2.5 oz Plastic Waste [2.5 oz new/0 oz acquired prior to June 2007]

^[1]

(Hanging head in shame, delicious shame.) During last month’s road trip with my dad, I managed to avoid all plastic cups, spoons, forks, knives, straws, containers, bottles, and yet the Flamin’ Hot Cheetos got the better of me. Here’s how it went down:

Dad: [Returning from the gas station mini mart] I got us a treat.

Me: Oh, I can’t eat those.

Dad: You don’t like them?

Me: Love them and all their preservative-laden, artificially-flavored and colored goodness. It’s the plastic bag.

Dad: Oh, right. [Smacks forehead.] Well, I guess I’ll have to eat them.

Me: Oh okay, just one…

And what started with one Cheeto snuck from one bag turned into an orgy of Cheetos delight. My dad would buy a new bag of them, and I’d munch out, until finally, towards the end of a long exhausting trip, I bought the Cheetos myself. It was a Cheetos bender. I’m not even sure I rescued all the bags before my Dad tossed them.

Well, I’m home now and back on the plastic-free wagon. But what I great trip it was. Photos coming soon. For now, here’s the monthly tally.

Beth’s July plastic waste collection

New plastic waste (2.5 oz):

• Plastic cap from a glass bottle of New Chapter Tranquilnite sleep aid. I’m drinking chamomile and hops tea from now on, which I buy loose from a local herb shop, so no more bottles of sleeping pills, natural or otherwise.
• Plastic packing tape. From a case of Seventh Generation recycled toilet paper. Read more about our (nearly) plastic-free toilet paper ^[2] solution here.
• 6 bags of Cheetos. See above.
• 3 plastic bags of ice. Ice for the cooler. Read about our road trip ice ^[3] situation here.
• 4 plastic envelope windows.Learn about what plastic envelope windows ^[4] are made from.

That’s it for the month. Now, your turn. What plastic-packaged delights have you fallen victim to? I want details!