Name: Serena Renner

Week: 2

Location: California, United States

Personal Info:

24-year old female, living with four female housemates in Oakland, California. I work full-time away from home at an office in Walnut Creek, California.

Total items: 33

Total weight:

Items: Recyclable
-plastic cup #1
-2 plastic lids #1
-electronics packaging #3
-yogurt tub and lid #5
-small yogurt cup #5
-small-mouth plastic orange juice bottle #2
-milk carton (not pictured)

Items: Nonrecyclable
-coffee cup lids (3)
-straws (2)
-plastic cups (4-not pictured)
-plastic bread/tortilla/pita bread bags (5)
-tofu wrapper
-enchilada sauce can wrapper
-credit card
-tape/ipod adapters for car (2)
-sandwich paper with plastic lining
-gum wrapper
-gum
-bandaid wrapper
-saran wrap (3 small pieces)

What items can I easily replace with plastic free or less plastic alternatives?
cups, lids, straws, saran wrap

What items would I be willing to give up if a plastic free alternative doesn’t exist?
gum, saran wrap

What items are essential and seem to have no plastic-free alternative?
credit cards, electronics

What lifestyle change(s) might be necessary to reduce my plastic consumption?
traveling, planning dinner parties, and going to events

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

What other conclusions, if any, can I draw?
It was interesting to discover that nearly all coffee lids are not recyclable in my communities, that I haven’t come across tortillas sold in paper or orange juice sold in glass, and that electronics inevitably keep failing me

Question…
Any suggestions for plastic-less tortillas and orange juice for sale?