5 Days Of Living Plastic Free | Try Living With Lucie | Refinery29 - video Dailymotion

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In honor of Earth Day, this week on Try Living With Lucie, our host, Lucie Fink goes plastic free for 5 days. She explores all of the plastic alternatives out there in order to be more environmentally conscious. Press play to learn how you can reduce your use of plastic!   #athomewithme  Items Used: Beeswax Food Wrap https://fave.co/2v5iB3H Stainless Steel Straws https://fave.co/2PgmDQc Unpaper Towels https://fave.co/2Pd1eqR Stainless Steel Containers https://fave.co/2IBmlC7 Silicone Water Bottle Ice Tray https://fave.co/2Gp2OmG Classic Safety Razor https://fave.co/2IHtFw7 Reusable Cotton Rounds https://fave.co/2IHu8yn Shampoo Bar https://fave.co/2Pev1iR Aluminum Shampoo Bottle https://fave.co/2GrBBjm Natural Bath Sponge https://fave.co/2IBoQUO Deodorant Cream https://fave.co/2Gtr87f Refillable Dental Floss https://fave.co/2GoxkNu Bamboo Toothbrush https://fave.co/2IzUfag Reusable Utensils https://fave.co/2v7gT1F Zero Waste Market Kit https://fave.co/2v6AkYz Natural Gum https://fave.co/2GrNfee Menstrual Cup https://fave.co/2v5QTno Reusable Menstrual Kit https://fave.co/2Iz0ScR  ABOUT SERIES Try Living With Lucie follows our favorite R29 millennial, Lucie Fink, as she dives headfirst into social experiments — five days at a time. From a week without sugar to full-blown street performing; there is nothing she won't try!   ABOUT REFINERY29  Refinery29 is a modern woman's destination for how to live a stylish, well-rounded life. http://refinery29.com/  RELATED CONTENT 5 Days Of A Capsule Wardrobe https://youtube.com/watch?v=Di9Bjf_OPj4 5 Days Of Going Garbage Free https://youtube.com/watch?v=ubZuD3Oxd6I 5 Days Of Meal Prep https://youtube.com/watch?v=DWaU47V3rMU&  SEE MORE REFINERY29 VIDEOS http://refinery29.com/video  SUBSCRIBE TO REFINERY29 Subscribe to the Refinery29 channel: http://bit.ly/subscribe-to-r29 For the latest trends and videos, visit: http://refinery29.com Like Refinery29 on Facebook: https://facebook.com/refinery29 Follow Refinery29 on Twitter: https://twitter.com/refinery29 Heart Refinery29 on Instagram: https://instagram.com/refinery29/  TALENT Follow Lauren Singer on Instagram: https://instagram.com/trashisfortossers/ Follow Lucie Fink on Instagram: https://instagram.com/luciebfink/ Follow Unbothered on Instagram: https://instagram.com/r29unbothered/ Follow OnHerTurf on Instagram: https://instagram.com/onherturf/ Follow Refinery29 on Instagram: https://instagram.com/refinery29/

Transcript

00:00I'm Lucy Fink and this week is 5 Days of Living Plastic Free.

00:04Hey everyone and welcome back to Try Living with Lucy.

00:06We are back with new episodes this year and we're not going to have videos every week this year

00:11but we do have an entire new season coming at you so stay tuned.

00:16I'm especially excited for this topic because it's something that I myself have been diving into personally

00:20over the last few months and that is Living Plastic Free.

00:24If you're an avid Try Living with Lucy viewer you might remember that years back

00:28I did 5 days of no trash.

00:30I didn't produce any waste for 5 whole days and this topic of living plastic free is kind of similar

00:34but the main difference is that this time I'm focusing on plastic.

00:39So why plastic you might ask?

00:41Well according to a Refinery29 article plastic takes a minimum of 450 years to break down

00:47and some doesn't ever break down. Ever.

00:50By the year 2050 it's estimated that there will be more plastic in the sea than fish.

00:55Unlike what I learned from Spongebob back in the day, the smallest creature in the sea,

00:59plankton, is not actually interested in eating Krabby Patties every day.

01:03But plankton are actually eating the small particles that float through the ocean.

01:07And in today's world those small particles include microplastics.

01:10Basically ground down plastics or small bits of plastics from things like the microbeads in face wash.

01:17So the plankton eat the microplastics, then the bigger fish eat the plankton.

01:20And sometimes bigger fish also eat bigger pieces of plastic.

01:24And then we as humans eat the bigger fish.

01:26So the plastic that we're using is slowly making its way back up the food chain to us.

01:31Before diving into this episode I knew just the girl I had to visit, Lauren Singer.

01:35She's the zero waste guru who I featured in 5 Days of No Trash.

