Location:Santa Cruz, California, United States

Name: Ariel Hunter

Week: 1

Personal Info:

Female; one housemate; employed as a retail cashier; no children.

List of plastic items REFUSED this week. (Yay!)

plastic bags; plastic bottles; styrofoam cups; coffee cup lids (refused because I have already excluded them from my shopping habits.

Total items collected: 26

Total weight:

Items: Recyclable
bag that bread loaf came in; fettuccini container; bag surrounding chicken; paper towel wrapping. (4)

Items: Nonrecyclable
trek mix wrappers; fruit snack wrappers; styrofoam chicken holder; turkey bacon wrapper; ice cream cap; sandwich container; cheese wrapper; chips bag; seran wrap; shaving razor (22)

What items can I easily replace with plastic free or less plastic alternatives?
sandwich; trek mix; ice cream; bread; fettucini; shaving razor

What items would I be willing to give up if a plastic free alternative doesn’t exist?
fruit snacks; turkey bacon; chips; seran wrap.

What items are essential and seem to have no plastic-free alternative?
paper towels;

What lifestyle change(s) might be necessary to reduce my plastic consumption?
more farmers market food, less safeway food; spend more money on the non disposable hygiene related items.

What one plastic item am I willing to give up or replace this week?
trek mix

What other conclusions, if any, can I draw?