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ASHEVILLE GREENWORKS
  • Hard 2 Recycle
  • Programs
    • Bee City USA Asheville >
      • Native Pollinator Plants and Nurseries
      • Pollination Celebration >
        • Pollinator Photo Contest
      • Pollinator Garden Certification
    • Rivers & Roads >
      • Adopt-a-Street
      • Clean Streams Day
      • Cleanup Supply Stations
      • Trash Trout
      • WNC Big Sweep
    • Education
    • Urban Forestry >
      • Adopt-a-Spot
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      • Food Tree Project
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      • Tree Nursery
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        • Treasured Trees Calendar
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We are drowning in plastic.

From beauty products to grocery bags to water bottles to our daily cup of coffee, plastic is present in every aspect of our lives. Most of these items are designed to be used once and thrown away, usually heading to the landfill.

Some of the plastic that we think can be recycled, like drink lids, straws and utensils, end up in the landfill because they're either too difficult to recycle or there's no market for the end products. Even recyclable plastic such as water bottles are becoming harder to recycle.

The most effective approach to reducing our plastic waste is to REFUSE, REDUCE, and REUSE.

In January 2019, GreenWorks spearheaded the creation of the Plastics Reduction Task Force -- a group of motivated volunteers dedicated to reducing single-use plastic in our environment. 
​
Join the plastic-free movement and break free from the plastic ties that bind us.
Donate now for a plastic-free future
Mind Your Plastic May is meant to encourage and challenge us in our journey to live plastic free. These posts are created by GreenWorks staff, Plastic Reduction Task Force volunteers, and other plastic-free advocates in Buncombe County. If you've found these posts helpful and encouraging, please consider making a donation to support this work. If you have any questions, please email [email protected]
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Plastic-Free Parenting

5/12/2019

1 Comment

 
​On this special day, when we celebrate mothers, we can honor them by choosing less plastic in the gifts we give to them and their children. Whether you’re a parent or know someone who is, you can help make parenting babies and small children less harmful to the planet by choosing plastic-free alternatives for everything from sippy cups to diapers to toys.

Feeding Time - Disposable plastic placemats and bibs help keep tabletops clean and messes contained when eating out with toddlers and small children. Plastic plates, sippy cups and utensils are designed with convenience in mind -- just “take and toss” is one brand’s motto. But all that tossing is creating a waste problem that is not so convenient. Luckily, there are lots of great alternatives to plastics, such as stainless steel plates and sippy cups and wooden or metal utensils. Cloth bibs and silicone placemats are easy to clean and keep those spills in check. 

Snacks on the Go - When carting little ones around in a stroller or packing up the family in the minivan, baggies of snacks can be a lifesaver. Replacing disposable plastic snack bags with reusable cloth snack bags is a great way to mind your plastic. Cloth snack bags come in a variety of sizes and can have zipper, velcro or button closures. Some are even waterproof. They’re super easy to wash and reuse. You can buy them locally, online or even make your own.
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Diapers - The average baby in the U.S. uses between 6,500 and 10,000 diapers before being potty trained at about 30-months old. That’s approximately 27.4 billion plastic diapers every year. Making the switch to reusable cloth diapers might sound daunting, but with local diaper services that collect the dirty diapers and bring fresh clean ones to your doorstep, using cloth diapers can be just as convenient as using disposables. There are also cloth diapering classes, like Cloth Diaper 101 at The Littlest Birds in West Asheville, to help you get started. And cloth diapers and their wraps are so darn cute! Check out these cloth diapers

​Wet Stuff
 - Speaking of diapers...with babies and small children, there’s bound to be spills and accidents. What do you do with the dirty cloth diaper when you’re out and about? Rather than using plastic bags to contain the wet stuff, you can use a waterproof cloth bag. I even had a large trash can sized waterproof cloth bag to line my diaper pail at home when I had babies in cloth diapers. They come in all sizes and have a great many uses, like carrying wet bathing suits home from the beach or pool.

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​Toys and Playthings - No matter its intended purpose, chances are a toy given to a baby will end up in her mouth. That’s how babies explore things. Plastic toys can be full of some really nasty chemicals, including lead, bisphenol-A (BPA), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and phthalates. Look for toys made from wood, bamboo, or organic cotton or hemp.
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In honor of Mother’s Day, we’ll be giving away a gift certificate to The Littlest Birds this week. Thanks to The Littlest Birds for donating to the Mind Your Plastic May Challenge and for caring about people and the planet!

Dawn Chavez
​GreenWorks Executive Director
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1 Comment
nappy recycling link
2/3/2021 11:43:10 pm

I think since man invented plastic the world is now covered with it, basically everything we use and consume has a components of plastic.

Reply



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    Staff from Asheville GreenWorks, volunteers from the Plastic Reduction Task Force, as well as other guest writers who are advocates and friends.

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​Asheville GreenWorks is a 501(c)3 non-profit environmental organization, governed by a Board of Directors. Established in 1973, GreenWorks mission is to inspire, equip and mobilize individuals and communities to take care of the places we love to live.
  • Hard 2 Recycle
  • Programs
    • Bee City USA Asheville >
      • Native Pollinator Plants and Nurseries
      • Pollination Celebration >
        • Pollinator Photo Contest
      • Pollinator Garden Certification
    • Rivers & Roads >
      • Adopt-a-Street
      • Clean Streams Day
      • Cleanup Supply Stations
      • Trash Trout
      • WNC Big Sweep
    • Education
    • Urban Forestry >
      • Adopt-a-Spot
      • Cool Green Asheville
      • Food Tree Project
      • RRI
      • Tree Nursery
      • Treasured Trees >
        • Treasured Trees Calendar
    • Waste Reduction >
      • Asheville Bag Monster
      • Composting Information
      • Flip Your Lid
      • Plastics Reduction Task Force
      • Recycling Information
      • Smash Don't Trash
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer
    • Experiential Internships
    • Youth Environmental Leadership Program >
      • YELP Staff & Alumni
      • How to Apply
    • Make a Donation
    • Wish List
    • Sponsorship
  • Upcoming Events
  • About
    • Job Openings
    • History
    • Staff/ Contact
  • Newsletter
  • Blog Roll
    • Latest News
    • Protect our Pollinators
    • Voice for the Trees
    • Mind Your Plastic May
    • Fall Leaves