brands of wine, using different closures for different varietals, and sometimes changing their packaging with new bottlings.

So I w...

Can't Tell Whether a Wine Bottle Has a Plastic Cork or Real Cork? There's an App for That!

One of the most frequent requests I get is for a list of wines with natural cork stoppers because most of the time it's impossible to see what kind of cork a bottle has without opening it up.  When I first started this project, I began keeping a list of wines and what kinds of closures they had, but I quickly realized how futile that exercise was.  There are so many brands of wine, using different closures for different varietals, and sometimes changing their packaging with new bottlings.

So...

Plastic-free Mascara and Other Cosmetics from T.W.I.N.K. Beauty

Mascara. It's been the downfall of many a plastic-free blogger. For Envirowoman, the very first plastic-free blogger who inspired me back in 2007, mascara was the one thing that made her break her plastic-free pledge. Taina Uitto of Plastic Manners, on the other hand, discovered the joy of going without mascara. Personally, I have never been a big fan of mascara in the first place, but I know that many women (and some men) won't leave the house without it. So I was psyched to learn (via...

Lessons from The Lorax: Why Nagging Doesn't Work

Hey kids.  Don't be like the Lorax.  He's a bad example.  I should know.  I used to be like him, and I still am sometimes.  I'll explain what I mean, but first, let me back up a bit.

A couple of weeks ago, a representative from Universal Pictures invited me to write a compensated* post for the LESSONS FROM THE LORAX Blog Tour in support of Universal Pictures' animated film DR. SEUSS' THE LORAX, which will be in theaters March 2.  I had seen ads for the movie and was already looking forward to...

Bittman's Vegan Spinach and Chickpeas — Prepared Plastic-free

This post is Part 2 of 10: Preparing Mark Bittman's ten Recipes for the Semi-Vegan without plastic. Back in January, I posted the first delicious dish: Saffron-and-Mushroom Barley Risotto, which was out of this world yummy and creamy. Next up:

Recipe #2: Spinach and Chickpeas

If risotto takes a long time to prepare, chickpeas take even longer. The difference is that with chickpeas, most of the work happens while you're asleep. Soak dried chickpeas in a bowl of water overnight.  As Katie from...