I’m confused by this eco-friendly bag wine. It says its more environmentally friendly because it replaces 2 glass bottles. Not so sure.

Will be making some shopping bags for the family to save them from using plastics. I plan to line them with plastic tablecloths that I picked up at Goodwill. Does buying plastics and repurposing them really count as plastic consumption? Its already being recycled and repurposed but it hasn’t gone away. Someday even those bags will go to a watery grave.

This goes for the little pre bagged potatoes from the farmers market. I will reuse the red mesh bag and a yellow one so does it really count? Maybe I just haven’t figured it all out yet.

Location:Mountain View, CA, California, United States

Name: Sandy

Week: 2

Personal Info:

Still the same. My boyfriend and me. We went to a potluck this week so there were food purchases that involved traveling plastics. Didn’t bring them home to photograph.

Sandy’s personal blog: http://spiraljetty.livejournal.com

List of plastic items REFUSED this week. (Yay!)
10 plastic shopping bags (better organized)
1 lid
1 straw

Plastic veg. bag for purchasing bulk walnuts. I brought one from home.
Ate at “The Counter” in Palo Alto. They have a very low plastics use policy. We ordered less so there wasn’t any takeout.

Total items collected: 44

Total weight: 1.8 lb

Items: Recyclable
Reuse
4 – plastic butter/dressing holders with lids
1 – 3 section take home food holder
1 – Plastic Peanut Butter jar with lid
1 – Folgers coffee container with lid
1 – Coffee Mate powder container(pen organizer)
4 – shopping bags
1 -Sobe bottle(plant watering)
1-mesh vegi bag

Recycle
1-toilet paper package
1-paper towel package
1-plastic fork
1-plastic cup
3-drink bottles
1-milk bottle(would have recycled it but its smelly)

Items: Nonrecyclable
1-good lord a drycleaning bag
3-food bags from the farmers market(cookies,fish,salad)
3-grocery store food containers(celery,blueberries,pie)
1-plastic frozen chicken ziploc freezer bag
1-plastic wrapper from Basis soap
1-microwave dinner plastic film
1-little plastic ring from the wine dispenser
1-coffee bag
Plastic ring from salad dressing
plastic Sobe label

What items can I easily replace with plastic free or less plastic alternatives?
The vegetables don’t come in bags all of the time so we’ll just be more careful about what we buy.

There must be a way to buy bulk coffee and put it in my own bag. I’ll just try next time I go to Safeway.

I’m trying to slowly reduce the amount of meat we are having. I could have the butcher wrap it in paper.

What items would I be willing to give up if a plastic free alternative doesn’t exist?
frozen dinners

What items are essential and seem to have no plastic-free alternative?
Boyfriends drycleaning, soap(he’s picky)

What lifestyle change(s) might be necessary to reduce my plastic consumption?
Being more organized

Next week I’m going to also try to remember to take reusable bags when I do other sorts of shopping besides just food shopping. duhh.

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

What other conclusions, if any, can I draw?
I’m confused about whether its better to use paper or glass or even fabrics than plastics. I don’t know the research and the relative costs of each choice.