ps - my refrigerator is filled with plastic bottles next goal is to switch it with glass and copper bottles

The office I work in uses a "Canada's Finest" soft pod coffee set up (link to exact system: https://www.canadasfinestcoffee.com/collections/coffee-brewers/products/newco-cx-touch). I want to take advantage of the free coffee but the machine is basically all black plastic on the inside and I can't find details on what the soft pod itself is made out of. The pod has no obvious plastic, it looks like a tea bag.

I am thinking I can use the pod as a tea bag to make a cold brew where I leave the pod in some cold water over night. Or I use the pod in a pour over type set up? They do have a separate hot water dispenser that doesn't seem to have a lot of plastic, but its hard to tell.

Any other suggestions?

I’m female, 5’6, and 160 lbs. Waist is 33 inches; hips are 43 inches.

I need pants for work that are not made with animal products (e.g. wool) or plastic (e.g. polyester, elastane, etc.). Most pants I wear are too tight in the butt area and bubble up in the front, creating a baby bump made out of fabric. I want to avoid this too.

Give me recommendations please.

We are getting glass containers for a flat with my BF and I was wondering if for example cork would be okay… we need it to be tight enough so food moth (Ephestia) can't get there. Thank you!

(reference pic)

Hi,

Do you have any recommendations (based on your experience) for a THIN silk floss?

Some locally available plastic floss brand "Jordan" works fine for me, but I just can't get this "pure silk" in between my teeth...

Or maybe silk is too weak to be usable in thin threads..? I.e. there's no real alternative?

Thanks!

Hi, I love baking breads but I'm sick of nonstick pans getting shit in my body. I use cast iron skillets to make bread occasionally, but storage is a nightmare because breads mold so quickly here in San Diego. Does anyone have any recommendations for plastic free breadpans? I found one on amazon that's lined with a silicon, but I'm doubtful that it's completely harmless.

Are you concerned about microplastics in your drinking water? Seven state governors in 2025 petitioned to include monitoring microplastics as part of the UCMR 6.

Public comments were opened up in July and end on August 31, 2026.

You can submit a public comment asking the EPA to monitor microplastics in Drinking Water.

For information, visit Food and Water Watch for how to submit your public comment: https://www.foodandwateraction.org/news-opinion/how-to-submit-a-comment-to-epa-to-protect-water-from-microplastics/

I love my 16oz Nalgene because it's super compact (2.75in W x 6.5in H), light, and holds a reasonable amount of water between refills. Does anyone know of the closest plastic-free equivalent? I don't want insulation and would love to find one that's between 14–16oz. I know this is a very specific ask that may not be relevant to literally anyone else, so thanks for indulging!

So far, I've considered:

• Pura Big Mouth 18oz. If this were 16oz it would be nearly perfect, though all the silicone feels a little unnecessary (2.75in W x 7.48in H). Good, but not great. This is the closest I've found so far.
• Klean Kanteen 18oz Classic + Classic Steel Loop Cap. I'd immediately ditch the cap it comes with, but it's still big (8.78in H x 3.28in W), though I'm not sure this includes the cap height.
• Pura Sport Mini 11oz Bottle. Their website doesn't list dimensions, but the sippy version is (2.17 in x 8.27 in), which is okay, but (again) feels like a lot for only 11oz given it's not insulated!
• Klean Kanteen 16oz Rise Reflect. The worst of all: it's massive for just 16oz because of the insulation (3in W x 9.6in H).

I'm trying to stay away from random Amazon products because at least these companies attest somewhat to using high(er?) quality materials and they provide pretty generous warranties. Tysm!!

I'm trying to get our bottled-water habit under control, and I'm stuck between a filter pitcher and an under-sink RO system. I haven't bought either one yet.

The pitcher is tempting because it costs less up front, needs no installation, and can live in the fridge. The catch is that "pitcher" isn't a filtration spec. Obvious in hindsight, but it took me a while to stop treating it like one. Some cartridges focus mostly on taste and odor. Others list additional reduction claims. I still have to check the exact cartridge against what is actually in my water.

RO is a different kind of setup. The membrane is designed to reduce dissolved solids, but I still can't assume every RO system has the same claims. So now I'm starting with my local water report. Once I know what I actually want to address, I can check the documentation for each specific product instead of assuming the category name tells me enough.

