My kittens are too big to fit in their cat cage and my mum needs to buy another one. We had to bring them both to the vet on the weekend and one of them had to go in a mesh laundry basket. Is there anywhere to get a recycled cat cage or a plastic free one?

Location:Mountain View, California, United States

Name: Mary Katherine

Week: 6

Personal Info:

My name is Mary Katherine and I’m 16. I’m really concerned about the environment. I would like to eliminate plastic from my life. Eventually I think I can do it.

Mary Katherine’s personal blog: https://theplasticfreechef.com

Total items: 25

Total weight:

Items: Recyclable
None

Items: Nonrecyclable
4 pieces of plastic wrap from cheese
4 pieces of plastic wrap from cookies my granny sent me in the mail (at least I convinced her to use a towel instead of foam peanuts.)
piece of plastic from iphone case packaging
3 plastic stickers from iphone case packaging
plastic tab from iphone case packaging
2 cranberry bags
5 milk rings
half and half carton
lid from half and half carton
2 plastic bags from coffee my dad got me in indonesia
plastic bag from gravy separator packaging
seal from my last tub of stephen colbert’s americone dream

What items can I easily replace with plastic free or less plastic alternatives?
Half and half. My mum’s boyfriend brought it home. Usually my mum gets it from Straus but I guess he didn’t know. We told him to get it in glass next time so it won’t happen again.

What items would I be willing to give up if a plastic free alternative doesn’t exist?
I’ve decided that I’m not going to eat cheese anymore. It’s just not worth it when I think about how much I’m hurting the environment. The only kind I eat is Cowgirl Creamery Mt. Tam. It’s wrapped in paper and it’s really good.

What items are essential and seem to have no plastic-free alternative?
Milk rings from Straus and cranberries. I only buy cranberries a couple times a year though.

What lifestyle change(s) might be necessary to reduce my plastic consumption?
Eating more vegetables and fruits. I’ve noticed that a lot of my plastic comes from dairy. I should eat more food from the farmer’s market because it doesn’t have packaging.

What one plastic item am I willing to give up or replace this week?
Stephen Colbert’s Americone Dream and cheese.

What other conclusions, if any, can I draw?
I did pretty well with the plastic free thanksgiving. The only waste I produced was the two plastic bags from the cranberries.