01:39Three years worth of trash right inside this jar.

01:42So on Sunday I went to her package free shop in Brooklyn and she helped to guide my 5 day

01:46challenge.

01:47What I've learned through this process of removing plastic from my life is that I was using far more products

01:54than I actually needed.

01:55Society kind of tells us that we need 400 things to look and feel our best.

02:00And what I learned is that that's not true.

02:03I can have one bar of soap that I use for shampoo in my body.

02:06I can have one face product.

02:08I can be more with less.

02:14On Monday we're going to focus on the kitchen and look for items that we can find multi-use non

02:20-plastic alternatives for.

02:21The kitchen is the area of my home where I initially assumed that I used the most plastic.

02:26I actually had already made many of these swap outs months ago.

02:29But on Monday I went through my entire kitchen to make sure that I was overhauling everything.

02:34So pause the video, get out a pen and paper, and write these swap outs down.

02:38Number one, cut out all plastic wrap and cling wrap and replace it with reusable beeswax wrap.

02:44The one that I use is washable, reusable, and compostable.

02:48Two, never use a plastic straw again.

02:50If you love drinking from straws, replace them with stainless steel straws.

02:54This is now how I drink.

02:56If you want to use a compostable paper straw, that's better.

02:59But just make sure you're not using any plastic straws because those are really damaging to marine life.

03:04Number three, stop buying paper towels that come wrapped with plastic or are themselves filled with chemicals.

03:09And instead use reusable rags or cloths in your kitchen.

03:12And number four, cut out all plastic food storage containers and instead use glass or stainless steel containers.

03:18If you want some ideas of other kitchen swap outs, you can replace ice cube trays or popsicle molds with

03:23stainless steel or silicone trays.

03:25You can choose to use a glass blender as opposed to a plastic one.

03:28You can start making an at-home composting bin in your freezer which will reduce your need for plastic garbage

03:33bags.

03:34And one more thing you can do is eliminate your usage of plastic cups, plastic plates, or any napkins that

03:39come wrapped in plastic.

03:40Most of the items that you've already seen and are going to see in the rest of this video came

03:44from Package Free Shop.

03:45And the great news is they offer international shipping.

03:48So for everyone out there that wants to buy these items, I'm going to put a link to their shop

03:52in the description box.

03:53Start making a checklist for yourself and as soon as you're done watching this video, start buying those zero waste

03:58swap outs.

04:01On Tuesday, we're going to focus on where I started my zero waste journey which is with personal care items.

04:07I had initially assumed that the kitchen was where most of my plastic usage was coming from, but as it

04:12turns out, it's actually the bathroom and my personal care routine.

04:16Even within the first 30 minutes of many people's day, they've already touched a plastic toothbrush, a plastic toothpaste tube,

04:22a plastic soap dispenser, disposable plastic razors, face wipes in plastic wrappers, dental floss in plastic containers, and the list

04:30goes on and on and on.

04:31So here are some plastic free swap outs for your bathroom.

04:34Swap those plastic razors for a metal safety razor.

04:37Stop buying makeup remover wipes or single use cotton pads that come wrapped in plastic.

04:42Instead, use a natural makeup removing oil with reusable cotton rounds or reusable cotton face wipes.

04:48Get rid of all body soaps, shampoos, and conditioners that come in plastic bottles and opt for body soap bars

04:54and also shampoo and conditioner bars.

04:56Or find shampoos and conditioners that come in 100% recyclable and refillable aluminum bottles.

05:02Swap out your plastic loofah for a natural bath sponge.

05:05No more plastic deodorant sticks.

05:07Instead, use glass jars that have cream deodorant.

05:12Avoid all plastic dental floss containers which actually contain synthetic dental floss.

05:17And instead, use 100% silk refillable dental lace that comes in glass jars.

05:22And of course, say goodbye to your plastic toothbrushes and opt for a bamboo one instead.

05:27If you're anything like me, at the end of this process you're going to have tons of empty bottles and

05:31containers that you don't know what to do with.

05:33I use the personal care and beauty recycling program from TerraCycle which is completely free.

05:38You just follow the directions on their website which basically has you separate out the acceptable waste which winds up

05:43being just a lot of caps.

05:45Then they collect it for you for free and it's made into new recycled products.

05:50On Wednesday, we're going to take this to the streets and practice plastic free living out in the wild.

05:55So what are some tips and tricks for people who are just living in the real world, they want to

05:59be semi-normal people on the go, how can they reduce their plastic?

06:03The first thing that I think about is how to prepare.

06:05So if you're prepared for your day, it's much less likely that you'll encounter a situation where you don't have

06:11the tool that you need.

06:12My basic everyday tools are really a reusable bag, my reusable coffee cup which can be used as a water

06:17bottle.