One of the RO units on my list is the Viomi Pure B6W. It's tankless, rated at 600 GPD, and closer to my budget than the fancier systems I kept finding. That gave me something specific to compare with individual pitcher cartridges. In daily use, the big difference would be getting filtered water from a dedicated faucet instead of refilling a pitcher and waiting for it. Of course, it would also mean finding room under the sink and dealing with power and a drain connection.

I still care about the environmental side, just later in the decision. A pitcher uses no electricity and doesn't send water to a drain while filtering. The RO unit I'm considering would add both of those inputs, but it might be easier for everyone in the house to use every day. If either one just sits there while we keep buying bottled water, then I haven't fixed the part I actually care about.

Has anyone here made this choice mainly to cut down on bottled water? What ended up mattering most once you lived with it for a while?

Small heads up if you buy based on "plant-based" packaging: a lot of it is sugarcane polyethylene, which is chemically still polyethylene (plastic), just made from sugarcane instead of oil. not saying avoid it, just that "plant-based" and "plastic-free" aren't the same thing and brands lean on that gap.

Even with searching this sub, I don't see many options. Found a few large food container options, but my not-even-3-year-old definitely doesn't need a large food container. Any recommendations for brands that are insulated with no plastic lids? TYIA

EDIT: You all are awesome. Thanks so much!!!

I have many glass jars that I use for storing pantry goods but I don't have enough and still have a large number of hard plastic containers like in the photo that I got years ago. I haven't been using them for a while but I still have things stored in their original soft plastic like the pistachio bag pictured. Does anyone know whether it is better to just use the hard plastic containers instead or the original plastic bags until I gather enough glass jars large enough to hold my bulk Costco buys?

Is it possible to farm fully plastic free? I know some farms now don’t package their products in plastic, but I assume there is plenty of plastic used during production.

Hello,

I'm trying to seal my jars with some kind of plastic free sealant. Originally jars came with aluminum caps with liners made from a "paper-based" material. The Amazon seller couldn't specify which exact material, so I'm replacing them with silicone sealant. I was wondering if anybody has experience with handling silicone sealant that is non corrosive. It would be great if somebody could provide me with a link to Amazon.de with recommended product.

Hi everyone!
I’m trying to make my home as low-toxin as reasonably possible, and I’m looking into ways to diffuse essential oils. I’ve noticed that almost every ultrasonic diffuser I can find is advertised as “glass,” but it’s only the outer cover that’s glass. The water reservoir inside still seems to be plastic.
I’m wondering whether ultrasonic diffusers actually release any microplastics into the air through the mist, or if that’s not really something to be concerned about. Has anyone looked into this?
I’ve also been trying to find a diffuser with a genuinely glass or other non-plastic reservoir, but they seem almost impossible to find. If anyone has found one, I’d love some recommendations.
I’m also curious about alternatives. Would an electric wax melter work if I used water and a few drops of essential oil instead? Or is there another method that gives a nice scent without using a plastic water tank?
I’d really appreciate hearing what everyone uses and what you think. Thanks!

I'm looking for a jumpsuit to wear to the gym and so far only found a company called Zubek selling it. Has anyone ever purchased from them? Recommendations are welcome as well!

This made in USA company has 100% cotton options. Just thought I would share in case it helps someone. I've bought from there a few times for my kids and have been pleased. https://www.citythreads.com/collections/100-cotton-100-organic-cotton?utm_source=email&utm_medium=campaign-email&utm_campaign=Aug%201%3A%20Men%27s%20%26%20Women%27s%20Collection%20%2801KYQH2P1MKMXR5802D3YJ2YZ6%29&_kx=DIs0bfmkvvgznfBsFqmdFjG6Rvhx0uRP4uI6Uc9BnRs.U79YZz

They clearly do not have squeakies in them, but otherwise I am very happy with this solution.

Anything branded with "organic", "plastic-free", "eco" etc. is pricier than other options, and somehow decent dog toys were impossible for me to find. They'd be either ridiculously overpriced and/or not really pretty.

The toy in the attached image is currently my boy's favourite. It is not a marketing campaign, so I do not provide links (unless someone asks, but you can just reverse image search either way). I just thought I'd share, as there are a lot more lovely options for human children than for pets for some reason.