Plastic Challenge: Beth Terry, Week 11
Location:Oakland, California, United States
Name: Beth Terry
Week: 11
Personal Info:
I am the founder of MyPlasticfreeLife.com and have been collecting my plastic and attempting to live as plastic-free as possible since June of 2007.
See my previous years’ tallies at:
/category/beths-weeklymonthly-plastic-tallies/
List of plastic items REFUSED this week. (Yay!)
1) Plastic grocery/shopping bags — bring my own reusable bags wherever I go
2) Bread bag — bought Grace Baking Company bread in a paper bag. Note: I usually buy unwrapped bread from the bakery in my own cloth bag, but this week, I needed bread for a sandwich for a conference the next day and the only store open at the late hour was Safeway. I will reuse the paper bag multiple times before recycling it.
3) Produce stickers — chose produce without stickers
4) Bottled water — carried water in my travel mug and filled up at home and at water fountains.
5) Disposable cup — ordered hot chocolate in my own stainless steel mug
6) Straws — I refused them not only for myself but for everyone sitting at our table in the restaurant Saturday night. Fortunately, the others were the organizers of a plastics conference, so we were all in agreement about no straws. :-)
Total items collected: 10
Total weight: .8 oz
Items: Recyclable
1) prescription bottle — would be accepted in my recycle bin. Unfortunately, prescription bottles cannot simply be refilled in California, which would be the best solution.
2) prescription bottle cap. Caps-n-Cups will accept all plastic caps, no matter what kind of plastic, to downcycle into secondary products. CapsCanDo will accept most plastic caps.
Items: Nonrecyclable
3-10) Plastic stickers and twist tie from replacement mobile phone. Read the details at:
/2012/03/dear-credo-mobile-i-like-your-packaging-but-please-fix-my-phone-or-let-me-do-it/
What items can I easily replace with plastic free or less plastic alternatives?
None. However, my doctor has agreed to prescribe 3 months worth at a time–all in the same bottle, so I will be generating only 1/3 the number of prescription bottles and caps as I would have. The bottle size stays the same.
What items would I be willing to give up if a plastic free alternative doesn’t exist?
None.
What items are essential and seem to have no plastic-free alternative?
Only the prescription is essential.
What lifestyle change(s) might be necessary to reduce my plastic consumption?
I could give up my mobile phone, but it helps me carry out my work.
Damn!!u must have a hard life,on a world full with plastic…I hope u could life with ur neighbour….the great pacific garbage patch.
anyway about that neighbour..there is also a solution for it this era. Good luck and keep it going with what u do!