Location:Santa Cruz, California, United States

Name: Austin Erb

Week: 1

Personal Info:

I’m a freshman at UCSC who took the plastic challenge as part of a training class.

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

Plastic cup with lid, plastic bottle, (2) plastic sauce containers, plastic wrapper, and a plastic bag

Total items collected: 7

Total weight:

Items: Recyclable
Plastic bottle

Items: Nonrecyclable
Plastic cup w/ lid, sauce containers, plastic bag, wrapper

What items can I easily replace with plastic free or less plastic alternatives?
Plastic bag

What items would I be willing to give up if a plastic free alternative doesn’t exist?

What items are essential and seem to have no plastic-free alternative?
Nothing that can described as a “one use” plastic

What lifestyle change(s) might be necessary to reduce my plastic consumption?

What one plastic item am I willing to give up or replace this week?
Plastic bag, plastic bottle

What other conclusions, if any, can I draw?