06:18And then I always have a little kit of a fork, knife and spoon with me and that helps a

06:22lot because if I do get food on the go, I don't have to use a plastic set of utensils.

06:27I can use my own and it feels a lot nicer to eat off of bamboo or stainless steel than

06:32it does plastic.

06:33It's the going out and about part that makes living plastic free more difficult.

06:37Because a lot of the time, single use plastics are there for our convenience when we're on the go.

06:42For example, if we're on the move and we don't want to bring food with us, we can just pick

06:45up food on the go in a plastic container and eat it really quickly using plastic utensils.

06:50If we're thirsty on the go, we can just grab a drink in a plastic bottle.

06:54If we're out there shopping on the go and we don't have anything to carry our new items home in,

06:58the store will give us a plastic bag to put our stuff in.

07:01So these single use plastics are making things a little bit easier for us, but a whole lot worse for

07:06the planet.

07:07And actually, a whole lot worse for us too in the long run.

07:09So on Wednesday, I just attempted to live a normal day out and about without using plastic.

07:14And then I came up with a whole list of things that should remain top of mind for you if

07:18you want to try living plastic free on the go.

07:20First, bring your own reusable cup around with you.

07:23Whether it's for refilling water on the go or handing it to a barista and asking them to make your

07:27drink right in it,

07:28Tip number one is to literally never purchase a plastic bottle again unless it's an absolute emergency and you're going

07:35to faint of dehydration.

07:36On Wednesday, I went to Doe, which is my favorite donut shop in New York City.

07:40I handed them my mason jar. I asked them to make me an iced tea right inside of it.

07:44And no straw, please.

07:45And then I got four donuts and a compostable cardboard box and it was a delightful morning.

07:50Tip number two is take reusable bags with you wherever you go.

07:53That way, if you're shopping, you can always just throw the items in the bag and you never need to

07:57get a plastic bag again.

07:58If you're one of those people who always forgets to bring the bags with you, keep them in really convenient

08:03places around your home.

08:04Under your sink, keep them around your desk at work, tuck them into the bottom of your backpack so you

08:09always have one when you're out and about.

08:10And if you're a really forgetful person, maybe try having the tote that you carry your phone and your keys

08:16and your wallet in be a reusable tote bag that you can use to put groceries and other items in.

08:20Number three, for meals at work, keep a set of reusable utensils in your desk drawer.

08:25I've had the same set of bamboo utensils for two years now and I just hand wash them after each

08:30use.

08:31Number four, start shopping in bulk instead of buying things that come wrapped in plastic.

08:35This zero waste market kit is from Package Free and it comes with everything that you're seeing right here.

08:40And lastly, if you have any plastic bags just stashed away at home from previous trips to the grocery store,

08:45or if you're like me and you have bags of bags, just bring them back to the store you got

08:50them from for recycling.

08:51And one more tip that I already mentioned in five days of going zero waste is if you're ever eating

08:55out,

08:56ask your server or your barista to serve you your food with no straw, no coaster and no napkin.

09:02There are tons of tiny changes that you can make.

09:04Things like getting your ice cream in a cone instead of in a cup with a plastic spoon.

09:08Or even switching to all natural chewing gums that don't come wrapped in plastic and don't actually contain plastic themselves.

09:14Yes, most gums have synthetic plastics in the gum.

09:18The best way to start making these changes is to identify the areas of your life where the changes need

09:22to be made.

09:23So start making a plastic tracker any time you encounter plastic in your daily life.

09:27Jot it down and then start making swap outs.

09:32On Thursday we'll focus on plastic free and second hand clothing.

09:36So can we talk a little bit about what is actually going on and how fast fashion is affecting landfills?

09:42So the average American sends about 70 pounds of textile waste to landfill each year,

09:47which for all Americans that's about 16 million tons of textile waste,

09:51which is a massive amount of trash.

09:54One thing that I do to prevent that is shop second hand.

09:58There's even rental options like rent the runway,

10:00which makes it really great and convenient to get cool clothing

10:03without participating in this like single use fast fashion culture.

10:07Fast fashion is a major issue when it comes to plastic.

10:11I've actually been wanting to do an entire five day challenge around sustainable fashion,

10:15thrifting and shopping second hand.

10:17So comment below if you want to see that.

10:18But in the meantime, on Thursday I took one small step towards reducing my synthetic microfiber pollution.

10:24In case you haven't heard the term fast fashion,

10:27it refers to trend chasing and inexpensive clothing that's produced really quickly by mass market retailers.

10:32I'm very guilty of buying these clothes because number one, they're cute and two, they're cheap.

10:37But on top of the poor working conditions for the makers of this clothing,

10:40most of the textiles and synthetic fabrics used in fast fashion just don't break down.

