Location:Glen Ellyn, Illinois, United States

Name: Colleen T

Week: 3

Personal Info:

Colleen T’s personal blog:

List of plastic items REFUSED this week. (Yay!)
6 plastic bags
2 disposable coffe cups with lids

Total items collected: 16

Total weight:

Items: Recyclable
2 meat wraps
1 lid
3 individual sauce packets
label from fresh asparagus
1 fish tray
1 1/2 gal milk jug

Items: Nonrecyclable
2 Outer wrappings from frozen fish
4 inner wrappings from frozen fish
1 outer wrap from sliced cheese

What items can I easily replace with plastic free or less plastic alternatives?
I will start buying fish from the fish counter into my own containers
I will check places for milk in glass jugs

What items would I be willing to give up if a plastic free alternative doesn’t exist?
Still working on this one

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

What lifestyle change(s) might be necessary to reduce my plastic consumption?
It’s going to take a long time to get rid of the plastic in my house. As I finish a product I’m looking for alternatives. For instance, this week I purchased natural soap that was wrapped in paper rather than plastic.

Soon I will be done with my shampoo in plastsic bottles and am looking at soap bars or possibly trying the no-poo.

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

What other conclusions, if any, can I draw?