First, last week’s tally, and then a follow-up report on a letter I sent couple of weeks ago. Items used this week but purchased before the plastic project began:

• Plastic wrapper from a package of Memorex DVD+Rs. I’ve had these sitting around for over a year and finally broke them open this week to save Mark’s and my Amazing Race ^[1] application video.
• Plastic blister pack of mini DV cartridges. Intended to record our Amazing Race ^[1] application video on these, which had also been sitting in a drawer for several years. Unfortunately, the video camera turned out to be broken and we had to scramble to find another one before the deadline, one which didn’t even use mini DVs. Ah well. The waste still exists.
• 1 wrapper from aforementioned unused mini DV cartridge. Gonna have to find a place to fix my video camera, which I haven’t used since January of 2005!
• Hard molded black plastic from package of AA batteries from Costco. Bought over a year ago. Still using them up and will certainly be switching to all rechargables when they are gone.
• 2 plastic wrappers from some electronics cables found in a drawer while searching for the mini DVs. Plastic is still hiding everywhere in our house.
• Broken plastic scissors handle. Broke this last Sunday while working on my BRITA costume for the Bay to Breakers ^[2]. The weight included in the tally is only the plastic. We’re keeping the blades to use for scraping.
• Tiny plastic wrapper from a AAA battery.
• A bunch of plastic fishing line.

Used to attached garbage to Christa’s Bay to Breakers landfill costume ^[2] last Sunday. We had it, so we used it.

New plastic waste purchased since the plastic project began:

• Plastic wrapper from my Bay to Breakers timing chip. Which I ended up not even using.
• 1 piece of plastic from a bunch of organic bananas.
• Plastic outer wrapper from the Blue Vinyl DVD I wrote about here ^[3]. And yes, the case and DVD itself are also plastic, but I hope to keep and use them for a long time.

That’s it for last week.

I also wanted to show you this beautiful card and note I received back from Santa Sabina Retreat Center in response to the letter I sent them on May 7 ^[4] regarding their use of Synthetic air fresheners and antibacterial hand soap. The note reads:

Spring 2008

Dear Beth,

With thanks for your gentle reminder re: hand soaps, air fresheners. We have changed to natural soaps and Ecco-mist [and something about green awareness that I can't make out.]

Harriet Hope and Susannah

What a nice reminder to me that “gentle reminders” are often the best way to approach people before stronger measures are taken.