Location:Los Angeles, California, United States

Name: Christina S.

Week: 1

Personal Info:

I work full-time as a public health nutritionist. Married with a 3-year-old child.

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

Plastic spoons at the ice cream shop (the shop employee was thrilled that we’d brought our own spoons!)
Bread- baked my own. A bit crumbly and small for sandwiches, but I’ll keep trying!
Orange juice- bought fresh oranges yesterday and squeezed my own
Peanut butter- switched this week to organic pb in a glass jar
Packaged tortillas- they were on my shopping list but instead I made my own from corn flour
Plastic bag containing a children’s summer reading chart from the library

Total items collected: 47

Total weight: 1.518 lbs

Items: Recyclable
Milk carton #2
Dishwasher detergent #2
Nutella #1
Peanut butter jar #1
Baby wash #1
Honey bottle #1
Hotel room conditioner bottle #1

Items: Nonrecyclable
Orange juice carton
Soy milk container
Shower gel tube
Ice cream carton
Styrofoam food container
2 plastic mesh bags from produce
Breakfast cereal bag
Powdered sugar bag
Packing tape (birthday gift)
Plastic packaging- forgot what from
Newspaper bag
2 pieces plastic packaging from blender (birthday gift)
Plastic wrapping from bouquet of flowers (birthday gift)
Bakery cupcake container (birthday gift)
4 duck sauce packets
Fortune cookie wrapper
Black beans bag
Graham cracker package
32-oz cheese bag
2 cranberries bags
Tide-to-go stain marker (very old)
Teabag packets (plastic coating) 2
Straw
3 plastic seals from oats canister, peanut butter jar, and syrup bottle
6 envelopes with plastic windows
Candy bar wrapper
Saran wrap

What items can I easily replace with plastic free or less plastic alternatives?
peanut butter, honey, powdered sugar, shower gel (soap), produce packaged in plastic mesh bags

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?

What lifestyle change(s) might be necessary to reduce my plastic consumption?
bulk bin buying; continue baking bread from scratch; replace orange juice with fresh fruit or home-squeezed orange juice (easy to do in Southern California!)

What one plastic item am I willing to give up or replace this week?

What other conclusions, if any, can I draw?