Location:Bar Harbor, Maine, United States

Name: Laura A

Week: 15

Personal Info:

Total items: 15

Total weight: 7.25

Items: Recyclable
feta cheese container, #2
shampoo bottle, #2

Items: Nonrecyclable
nori bag
soy milk tetrapak
bed bath beyond gift card
toilet paper wrapper
2 plastic lined instant soup packets
2 zip ties
lettuce wrap
ripped produce bag
wrapper
bag
Republic of Tea bag with plastic seal zipper inside

What items can I easily replace with plastic free or less plastic alternatives?
the produce bag is a leftover- I am using them until they become unuseable

What items would I be willing to give up if a plastic free alternative doesn’t exist?
the gift card was (what else) a gift. I got it for Christmas and it took me this long to use it because BBB is basically a store of plastic wrapped crap.

What items are essential and seem to have no plastic-free alternative?
The Republic of Tea bag IS the alternative. After looking at a bunch of teas we opted to buy big refills for our tea tins. I called the company and was assured the bag was paper. It was nicely paper in cardboard with paper tape and cardboard filler stuff but the bags themselves have these plastic seals and I think they are plastic-lined. But in general the Republic of Tea stuff is less packaged and has less plastic than the other options.

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?
red and green leaf lettuce- I bought romain instead because it is the only one that didn’t come with a plastic wrapper.

What other conclusions, if any, can I draw?