I recently reread your post about reducing paper use, where you discuss paper towels/napkins/tissue/etc.

http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/2009/07/itty-bitty-bonzai-8/

What is your household opinion about toilet paper? Feminine products (granted, not a present issue)?

How do you minimize the use of plastic for hygiene necessities, such as toothbrushes?

What about medical supplies, such as sterile syringes or frequent plastic prescription bottles?

I am curious how to conscientiously address issues such as these.

I think this is week 2 of no-poo for me (haha that sounds funny to say out loud . So far, so good! I am only washing my hair once a week with the BS & ACV. It feels a little more greasy-stiff this week than last week. To be honest, I wasn’t much of a hair-washer before and I’ve always had healthy hair, so I don’t know what I’m looking for once it gets itself together, but so far it looks like I can kiss Shampoo and Conditioner good bye!

Underwear. Both men, and especially women are picky when it comes to what sits close to their body. Socks and undershirts are important items too. Actually, now that I think about it I should be asking about all clothing. I have always gone to the nearest big name store and gotten what I need that was comfortable, well fitting, and to my liking. Now I’m thinking: “How do I make that part of my life more earth & human rights friendly?” What do you do Sayward? Can you recommend brands that don’t use harsh chemicals to bleach their cotton? Use recyclable packing? Use cotton that is grown nearby to reduce the carbon footprint? Use fair-trade products? Give their workers decent wages and proper working environments? I don’t even know all the issues with clothing production so I’m just guessing here. Do you think that comfort, proper fit, and looking good are worth making sacrifices in some of these issues? I’d love to hear everyone’s thoughts.

Well, Valerie, since you asked to hear everyone’s thoughts…
Personally, I can’t stand to wear undies. Yup, I go commando. Have for about 8 years now. No problems, no issues.
It’s not an option for everyone, but it works for me

@ April – Great questions!

We currently use toilet paper but are looking into [at least partially] changing that soon. When I’m not pregnant I don’t use tampons or regular pads – I use cloth pads and plan to try a Diva Cup.

I’m still investigating options for replacing all my plastic grooming supplies, but right now for my toothbrush I use Preserve. The products (toothbrushes, razors, etc) come with satchels so that you can mail them back to the company when they wear out. The company then recycles them into new product!

As for medical supplies I don’t have any personal experience. I’m pretty sure you can still get glass syringes with replaceable tips. This would be a lot greener than disposable (or even re-usable) plastic syringes. As far as prescription pill bottles, I’m almost certain that pharmacies will take them back for recycling/re-use.

Those are a lot of great questions and I certainly don’t have all the answers (yet!). But thank you for bringing them back into my immediate attention. I’ll continue to investigate options and make sure that my journey will address these issues. =)

@ Kate – I’m the same way, in that I wasn’t much of a washer before and haven’t noticed much difference switching to no-poo. But that’s a good thing! It means we can get rid of harsh chemicals without even noticing!

@ Valerie – Great questions, and I’ve been meaning to write an article on undergarments for a looong time. Thanks for the kick in the butt, it’s just what I needed!

In the meantime, here is an article I wrote regarding my overall fashion philosophy. It should answer a lot of your questions. As for socks and unders . . . well look for an article coming *very* soon!

@ Heather – Woo hoo, that’s definitely one solution! =D