Better reuse ideas

Location:La Selva Beach, California, United States

Name: Gerald Frank and Joan Tanzer

Week: 1

Personal Info:

I’m a married (almost 45 years) retired male physician living with my wife. We are involved in docent training, photography, ceramics, writing, parenting, grand-parenting, and bodyboarding.

I’m a married social worker and ceramic artist, age 65 and just retired from social work. My husband and I volunteer in a Marine animal sanctuary. I do, and, or, think about art every day. I have taught children in public schools Art With Trash funded by local Waste Management. We travel across country many times a year to see our family.

The plastic pictured here represents both my husband’s and my consumption for one week.

Gerald Frank and Joan Tanzer’s personal blog:

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

Total items collected: 62

Total weight: 3 lb., 5.6 oz.

Items: Recyclable
many plastic bags – trash collection
juice carton #2 – trash
salad dressing container #1 – trash
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food containers #5 and #1 – trash
sushi containers #1 and #6 – trash

Items: Nonrecyclable
medication dispensing container no # – trash
ots of clamshell pkgng no # – trash

What items can I easily replace with plastic free or less plastic alternatives?
juice carton
plastic bags

What items would I be willing to give up if a plastic free alternative doesn’t exist?
All items purchased on- line where I can’t control packaging.
OJ could be hand squeezed at home.

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

What lifestyle change(s) might be necessary to reduce my plastic consumption?
Stop buying things on line.
Stop all catalogs
Bring my own containers for take-out or take home foods.
Talk to shop owners about changing their to go packaging or offer alternative packaging and charge for it and see if people use it.

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

What other conclusions, if any, can I draw?
We consume too much stuff we don’t really need.