Comments on: 2011 Plastic Trash Collection Wrap Up

By: Robert Toll

Robert Toll — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:18:47 +0000

Why is it that I see mountains of paper being recycled by International Paper and never see a plastic bag recycling facility with similar mountains of recyclable plastic?

By: As single-use plastic goes so goes the planet – a lunchboxy photo essay « A World of Words

Tue, 01 May 2012 00:31:08 +0000

[...] of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, chronicling the journey of reducing her plastic consumption to 2.11 pounds in 2011 (the average American generates at least 100 pounds of plastic waste per year!). Ever since she saw [...]

By: minimalistcat

minimalistcat — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:51:31 +0000

Although I can’t do much about what my family brings in (because they just aren’t trying) I try not to add to that.

Still it’s not easy. I have sensitive skin and the only thing that doesn’t make my face set fire is a Japanese washing powder that comes in a small plastic bottle (and uses a small foam ball to make the foam). It comes wrapped in clear plastic too. I know, it’s bad but I have yet to find a less plastic substitute. I even asked the company to send it without putting extra plastic in the packaging and they ignored me! The first time they sent it with foam peanuts, this time with plastic bubble wrap.

As someone mentioned before, we don’t have bulk bins in our area and the only organic produce is packaged in plastic boxes. We also have no trash pick up services or recycling.

By: Purvi

Purvi — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:51:42 +0000

2 lb is incredible Beth, I am so so inspired. We are not even close, coz convenience is something that gets in the head every now and then juggling work, kids, home and other social things. I do try very consciously to reduce the “regular” waste – like carrying my own bags EVERYTIME. I also use the recycle plastic bags concept coz I simply cant carry containers to store all the time while dealing with a super active 4 yr old. But I do re-use all the veggie and dry items bags till their bottom falls apart, even after that I knot up one end and line my smaller bins in the bathroom. Doing as much as I can, but always inspired to reach where you have taken yourself. Good job!

By: Beth Terry

Beth Terry — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 22:50:34 +0000

Hi Heather. In that case, besides creating a petition to get the store to change its policy, I would just keep bringing back the same plastic bags to reuse. I once saw a customer with an ingenious system. She had filed all her plastic bulk bags alphabetically in a folder and always used the same bag for the same food so she didn’t have to wash them out all the time.

By: Heather

Heather — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 20:36:50 +0000

We’re attempting to reduce plastic waste BUT local authority is getting in the way. Stores that sell bulk food around here (northern MA/southern NH) are not allowed to let customers use their own containers. Nobody is sure whether it’s fear that a customer may not have washed their container or what. This means that if I want to buy, say, beans, I am required to take some sort of plastic bag or can lining, too.
Anybody else running into this?

By: Cherie

Cherie — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 19:06:24 +0000

Beth, you’ve been an inspiration to me. I once was one of those people who thought if I recycled I was doing my part. Now my focus is to reduce all my waste, especially plastic waste. Over the past year or so, I’ve been looking at my trash (and recycling) with a critical eye. I’m proud to say I’ve finally eliminated all plastic bottles in my shower – I use only bar shampoo, conditioner, and soap. I’m working on other areas of my life such as buying in bulk, making homemade, reusing, etc.

By: Wendy Schroeder

Wendy Schroeder — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 02:32:20 +0000

Fantastic Beth!
You have been so important to many of us who have changed our mind sets, abruptly in many cases! in the last year or two. Albatross pictures = egads! for me, and within an hour or two I found your site. You’ve helped me get started, and for that i thank you.
2 pounds IS amazing, perhaps as good as a person could do in this disposable society, but more amazing to you would be the hundreds and thousands of pounds you are responsible for making people avoid. It’s become my mission to spread the word and the reminders and to keep squeaking to the plastic makers out there!

Thanks and good luck to all of us in 2012 that it gradually becomes easier to NOT be stuck with plastic!

Wendy

By: Margaret

Margaret — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 23:14:32 +0000

Beth – I preordered the book, looking forward to it being released!

Alina – While food is a very personal decision, and definitely a hard place to make changes (I’ve been vegetarian for 12 years, but been trying to go vegan for at least 5 of those and not being very successful at it), I’d encourage you to re-think defining milk, eggs, and meat as “basics”. Granted, depending on the resources in your locale it might be just as hard to find plastic-free beans, tofu, etc., but animal products are an important issue to look at for other environmental reasons as well.

By: Leanne

Leanne — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:29:06 +0000

I think you did brilliantly. Look back on 2011 as a hard year, in which you learned a lot. *hugs*