Getting family members on board! I’m not the main shopper in the family so this could be a challenge.

Location:Portland, Oregon, United States

Name: Kelly

Week: 1

Personal Info:

Married mother of one. Full-time environmental educator.

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

Disposable Coffee cups / lids (started remembering to bring my travel mug!)
Bags for bulk items (brought glass containers and tared)

Total items collected: 23

Total weight:

Items: Recyclable
3 Clamshell containers #1 (must take to grocery store to recycle)
1 yogurt tub #5
1 sour cream tub #5

Reusable item: children’s clothing hangers (received as gift) – will take to children’s resale shop.

Items: Nonrecyclable
Bag – frozen blueberries
Bag – diapers
2 medicine foil packets
1 single-serving fruit leather
1 liner on sour cream plastic tub
1 tofu wrapper
1 diaper wipes bag
1 disposable coffee lid #7
3 personal care item wrappers
1 toddler fruit smoothie packet
1 piece of saran wrap
1 raisin container / lid

What items can I easily replace with plastic free or less plastic alternatives?
Buy raisins in bulk.
Washable personal care items.
Using resusable glass containers instead of saran wrap.
Buying spinach in bulk instead of packaged.
Making my own pesto (clamshell)

What items would I be willing to give up if a plastic free alternative doesn’t exist?
No more disposable coffee cups! Will remember to bring travel mug, or won’t buy it.
Want to make more changes, but will start with this.

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

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?