Plastic Albatross

Butcher Paper

Since high levels of toxins bioaccumulate in animals and fish, avoiding toxins often means giving up meat. Another good reason to choose vegetarianism. However, for those omnivores trying to avoid plastic-packaged food, buying organic, grass-finished meat from the farmers market or food coop presents a BIG dilemma.

Plastic packaging of organic meat, while protecting it from spoilage and making it visible to consumers for inspection, seems unwise. All plastic leaches, especially when in contact with oily/fatty foods and during temperature extremes. “Food-safe” plastic is currently deemed safe for use, but previously-safe plastics (like PVC, the original plastic wrap) are now considered toxic. When it comes to food, I follow the Precautionary Principle.

So, what’s a omnivore to do?

Visit an organic butcher and ask for paper packaging!

I prefer not to eat meat, but my long list of food allergies makes it one of the few protein sources I can consume. After much searching, I’ve discovered the recently opened Meat Hook in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

While they do have plastic on hand, you can request that your meat be wrapped-up, plastic-free, with traditional butcher’s paper. Most of their meat ships from Kinderhook Farms (Animal Welfare Approved) and arrives whole or in sides. One of the owners assured me that very little plastic had ever touched the meat.

** UPDATE **

Dickson’s Farmstand at Chelsea Market in NYC is another great “plastic-free” butcher.

Rather than purchase plastic packaged food and plastic trash bags to hold the waste, I try to buy whole foods that can be consumed completely or composted after use.

Compostable Food Scraps

Living in the city has its advantages for low-impact living, but composting is a challenge if you live in a big apartment building and rely on public transportation. I live in a large tenement building in Brooklyn — my neighbors barely recycle, let alone compost.

I walk with my compost pail about 20 minutes to the nearest Community Garden that accepts food scraps. This may seem a bit overzealous, but I have been able to reduce my total non-compostable trash down 95%. No sloppy trash means no need for plastic trash bags either! I just take my bin down to the street and dump it in the communal cans out front.

GET STARTED:

• Locate a NYC Community Garden near you that accepts food waste for composting year round.
• If your building is open to composting, check out the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Compost Project.
• If you live outside the city, contact your local Cooperative Extension.
• Setting up a compost pile in your backyard or common area is easy. Check out this handy Composting Guide.

An estimated 3,000 people turned out for the Brooklyn Food Conference in Park Slope! It was wonderful to speak with many of you at the Plastic Albatross table. While I felt like a bit of a killjoy nestled among the happy farmers, it was a great way to connect with local New Yorkers and hear about your concerns and suggestions for plastic and toxin-free living.

A few topics visitors seemed most concerned about were the BPA in the linings of metal cans, learning more about safe cosmetics, and recommendations for alternative non-plastic/non-toxic products.

1. Information about BPA can be found on this site under Get Informed > Bisphenol A.
2. A great resource with information on over 42,800 personal care products is the EWG’s Skin Deep database.
3. A list of recommended alternative non-toxic/non-plastic products will be available shortly under Take Action > Household. Until then here are a few products that we had on display at the Brooklyn Food Conference.

The Plastic Albatross Recommends:

• Stainless Steel Food Storage and Happy Tiffin instead of plastic containers.
• Ecobags for produce and grains instead of plastic produce and bulk bags.
• Brooks natural bristle pearwood toothbrush instead of nylon bristles.
• Soap Nuts instead of plastic-packaged, synthetic fragranced detergents.
• Kleen Kanteen + Stainless Steel Cap instead of plastic water bottles.
• Eco-Dent Floss instead of toxic Gore-Tex/Teflon Glide and plastic-packaged floss.
• Natural Value Waxed Paper Bags instead of plastic baggies.
• If You Care Recycled Aluminum Foil instead of plastic wrap.
• Anchor Hocking glass containers instead of Tupperware or other plastic food containers.
• Organic Fiji Soap instead of plastic-packaged and synthetic fragranced soaps.