Location:Chicago, Illinois, United States

Name: Valerie Teruel

Week: 3

Personal Info:

Family of four. Trying to get everyone on board with mixed results, they are supportive until they want something like right now!
Being vegetarian is definitely a plus.

Valerie Teruel’s personal blog:

List of plastic items REFUSED this week. (Yay!)
Toilet paper wrapping. Bought 7th generation
Bought avocados separately, but double the cost!!!

Total items collected: 34

Total weight:

Items: Recyclable
Sprout carton(saving)
2x dish soap (saving)
2x medicine botlles
1x Bronners soap botltle

Items: Nonrecyclable
6x soy or almond cartons
2x medicine bottle caps
2x dish soap caps4x veg tags
1x bottle caps from yogurt
Toilet rolls wrapper
Frozen food bag
Chihuahua cheese cover
Ramen wrapper
Scotch tape end piece
Drink lid and straw.
Homeopathic container
Hummus container (last one ever!)

What items can I easily replace with plastic free or less plastic alternatives?
Hummus! I finally got back to making it again from scratch, chick peas and all
A plastic free snack yay!! Wait no the tahini did have a plastic seal on lid:-(

Experimented with homemade toothpaste so when I finally run out I am ready to never use store bought again.

Found pea sprouts at Whole Foods with shoots and all. Will buy seeds and do my own as soon as season starts.

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

What items are essential and seem to have no plastic-free alternative?

What lifestyle change(s) might be necessary to reduce my plastic consumption?
Less spontaneity, planning well ahead, meals in particular.
Making my family on-the-go-ready not just myself, so there is less chance of getting hungry thirsty and being forced to buy something ready made.
I have their water bottles refilled and ready in the car at all times.

What one plastic item am I willing to give up or replace this week?
Going to try, to make tortilla chips

What other conclusions, if any, can I draw?
It’s hard to get everyone enthusiastic about this challenge. I get the impression people think I’ve gone off the deep end or I’m being too radical!
I still have so much plastic in my kitchen cupboards, but once it’s all gone I think my real challenge will be the other stuff. I searched for a mirror to fit an awkward shape in my bathroom and ended up with a mirror from IKEA it had plastic #04 wrapping, it’s a mirror, why did they think it needed to be covered in plastic?
Sun Chips (Frito Lay) gave up on their compostable bags. I called to see what was going on, they said they solved the noise issue , but discontinued it anyway!!!!! VERY DEPRESSING..
I wanted to be able to give my kids one junk food item every now and again so that they don’t resent me and go behind my back and eat even more junk!