Really thought those glass containers with bamboo lids were non toxic until someone pointed out that they are bonded with formaldehyde and plastic. I had this whole vision of redoing my pantry but I guess not with the “aesthetic” looking containers… Has anyone found any alternatives besides mason jars?
everything including toys are made from solid wood with baby safe paint, gots certified organic cotton, or stainless steel. I even upgraded from a foam mat to a wool carpet!
basically all wood and stainless steel, oh and lots of borosilicate glass. I had a custom made shelf made from solid wood that is unfinished. Also had these cutlery organizer inserts custom made.
I have been experimenting with making a hammock system entirely from natural materials. I posted my first iteration here a while back, this one is v2.0.
The outer bug net is cotton viole. The bottom of the net is cotton muslin, it acts as a barrier to protect the netting from the dirt and can be used as a shoe shelf when I get in for the night. The hammock inside is made from a 5oz linen, a gathered end design. The ropes are manila.
The only thing I have yet to develop is a tree straps system, which coincidentally will be the hardest part since it involves engineering.
Results:
It's way too heavy to go any meaningful distance. I made it a mile up the mountain before I decided to stop and set up camp, but any further would've been very difficult and no water sources existed for a few more miles.
I set up camp at the top of the mountain. There were strong winds that night. I had to set up the hammock against the wind due to how the trees sat around the campsite, so that was less than ideal.
The setup was comfortable despite it getting into the low 50s. I insulate with a 100% wool blanket and the merino wool Cocoon. I also have a thin cotton "Turkish towel" that I put over all the blankets to help cut any wind. Lastly, I used battery powered hand warmers to assist with maintaining warmth.
As far as the results, the linen hammock ripped near the mounting area overnight. I think this was due to the angle at which it was hung, so I may make a new one and test that out. The bug net worked beautifully and was extremely easy to put up and take down. The only issue with it is that it was a bit damp when packing it up due to the humidity out here.
I was also bummed my poncho tarp did not cover the entire hammock, but maybe I can change the way I set it up for better coverage against the wind.
There are some changes I will be making to the next iteration:
I decided to clear out a bunch of clothes today from my closet and wanted a full wardrobe change and thought “why not make a better change and go for natural fabrics”. I am planning on doing it gradually of course.
Being a college student, Im finding it quite hard to find affordable plastic free clothing brands that cater to my style, whenever I google it, its always those brands that specifically soecify they are plastic free as part of their marketing and they all look pretty much the same and are so pricy sadly.
Of course I am not looking for fast fashion pricing, any suggestions would be helpful, especially for underwear and such.
So far in this series we've focused on bacteria in terms of which species grow, what they eat, and why polyester feeds them better. However, there is a second half to the odor equation that has nothing to do with bacterial growth. It's about what happens to the smelly molecules after bacteria produce them.
This matters because two fabrics can generate similar amounts of odor compounds and still smell completely different to your nose. What matters is whether those compounds stay locked inside the fiber or escape into the air.
This comes down to a property called moisture regain which can be described as how much water a fiber holds onto after it feels dry to the touch.
When researchers at Aarhus University measured the residual water content in cotton and polyester after both fabrics had fully dried under identical conditions, cotton retained about 2.2% of its weight in water. Polyester retained ten times less than that at only 0.23% (Møllebjerg et al. 2021).
That thin film of residual moisture in cotton isn't just sitting there. It's doing something useful: dissolving and trapping volatile fatty acids (the odor molecules that bacteria produce). Those compounds are water-soluble, and as long as they're dissolved in the fiber's retained moisture, they aren't evaporating into the air and reaching your nose. The fiber is effectively sequestering or holding in the stink till you can wash it out in the laundry.
Polyester holds almost no residual moisture. So, as soon as bacteria produce odor compounds, those molecules have nowhere to hide. They sit on a dry, non-absorbent surface and volatilize freely into the air. The result is faster, more intense odor release, even if the total amount of odor compounds produced is similar.