10:46Thankfully, according to a Refinery29 article,

10:48the fashion industry pendulum is starting to swing towards the desire for more conscious clothing.

10:53And while there's still a long way to go, a couple of things you can do right now are...

10:58Number one, start shopping for clothes that are made with recycled materials.

11:01Number two, when you're finished with clothing, instead of throwing it away, donate it.

11:06And then if you want to replace those items in your closet, replace them with second hand items.

11:10And number three, when you order clothes online, find online shops that offer plastic free shipment options.

11:15Another tip is to wash your clothing less frequently because if you do have synthetic clothing,

11:20each and every time you run that washing machine, you're releasing more microplastic particles into the ocean.

11:25Instead, just try doing spot touch-ups by hand to the areas that need to be cleaned.

11:29On Thursday, I went through my closets and I donated two bags of clothing.

11:33And whenever I'm ready to replenish those items, I'll be shopping at a second hand store.

11:41On Friday, we'll talk about something that makes me really, really excited, weirdly, which is a plastic free period.

11:47Period!

11:48I'm getting a little bit personal now, but it just so happened that on Friday, as I was shooting this

11:53episode,

11:53it happened to be that time of the month for me.

11:56And normally during my period, I'd be using a tampon with a plastic applicator

12:00or one of those panty liner pads that has a plastic piece that you peel off to make it sticky.

12:04I know that there are cardboard tampon applicators and organic cotton tampons,

12:09but on Friday, I wanted to go all in, no pun intended, and try the least wasteful option.

12:15Menstrual cup.

12:16Menstrual cup.

12:16What is it? How do you use it?

12:18So, a menstrual cup is a little silicone cup. It's about that big.

12:24And you basically squeeze it in half and then fold it again, and you just insert it inside of you,

12:29and it opens up, and it has four little holes that create a suction inside of you and collect blood

12:35throughout the course of the day.

12:36You empty it once or twice a day, or however often you feel you need to, then you rinse it

12:41with some organic soap and water,

12:42and you put it back in.

12:43On Lauren's website, Trashes4Tossers.com, they do a little math equation that shows if you buy one of these and

12:49use it for 10 years,

12:50because it's good for up to 10 years, as opposed to using organic cotton tampons for 10 years, how much

12:55money you're saving.

12:56And you can literally save thousands of dollars. I believe it's $1,640.

13:01I actually redid the math, and it's $1,640 and one penny.

13:06Alright, this is it. I've got my menstrual cup, and I'm about to go put this inside of me for

13:14the first time ever.

13:19Woo! I did it! I did it!

13:22What an experience!

13:24Okay, so, to be completely honest, it was not the easiest thing in the world to do.

13:29I had to put a mirror down there and really examine the whole area, but I took my time, I

13:34relaxed a little, and eventually I got it in just fine.

13:37If you'd prefer to use pads, which I sometimes do at night, just replace your plastic packaged panty liners with

13:42reusable, organic cotton panty liners.

13:44I ordered these two from Package Free Shop. This one is for regular underwear, and this one is for a

13:49thong.

13:49They're biodegradable, and they also compost naturally once you're done using them.

13:53And what do you know, five days later, and I have drastically reduced my use of plastic in my home

13:57and my life in general.

13:59If everyone out there did this, think of the positive effects that it would have on our health, on our

14:03oceans, and on the entire ecosystem of this planet.

14:07If you're the kind of person that's always thinking, well, I'm just one person, so how can I possibly make

14:12a difference?

14:12Just think about all the individual people in your life that you would inspire if you made these small changes.

14:17And it's all about that chain reaction.

14:19A lot of people think that asking for what you want when it comes to plastic-free alternatives makes you

14:25look or feel weird.

14:27I like to think about it in the complete opposite way.

14:29I think that it's super empowering and cool to have someone look at you in a weird way when you

14:36ask them to put something in your mason jar.

14:38As opposed to internalizing it as judgment, I like to think of it as a way to educate the people

14:43around me.

14:44It's a really powerful position to be in.

14:46I'm hoping this video inspires even just one person out there to make some changes, so comment below if that

14:51person is you.

14:51And hopefully we can save some marine creatures along the way.

14:54Mwah! Sending so much love from New York to all of you around the world.

14:58Comment below and let me know what five-day challenge you want to see me try next time, and we'll

15:02see you then on Try Living With Lucy.

15:04Hi!

15:05Hey YouTube, thanks for watching my five-day challenge.

15:08Click here for another five-day challenge.

15:10Right here to subscribe to Refinery29 on YouTube, and here for my personal YouTube channel.

15:15See ya!

5 Days Of Living Plastic Free | Try Living With Lucie | Refinery29

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