Pretty heavy this week. But most of the weight comes from a giant Hershey’s chocolate syrup container we bought ages ago. We do have our priorities, after all. So here’s the weekly tally:

Non-recyclable items used this week but purchased before the plastic project began:

• 8 Refresh Endura single-use eye drop containers (#4 plastic).
• 1 Emergen-C packet. I thought I’d used these up but found one more in my suitcase this week.
• 1 Brita pitcher filter. We have retired the Brita pitcher. We’re filling up a pitcher from the filtered tap water from now on.
• 1 Ultra Dishmate liquid dishwashing cleaner cap. See below.
• 1 New Chapter Organics Every Woman vitamins lid. The bottle is glass. Only the lid is plastic. I will continue to buy these and add the lid to my collection.
• 1 plastic shelf hook from a pair of socks I bought and hadn’t yet worn.
• 1 lid from a container of Hershey’s syrup. See below.

Recyclable items purchased before the plastic project began:

• 1 128 oz. container of Hershey’s syrup (#2 plastic). This came from Costco, of course. We’re avoiding the big C these days. Believe it or not, we do have one more smaller plastic bottle of Hershey’s syrup to use up. Then I’ll try making my own using this chocolate syrup recipe from Epicurious.
• 1 Ultra Dishmate liquid dishwashing cleaner bottle (#1 plastic). I’m switching to a combination of Dr. Bronner’s unscented liquid soap and lemon juice. Not that there’s anything wrong with the Dishmate. It’s all natural. But Dr. Bronner’s comes in a recycled plastic container instead of new plastic. And I’ll keep this container to refill.

Now for the new plastic waste:

• 1 wrapper from a wedge of Fiscalini San Joaquin Gold bandage-wrapped cheddar. My one weekly cheese purchase. It’s local and delicious.
• 1 Haig’s spicy hummus container (#5 plastic) & lid. Only the best hummus in the world. We’ve cut down to buying this once a month or so instead of every week. I’ll keep the container to reuse.
• 1 plastic cork from a bottle of Boissonneau Chateau Moulin de Ferrand Bordeaux Blanc. I have 6 bottles left. Once they’re gone, I’ll try to find only bottles with natural cork stoppers.
• 2 prescription bottles (#5 plastic) & lids. Unavoidable and unrefillable. But I’ll keep these for multiple reuses.
• 1 plastic ribbon from a bunch of organic chard. It didn’t even occur to me that I was buying new plastic until I got it home. Wow. I have to be so much more observant. It’s one thing to make a decision to buy plastic. It’s another to do it by accident.

Other new plastic purchased this week? Nothing that I can think of.

I had another appointment with my doctor. This time, I didn’t use the plastic sheet that was offered. I should have brought the one I saved from last time, but I didn’t think of it until I’d left the house. So instead, I just held my pants across my lap until the doctor arrived and then explained to her that I didn’t see any need to waste the plastic. She seemed a little surprised, but “got it.” (Hopefully, there won’t be too much more of this personal stuff to share with you!)

That’s it for the week. Hey, Radical Garbage Man. If you’re reading this, can you please send me an e-mail? (My e-mail address is in my profile.) I have some questions to ask about recycling tetra paks, and since you’re in the waste management business, I’m hoping you can help me out.