What do you do when you can’t find a plastic free option for things in the store? What if you need them?

Location:Santa Cruz, California, United States

Name: Alissa Ganley

Week: 1

Personal Info:

College student living in dorms

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

Drinks at a restaurant that came in plastic cups

Total items collected: 25

Total weight:

Items: Recyclable
Plastic dinner tray, plastic cup and top, toothbrush container, wrapper for breakfast bar and mint, pill containers, vitamin c drink pouches, subway bag.

Items: Nonrecyclable
None

What items can I easily replace with plastic free or less plastic alternatives?
Cups and bags. Plastic wrappers of food and medicine.

What items would I be willing to give up if a plastic free alternative doesn’t exist?
Plastic wrappers of food and medicine. Bring my own cups.

What items are essential and seem to have no plastic-free alternative?
Toothbrush container

What lifestyle change(s) might be necessary to reduce my plastic consumption?
Just being aware. Remembering to bring in reusable bags when I go to the store.

What one plastic item am I willing to give up or replace this week?
Plastic cups and bowls

What other conclusions, if any, can I draw?
A lot of my plastic trash came from items I needed and couldn’t find in the store without plastic packaging. Especially things for my cold this week.