This mechanism also explains one of the more counterintuitive findings in the textile odor literature. Wool is a hydrophobic fiber, its surface actually repels water, similar to polyester. You'd expect it to have a similar odor problem. But wool consistently scores among the lowest fabrics for perceived odor intensity after wear, despite supporting high bacterial counts (McQueen et al. 2007).
The explanation lies in wool's unusual structure. While the fiber surface is hydrophobic, the fiber interior is highly hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs and retains moisture within its core. This gives wool a high moisture regain despite its waxy outer layer. That internal moisture reservoir traps odor compounds the same way cotton, bamboo, and hemp do, preventing them from becoming airborne. Wool is essentially a stealth moisture trap with water-repellent on the outside, odor-absorbing on the inside (Møllebjerg et al. 2021).
So, what does this mean for the overall odor picture?
Polyester gets hit from both sides. It selectively grows the smelliest bacteria (#2), feeds them more efficiently through better sebum access (#3), and does nothing to trap the odor molecules those bacteria produce (#4). It's a three-stage amplifier: more of the wrong bugs, better-fed bugs, and no odor containment.
Cellulosic fibers like cotton, hemp, bamboo, lyocell, and other plant-based or regenerated-cellulose materials have the opposite profile at each stage. They don't preferentially grow odor-causing species, they don't coat themselves in bacterial food, and they retain enough moisture to sequester volatile odor compounds before they reach the air.
But we're not done yet. There's one more mechanism that makes polyester's odor problem compound over time and it explains why your oldest gym shirt is always your smelliest, no matter how many times you wash it.
That's coming in #5. Till then, let me know if you have any comments or questions about what we've covered so far. I think the wool paradox is pretty interesting - anyone else?
References: Møllebjerg, A. et al. (2021). The Bacterial Life Cycle in Textiles is Governed by Fiber Hydrophobicity. Microbiology Spectrum, 9(2), e01185-21.
McQueen, R.H. et al. (2007). Odor Intensity in Apparel Fabrics and the Link with Bacterial Populations. Textile Research Journal, 77(7), 449–456.
Cytotoxicity, endocrine disrupting activity, and chemical analysis of 42 food contact silicone rubber products
From what I've read it is different from plastic, and doesn't have the same risk of being an endocrine disruptor or carcinogen. I can't find the same amount of reputable studies about silicone posing a health risk. If someone here can point me to good research about this I'd be happy.
I've been trying to do some research on plastic free scrubs. I have found plastic free under scrubs (clothes to wear under the scrubs) but wanted to see if anyone knew of any scrub alternatives.
I have been slowly reducing plastic in our home over the past year and honestly felt pretty good about it. Swapped food storage to glass, carry a metal bottle everywhere, even started buying more loose produce instead of packaged stuff.
Then my kid started teething.
I didn’t realize how many baby teethers are basically plastic or silicone until I actually started looking closely. I get why they’re made that way, they’re durable, easy to clean, and babies destroy everything. But it kind of threw me off because it’s one of those categories where the “plastic-free” alternatives aren’t always straightforward.
We tried a wooden one first. Looked great, felt solid, but after a week of constant chewing and being dropped on the floor, it started to feel rough and I got a bit nervous about splinters. Switched to a natural rubber one, which has been better, but it still has a smell that took some getting used to.
At one point I researched Google looking at large scale suppliers on Alibaba and Etsy just to see what materials manufacturers actually use. Honestly, it made things more confusing than helpful. Some of them looked legit, others felt like you’d be guessing what you’re really getting.
Right now we’re just checking a few options and trying not to overthink it, but I’m curious how others approached this. Did you find something that actually balances durability and low plastic use?
Can you get a brass fill valve for a home toilet? If so where? I just replaced a fill valve and when I went to buy the new one the hardware store owner said, “they all used to be made of brass and never needed replacing.” I’m always trying to have less plastic in my life and am wondering if there are still places to get brass fill valves and other such household hardware that is now almost always plastic?
