Professional legwear? I wear those cheap nylon knee-highs every day to work, and they actually last a long time considering, and I’m sure there are some nice natural fiber stockings, but I prefer transcluent nylon-type.

Location:Tualatin, Oregon, United States

Name: Margaret

Week: 13

Personal Info:

I live in an apartment with my cat. We’re in a metropolitan area outside the city, that’s not really suburbia, but not really urban.

Margaret’s personal blog:

Total items: 22

Total weight: 1.4 ounces

Items: Recyclable
2 Borders gift cards. I was going to stop by a store to use these up on my way to a movie on September 24th, went online to confirm it hadn’t completely closed yet, and found that all the stores were closed and gift cards could be used online until September 27th. I used them up to buy a Spanish travel dictionary and a book I was thinking of buying someone for Christmas. For the former, I would have preferred to buy it used, but relatives tend to give me bookstore gift cards for Christmas and birthdays.

Items: Nonrecyclable
*1 garbage bag
*Spoon – went to the movie theater and was intrigued that they had frozen yogurt, so I had to try it
*Burt’s Bee’s lip balm tube used up
*2 envelope windows – from junk mail that I use for scratch paper
*Fruit leather wrapper – from pre-challenge purchase
*Grapes bag – a health vs. plastic compromise. Grapes are my favorite fruit and I hadn’t had them for the past 13 weeks of the plastic challenge.
*3 produce stickers
*Subway drink lid
*2 lid seals from ice cream
*2 torn nylon knee highs *
*5 size stickers and price tag fasteners – went to an Ann Taylor outlet store when they happened to be having a sale

What items can I easily replace with plastic free or less plastic alternatives?
Have already replaced lip balm with coconut oil, Lush lip balm in a tin, and Organic Essence lip balm in a paper tube (depending on the situation/location)

What items would I be willing to give up if a plastic free alternative doesn’t exist?
Seriously, need to stop going to Subway.

What items are essential and seem to have no plastic-free alternative?
Grapes – even organic grapes at natural grocery stores I’ve never seen not in a plastic bag

What lifestyle change(s) might be necessary to reduce my plastic consumption?
Seriously, need to stop going to Subway.

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

What other conclusions, if any, can I draw?