Plastic Challenge: Michaela Senicola-Payden, Week 1
Where can I purchase milk in reusable containers locally ?
Location: Antioch, CA, United States
Name: Michaela Senicola-Payden
Week: 1
Personal Info:
Female, in a committed relationship, work away from home.
List of plastic items REFUSED this week. (Yay!)
Gogurts, Oreos, salad, protein bars, candy & water (in plastic bottles). There was a few more things but I can’t think of them right now.
Total items collected: 18
Total weight: Approx 1 pound
Items: Recyclable
My 5 bottles can be recycled but I can’t find recycling numbers but they all say please recycle .
My Walmart bag and thank you bag can be recycled at a local bag recycling faculty, I know this because on the bags it says “Please return to a participating store for recycling.”
My cup, two lids and two straws can be recycled and I actually found a #5 on the bottom of the cup.
My TV dinner and film can be recycled and the # I found was 5.
Items: Nonrecyclable
My chicken strips container, tea cover, Popsicle wrapper, and cheese all don’t say they could be recycled although I do believe I could put it in my recycling bin at home to be recycled.
What items can I easily replace with plastic free or less plastic alternatives?
I could easily bring my own bags to restaurants and shopping centers when doing my shopping or dinning out. I could also get chicken from the deli and bring my own container or even stop drinking soda and Gatorade and switch to a stainless steel water bottle.
What items would I be willing to give up if a plastic free alternative doesn’t exist?
Popsicles, TV dinners and Gatorade.
What items are essential and seem to have no plastic-free alternative?
Soda
What lifestyle change(s) might be necessary to reduce my plastic consumption?
Start drinking water more than soda.
What one plastic item am I willing to give up or replace this week?
Shopping bags.
What other conclusions, if any, can I draw?
I didn’t have as much plastic as I thought I would have, although I’m going to try the challenge again on a very busy week to see if my results change.