Location:, North Carolina, United States

Name: Danielle

Week: 50

Personal Info:

Collecting my plastic waste for 52 weeks. For more info see my Week 1 post.

Danielle’s personal blog: http://itstartswithme-danielle.blogspot.com

List of plastic items REFUSED this week. (Yay!)
Store bought granola bars! We made granola bars!

10 straws

6 condiment cups. We ask for reusable bowls for salsas. Ask for salad dressing to be tossed or got a caesar salad to eliminate the cups of dressing!

(There’s more, but I can’t think since I’m posting this late!)

Total items collected: 19

Total weight:

Items: Recyclable
None

Items: Nonrecyclable
1 pretzel bag
3 cookie bag with inner wrapper and tab
11 caps/rings (from glass milk jugs)
1 cereal bag

not pictured:

3 straws (!!! ACK !!!!)

What items can I easily replace with plastic free or less plastic alternatives?
I need to find a recipe that I like for granola bars without using crispy rice cereal.

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?

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

What other conclusions, if any, can I draw?
Even with the best of intentions… sometimes “plastic happens.”

Case in point: Straws.

I went out to dinner with my friends and told the server “no straw please”… somehow I ended up with a straw. But when my friend ordered her drink, he got finally got it right :)

We got 2 milk shakes to share… told the server no straws. BUT… we got straws. My kids were like “??? straws???” I think what happened is that since the server didn’t make the shakes that she didn’t tell the person making the shakes or it’s a reflex to pop a straw in a shake?

Either way, it’s annoying. Good news, I’ll be prepared next time.