Never too late for #plasticfreejuly

And never too late for posting something again.

I’m all about sustainability and minimalism and I’m sharing with you some of the plastic free swaps I’ve done over time to live a comfortable life without having a negative impact to the environment. Note that I live in Bangkok and the zerowaste trend isn’t really gaining ground yet but going plastic free is still a possibility.. So apart from the ecobag use and the regular refusal of plastic everywhere I go, below are great swaps both common and unique to the city that you might find interesting.

TOOTH POWDER AND BAMBOO TOOTHBRUSH > GROCERY STORE TOOTH PASTE AND PLASTIC TOOTH BRUSH

One of the harder swaps I’ve made because I’m used to equating that minty-fresh tingly feeling with cleanliness when it comes to dental hygiene. It really takes a while to get used to the bitter taste of baking soda. Also, LUSH can be a bit pricey (THB 495 for the tooth powder) but a little goes a long way, really. The bamboo toothbrush still has plastic bristles but it’s still a good way to cut out plastic waste.

ALUM CRYSTAL/ TAWAS/ SARN SOM > ROLL ONS/ SPRAY DEODORANTS

Now for a South East Asian Swap. Tawas/ Sarn Som is available in local markets everywhere in SEA. It is used to keep odors at bay and is considered a beauty staple of Asian grannies who swear by it.

Alum is very cheap, organic and very easy to use. It also comes in crystal, powder and liquid forms. Mine is bought from a grocery store and it was packaged conveniently with a plastic base but my next purchase will definitely be the raw crystal one – although that doesn’t seem to urgent since this baby takes awhile to be used up. Yay for the money you save!

METAL STRAWS > PLASTIC STRAWS

The easiest but very hard to employ swap. Waiters, bartenders, even convenience store staff are just trained to hand you a plastic straw with every drink you purchase! Metal straws are very useful when you use it at home and I haven’t gotten into the habit of carrying it around and remembering to tell waiters that I don’t need a bloody straw.

INCENSE > AEROSOLS/ FRAGRANCE SPRAYS

Similar to Alum ,you can easily find incense in flea markets around town. It is effective in eliminating odors in a subtle way unlike the chemical fumes of Glade and Lysol . The tiny cones vary in scents too depending on the color, Best part, it leaves not much waste to throw away and it also won’t burn your house down (the thought of unsupervised oils and a burning candle is scarrryyyy). They’re also sold in bulk and come with very little packaging.

MENSTRUAL CUP > TAMPONS

A learning curve still but hey, I’m getting the hang of it. This swap took awhile to be done because I never really liked online shopping due to the carbon footprint that shipping from overseas entails. But I found a local seller and the adventure just starts from there. I am not yet a pro in using menstrual cups and I haven’t gotten rid of my tampon stash just yet (I do opt for tampons without the plastic sliding thingy). I just haven’t developed the “feel” for it on whether it’s lodged properly or it’s just stuck up there not really doing anything, Right now, I use it when I know I’m staying at home or doing some light errands. Never on a meeting or a formal gig. But as soon as I find a slender menstrual cup, I’m hoping it would be a revolutionary moment in my period life and I will never have to pay for a tampon again.

SOAP NUTS > SHAMPOO/ LAUNDRY DETERGENT

This is one is still a test-run for me. Soap Nuts are hard to find and are very tricky to use. Soap nuts are used in South Asia for ages to clean hair and other things.

Most of my soap nuts knowledge comes from youtube and my attempts have been not so great lately. For me, I struggle with its stickiness and weird smell. It also doesn’t help that I share the washing machine with other people who use more convenient detergents that thoroughly clean things

Of course, with every successful swap comes with mini failures. I do think it’s best to share the eco-alternatives that didn’t work for me just so we can underline that some green DIYs are climate-dependent or are suited for other types of people/lifestyles/what have you. So what are the swaps that didn’t work?

LUSH SHAMPOO – I just don’t think it’s made for Asian hair, really. I used to wash my hair once every two days but with LUSH products, I have to wash it everyday (alternating with just water and shampoo) because the product builds up and causes dandruff if not washed regularly. I also notice increase in hair fall.

LUSH CONDITIONER BARS – These things do not lather at all and I almost always take the bar and rub it on my hair just so I spend less time in the shower. The result of doing that is also not as nice as it makes the hair feel smooth but heavy. I’m down to my last Sugar Daddy’O bar and I’m not repurchasing again.

BAKING SODA + VINEGAR – It works but the smell of the vinegar stays. Like STAYS.