Go Unplastic Tip 4

For the last couple of months, FCC-V's Green Chalice Ministry has provided tips to help you to go "unplastic." It's a given that plastic bags, [PET] bottles, plastic straws, coffee stirrers, etc. are designed to be used only once and then end up in a landfill where they cannot fully break down. To continue our mission of "refuse" [that's rēfúse not réfuse] here are some other hints on how to make your world more unplastic:

• Look out for boxed packaging alternatives instead of plastic bottles or tubs. Often, products such as powdered laundry detergent or dishwashing granules are as good as their liquid counterparts AND they come in boxes that break down much more easily than plastic bottles. 

• FCCV has already stripped styrofoam cups out of its vocabulary and is using biodegradable utensils (made out of cornstarch or rice fibers). As opposed to plastic forks, spoons and knives, these alternatives are not made from petroleum byproducts AND they are compostable. Especially if you're going on a picnic, try eco-friendly compostable cutlery.