When I give talks, one question people frequently ask is whether it costs more money to go plastic-free. My answer: a few things cost more initially, but in general, I save money living this way.  In fact, I was thinking about adding a whole section to my plastic-free presentation about ways to save money.  But I […]
So, I’ve talked and written a lot about how Americans seem to be addicted to the convenience that plastic packaging affords us. I know I sure was… eating frozen microwavable meals in plastic trays, energy bars in plastic wrappers, and water in plastic bottles. But I need to confess something. Just because I gave up […]
It’s been a busy two weeks, and I haven’t had a spare minute to write a blog post. I shouldn’t actually be writing one now because I’m at a silent meditation retreat, and it’s not really allowed. But being here at the retreat center, a place I’ve come twice a year for the past 14 […]
This will be my penultimate Burning Man post for the year. I think. (I have one more in mind, but who knows if I’ll get a burning desire to say even more after that? Or less?) I have a discussion question for you, but first, a little background and lots of pictures. (I don’t think […]
I had lunch today with Pam Marcus, the founder of Lifefactory, a company that makes reusable glass water bottles and baby bottles. Â She is also one of the organizers of the Plastic Pollution Coalition’s “Think Beyond Plastic Innovation Competition.” Â There is a $50,000 prize at stake for the best idea for reducing plastic pollution, […]
I just got back from a week on the East Coast doing book promos and visiting family, and all I got was this stupid Facebook photo… Two days ago, my sister Ellen posted that photo and caption and tagged me. Â It would have been funny, if it weren’t my Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup can. […]
I’m back from my meditation retreat, where one of the common admonishments is “Don’t push the river.” Â What does that mean? Â To me, it’s about being in the flow and not exerting more effort than necessary to live peacefully and mindfully in the present moment. Â After all, the river’s gonna flow whether you push it […]
What does the Trayvon Martin murder have to do with sea turtles choking on plastic bags or the toxicity of bisphenol-A?  At first glance, not a whole lot.  And it’s not the kind of  news I would normally write about on My Plastic-Free Life.  But listening to the April 17 episode of the American Public […]
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 […]
A few weeks ago, reader Kay Pere left the following comment on Facebook: Beth: I’ve received your “Show Your Plastic Trash Challenge” update emails for a while now. I was hoping it would be encouraging to see so many other people working to reduce their plastic waste. Instead, it’s making me feel vaguely discouraged knowing […]