Myself and kids personally all wear cotton except for gym wear. My husband still wears a lot of plastic clothes (his aware but doesn’t care). We have lounge covers made of polyester. All this stuff I don’t really like to be mixed with my kids clothes and sheets.
I’m not sure if this is insane but and taking it too far. Do you guys do anything else that works? The way I see it is that microplastics never never be removed from clothes and stay in every load
Has anyone seen the netflix docu relating microplastics to our ability to conceive? I want to know y’all’s insight on this. I mean, I think internally we all know plastic is bad but the fact that it’s also affecting our organs like that is blowing as anyone taking steps that actually you know your ass assaulted do something positive towards your fertility in relation to this?
I’m looking for underwear that can be used for both exercise and every day wear. The only viable options I’ve found is merino wool but it is ridiculously expensive and I’d be looking at excess of £200 for a week’s worth of underwear. Also, I’m willing to compromise but I also hate that most men’s underwear has excessive branding plastered on it and would be great if branding was minimal or no branding at all. Does anyone have any recommendations please?
Looking for a good water filter that can filter things such as bacteria and added chemicals in water (such as fluoride and chlorine). If it can do microplastics as well that would be a plus. Obviously looking for something non plastic and non toxic. I’ve seen a few metal ones but just curious
Hi,
I just realized that even if clothing brands are saying to use 98-100% organic cotton and are sustainable, they all use plastic buttons.
On jeans, you can find metal buttons and rivets (is it really metal?), but on shirts, shorts, chinos, etc. It’s all plastic.
It’s a bit sad.
I visited a winter store to find eco friendly acrylic gloves two days ago. I wanted something sustainable and warm. But when I checked the gloves I felt disappointed. Most were not eco friendly. Some looked weak and not durable. I could not trust them. I could not decide confidently.
Then I visited another shop in the same area. Some gloves looked better but were expensive. Some were affordable but not sustainable. Some seemed perfect at first but material was unclear. I remembered I used gloves last winter that wore out quickly. That made me hesitate even more.
To check more variety and options while scrolling many online marketplaces including alibaba I found eco friendly gloves. Some looked sustainable and strong. Some were simple and low price. Some had better materials and comfort. There were many options available. This made me excited but also confused again.
Now I am thinking should I buy eco friendly gloves online or trust local stores for real durability? What would you do in my place?
I've driven myself a bit crazy researching this. I've looked into all the main top-tier clean underwear brands that are recommended (Duluth, Oddobody, Quinn, Kent, Primals, etc.). Every pair I look at either has 5-6% spandex or other non-natural materials, and/or is wildly expensive, like $30-40 per pair. I understand that quality comes with a price but that's just not in my budget right now. I need new underwear anyway and can't decide what to order. Should I go for the cheapest of those organic brands, or is it safe to go with a generic brand like Fruit of the Loom that has cheap 100% cotton underwear (although not organic?)
Edited to add: I did try Pact which fit this criteria, but unfortunately they just fit a bit awkwardly on me and were uncomfortable :(
Slowly making swaps to lessen the plastic in my house & I’m wondering if cast iron or stainless steel fry pans are easier to adjust to coming from someone who’s only ever used non-stick teflon!! Stainless steel seems more straight forward than cast iron as I don’t know much about seasoning pans. Those who made the swap what did you find easier?
Im wanting to switch my plastic 5 gallon water jugs for stainless. I’ve tried a glass carboy but it’s just too heavy. The only stainless water container for storage I’ve seen has been a jerry can style jug, nothing that would be compatible with my ceramic water dispenser. I’m thinking I’ll have a sheet metal shop just roll out a stainless cylinder and have them tig weld a bottom plate on and an open mouth spout similar to the plastic jugs for the top. Has anyone done something similar or know of any stainless water jugs compatible with a ceramic water dispenser?