I wonder if buying tin cans is ‘worse’ than plastic?
I’m looking for home made cosmetics – body lotion, shampoo, conditioner etc that can be plastic free.
Open to all suggestions really.

Location:  Marne-la-Vallée, France

Name: Robyn Minogue

Week: 1

Personal Info:

Hi, I’m a single female. British – living in France. I think of myself as highly aware and already making efforts to live a low carbon life but when you track things in your life you really see the truth and I had wanted to do this for a while. I live with 4 other flat mates.

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

Hmmmm I know I refused plastic bags to put my vegetables in at the supermarket but i think that was it so far.

Total items collected: 73

Total weight: 653grams

Items: Recyclable
Shampoo bottle
Face scrub tube
Body lotion bottle
White vinegar bottle
Drinks bottles
Tetra pack
Yoghurt pot
Contact lens plastic pacacking

Items: Nonrecyclable
Face cream tube
Single cream tub
Baking powder tub
Plastic bags
Organic veg wrappers
Hard plastic trays for soft fruit
Sushi packaging
Anchovies jar wrapper
Soya sauce sachet
Baguette bread wrapper
Cable tie
Cling film
Ibuprofen packaging
Sausage wrapped in shrink plastic
Crisps
Grated cheese in zip lock bag
Preprepared pasta
Cheese wrappers – Mozzarella, feta
Olives in plastic sachet
Biscuits individually wrapped
Cheese waxed paper
Herbal tea individually wrapped

What items can I easily replace with plastic free or less plastic alternatives?
Not easy to see – where I live is quite isolated and there is one veg market a week on Friday but to buy organic food at eh supermarket is all comes in plastic…..
I can buy anchovies in smalls tins without plastic wrap on the jar – i’d never really noticed this plastic before
I can buy herbal tea loose not in individually wrapped bags as well as biscuits
Olives come in tins and jars

What items would I be willing to give up if a plastic free alternative doesn’t exist?
It’s rare I buy pre prepared food – its nice to have in for an easy option – but I can give up prepared pasta

What items are essential and seem to have no plastic-free alternative?
Ibuprofen. I cant see how I could get plastic free pain killers unless I found more natural remedies.
Cheese – I don’t eat much cheese – but I cant see how I can find plastic free cheese
Contact lenses – I can get glasses but I don’t really like wearing them and cant see how contacts can come plastic free. The company states they use the least packaging of all (DaySoft)
Tetra packs for soya milk

What lifestyle change(s) might be necessary to reduce my plastic consumption?
I have started making my own pastry and tortillas to not buy plastic
I’m happy to learn how to make my own cosmetics
They sell washing nuts in my supermarket which I can change to using
There is a small section of loose produce in my supermarket which uses mixed plastic and paper bags that i can make more use of
Generally can make even more from scratch – I want to start growing my own vegetables and herbs which would cut out a lot of the veg wrap waste

What one plastic item am I willing to give up or replace this week?
I’ve given up crisps as there is no way round the plastic and doing a vegan challenge to cut out the cheese plastic

What other conclusions, if any, can I draw?
That by tracking what you use you realise a whole lot more!