If you plan on purchasing anything for your home made of plastic....

[staceyy]

Well, if you're not doing so already, this might be the time to wash and re-use your baggies and plastic bags and save your plastic grocery bags for trash.

[canadian gardener]

This is probably going to have quite a ripple effect.

Think for a minute about clothing made from synthetic fibres.

Micro fibre
Synthetic suede
Acrylic sweaters, or nylon
Polyester
Arctic or polar fleece

synthetic "leather" shoes, purses

Nylons (pantyhose)

and things like the yarn to knit with

the cloth you sew with

consumer goods like the plastic that makes up a good chunk of computers, cell phones, vacuums, TV's, VCRs, CD's and their players.

Even things like sewing machines, parts to machines like home grain grinders, blenders, and so forth.

Plumbing connections and piping.

A lot of stuff that used to be made of machined metal is replaced by tougher plastics in tools and machinery. Just look inside the car under the hood.

The car, now there's a thought, upholstery, the dashboard, the various systems, electrical, ventilation, heating/cooling, even the headlights.

hmmm the list goes on.

my counter tops are made of plastic laminate as are the storm windows in my double pane sliding aluminum windows.

the floor tiles I just put down in my bathroom are vinyl, with a glue that I'm sure has a lot to do with petrochemicals.

the laminate flooring dh and I just bought for the downstairs-- it was a great price, won't be seeing that again anytime quick.

My carpet should I need to replace it (we do) the options are nylon berber or a pergo style laminate floor.

The paint I just used to paint our house on the inside (still working, still need more paint) is a petrochemical derived item. so is any clear varathane style varnish should I be able to afford wood floors or want to refinish furniture.

The cleaners we use, from floor polish to windex and the containers they come in.

Out in the garden the hose is plastic, and the granular fertilizer is chemical (although I do have and use compost, it's a backup that I use).

Which come to think of it means that agriculture will be costing more, so food costs more because of fertilizer and other costs to the farms.

Hmmmmm the post war boom in the last 60 years has really changed us.

A lot of the cheaper alternatives that we rely on to maintain our lifestyles in comfort are petrochemical in origin.

Take away petrochemicals and I wonder what happens to our lives and how that would change things. Our society is built around cars for transportation, and cheap available petrochemically derived plastics and related products.

This goes way beyond just going to natural fabrics and building products within the home. It's our way of life.