Name: Manu

Week: 2

Location: France

Personal Info:

See Manu’s Week 1 Post: https://myplasticfreelife.com/plastic-challenge/manu-week-1/

Total items: 53

Total weight:

Items: Recyclable
I’m still not sure for everything, but here is what I would have put in the bin for “recyclable” things.

1 — pasta plastic package
2 — cheese package (emmental and mozzarella, organics but also with plastic)
1 — milk mixed package (carton / aluminium / plastic even if you can not see it), even if I’m asking myself if they are doing something of it. I’ve to investigate…
1 — plastic cover for a glass package of cream
1 — plastic cork from a metallic bottle of grenadine
3 — bier bottle caps, metallic but lined with plastic
7 — public transport tickets, 90% carton at least, but a little bit of plastic on it I think. I have to ask about it, too.
5 — bills (paper but with a little bit of BPA on it for most of them)
1 — endives plastic package
1 — carrots plastic package

Items: Nonrecyclable
Once again, some of them might be recyclable one time (if we accept to wear clothes made out of PVC for example..).
2 — plastic bags from a italian delicatessen.
3 — nice pink plasticized papers to cover the food carton boxes from the italian delicatessen, to avoid it to spill in the bags
4 — little bio-coop plastic labels (paper bags, but still plastic labels as you have to weight your things by yourself..).
1 — sponges plastic package (I’m also asking myself what they’re made of.. seems quite bad..)
3 — hummus plastic package as there is a box, a cover and an other plastic-paper protection to keep the transparent plastic cover clean sot that it looks better (I bought a small one for a picnic with some friends and went back at home with a larger one.. but I also finished it, so…).
2 — bred plastic package
3 — pieces of contact lens PVC box (is it good for my eyes too ? Should I get Surgery ?).
1 — contact lens plastic bottle
1/2 — pills package (I use two complete packages each month..).
1 — special stamp glue protection
1 — cut cheese paper (a little bit plasticized too)
1 — video cassette plastic package (the cassette itself is full of plastic too, but I might be able to use it again..)
1 — letter fully plastic package (from the public treasure.. they want to be sure the taxes papers arrives well, you can not say it was not readable thanks to the rain.. :)
1 — apple cover plastic package (for 8 organic apples in a carton box)
1 — chocolate plastic package (“unifying” three paper packages.. no way to have this type of chocolate in an other way.. I have to find a new dealer).
1 — pastry carton/plastic bottom (so that it can look like a solid gold paper !)
2 — used contact lenses
2 — stickers protection

What items can I easily replace with plastic free or less plastic alternatives?
Again, the plastic bags, most of the packages could be avoided, more or less easily. I should soon receive a first coton bag, and I want to make some by myself, out of old clothes (for the italian delicatessen, fruits and vegetable and other things…). For the pastas, I could also buy it in detail in bio-coops (cooperative organic supermarkets).

What items would I be willing to give up if a plastic free alternative doesn’t exist?
Contact lenses and packaging if I go to surgery ? (I’m a little bit afraid of it, even if I should do it now if I want to do it… a lot of plastic involved in the surgery too. Is it more than with few years of contact lenses, wearing it few times a week ?). The tax bill plastic letter. I think I could be able to survive without.. :).. hummus plastic package (I can also learn to do it by myself to be able to bring it for the picnic with the vegetables, in reusable boxes..). Or find a delicatessen where I should put it directly in one of my boxes..

What items are essential and seem to have no plastic-free alternative?
Milk, again. Not yet found any glass bottle (it’s already more difficult to find organic milk which is not in 100% plastic bottle..)

What lifestyle change(s) might be necessary to reduce my plastic consumption?
Still having difficulties with the clothes (not buying a lot of them, I bought only coton clothes during the last six months, but it becomes more difficult with shoes, for example..).

What one plastic item am I willing to give up or replace this week?
Food packaging, again. It’s better than it used to be, but I can still improve on this side..

What other conclusions, if any, can I draw?
Lots of things to explore and to change, again. It looks like a never ending story.. :)