ideas for some kind of dish scrubby that isn’t plastic? I am trying out a wooden brush with natural bristles but it doesn’t fit into the bottoms of my mason jars well like the old scrubbies plus I don’t think it is going to last nearly as long. Maybe I should just use a rag? (think that’s what grandma did)

Location:, Oregon, United States

Name: Sheri Puckette

Week: 2

Personal Info:

Week 2- rest of household still not interested but I am continuing.

Sheri Puckette’s personal blog:

List of plastic items REFUSED this week. (Yay!)
OK- here I’m a bit unsure since I was only able to refuse on item, a straw at a restaurant, if you consider that they actually tried to give me one and I said no, thanks.

But I did decline to use any number of produce and plastic bulk bags during my shopping trips to store and farmer’s mkt. Here in my town we don’t have plastic shopping bags at the checkout in any store so that at least isn’t a problem.

Tried to refuse DVD from a recent trip I took. They mailed me one anyway. Grrr.

Have already had the chat with our CSA about no more plastic clamshells please and they say that they don’t want to stop using them and some bags also for their workers packing the boxes (more efficient for them.) So guess it still boils down to do I get a membership again next year or just buy at market where things are in pulp paper boxes instead.

Total items collected: 27

Total weight:

Items: Recyclable
4 plastic meat wrappers/liners- I cut the labels out of them and the rest of them can be downcycled
2 of my 3 ziplocks from items frozen before LWOP (1 is too fat infused dirty to get clean enough)

Items: Nonrecyclable
the 1 dirty zip lock
1 wheat grass pot
1 worn out dish scrubby
1 small plastic hook
2 blister pack fronts from battery purchase (the backs were paper so recycled)
1 plastic from lunchmeat ham
2 bottle caps/3 seals
3 metal canning lids that have rubber/plastic lining’
2 freezer papers from meat that have some kind of lining on them
3 pcs masking tape, 1 pc sticky roller tape
1 clamshell from the CSA dellivery
1 DVD
the 1 garbage bag that the disposal co requires I put in our can each week

What items can I easily replace with plastic free or less plastic alternatives?
I can buy a turkey breast or ham, roast it and freeze some slices for lunch meat so that at least the wrapper those come in is one pc for many more servings.

I can continue looking for a store that will give the meat directly into my bowl.

Find alternative dish scrubby/use dishrag.

I can see if the cat will be OK without his wheat grass he loves to eat and that the vet says is good for his digestion. Maybe a bit of fresh catnip from the garden? No luck growing my own wheat grass indoors.

What items would I be willing to give up if a plastic free alternative doesn’t exist?
I would give up presliced meat for lunches since I rarely eat it- the rest of the family would not.

The sticky roller (will find another solution for cat hair all over my pants or just be fuzzy)

Already gave up plastic dish scrubbies but looking for a good solution.

What items are essential and seem to have no plastic-free alternative?
Still the wrappers that come from the butcher on our bulk meat buys from the local farmers. Noted that even the ones with butcher paper wrap also have a wrapper of another sheet of plastic around the meat on the inside too.

What lifestyle change(s) might be necessary to reduce my plastic consumption?
It’s boiling down to a few more things to give up, but short of becoming vegetarian I’m getting down to my nitty gritty. I feel I can avoid a few things, like the ham wrapper, by being very organized and trying not to get caught out without a dinner plan.

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

What other conclusions, if any, can I draw?
Much of the plastic I used to use regularly is quite unecessary, like the ziplocks I used to go through and the plastic wrap. Was able to give all of ours away, to my mom, who was delighted to get them and is not interested in quitting their use. I figured it would be that much less that she would run out and buy at least.