all the to-go deli foods at the health food store are all in plastic. that is my biggest source of plastic usage.

Location:, California, United States

Name: v

Week: 1

List of plastic items REFUSED this week. (Yay!)
1 bottle & lid from POM pomegranate juice
1 container TJ’s veg salad
1 container greek salad
1 30l plastic garbage sack
1 bag frozen blueberries
4 tea/coffee to go lids
2 plastic forks
1 gelato bar wrapper
1 plastic wrapper for a gift card
1 bottle hair conditioner
wrapper from paper towels roll
wrapper from a new sponge
1 small plastic bag [for bulk spices]
seal from a new vitamin bottle
bag from spices
seal from a wine bottle
2 deli containers & 3 lids
2 small plastic deli cup
1 large ziplock baggie
inner plastic lining from cookie box
frozip lockping from BIC white out correction tape
1 mini correction tape
5 miscellaneous wrappers
wrapper from a cucumber
inner lid lining of 7th generation tissue box
1 plastic tea light
3 plastic bags

Total items collected: 54

Total weight:

Items: Recyclable
i am not sure of what actually can be recycled. this is a list of what i a putting in the recycling bin:

1 bottle & lid from POM pomegranate juice
1 container TJ’s veg salad
1 container greek salad
4 tea/coffee to go lids
2 plastic forks
1 bottle hair conditioner
wrapper from paper towels roll
seal from a wine bottle
2 deli containers & 3 lids
2 small plastic deli cup
inner plastic lining from cookie box
inner lid lining of 7th generation tissue box
1 miscellaneous wrapper

Items: Nonrecyclable
1 30l plastic garbage sack
1 bag frozen blueberries
1 gelato bar wrapper
1 plastic wrapper for a gift card
wrapper from a new sponge
1 small plastic bag [for bulk spices]
seal from a new vitamin bottle
bag from spices
1 large ziplock baggie
front wrapping from BIC white out correction tape
1 mini correction tape
4 miscellaneous wrappers
wrapper from a cucumber
1 plastic tea light
3 plastic bags

What items can I easily replace with plastic free or less plastic alternatives?
plastic tea lights
not buying veggies in wrappers
use bamboo fork/knife rather than plastic deli forks etc.
buy sponges, tp, pt in bulk/bigger packs
juice in a bottle

What items would I be willing to give up if a plastic free alternative doesn’t exist?
plastic forks, knives, spoons
plastic tea lights
juice in a bottle

What items are essential and seem to have no plastic-free alternative?
toilet paper & paper towels wrapped in plastic
kitchen garbage bags
beauty products, shampoo, conditioner, lotions, makeup
plastic bags for veggies

What lifestyle change(s) might be necessary to reduce my plastic consumption?
cook more often at home!
do more laundry [and use cloth rather than paper towels

What one plastic item am I willing to give up or replace this week?
juice in a bottle.
plastic tea lights

What other conclusions, if any, can I draw?
i use way more than i expected. some of it seems to be unavoidable. this exercise has given me a new awareness of how much we use in general, how much plastic there is over all & that i can use less and want to!