Name: Sarah Schumm

Week: 1

Personal Info:
I’m a surfer, I live a block from the beach and last winter tons and tons of plastic washed up on the beach. I tried to clean it up and I started a video blog about it: https://www.youtube.com/user/MsAngrybutterfly. And started trying to reduce my plastic consumption. When I first started, I lost about 10 pounds, lately I’ve been slacking, and I’m taking the challenge to get back on track.

Total items: 38 in the picture, 42 over all

Total weight: ??

Items: Recyclable

Items: Nonrecyclable
2 prescription bottles
4 plastic silverware
5 little sauce or sample containers
a chip bag
candy bar wrapper
candy wrapper
cookie container
cookie dough tub with its seal
2 plastic meat packages
a plastic wrapper from a case of soda
a plastic bag some dinner rolls came in
a ziplock bag my dog chewed up
a bunch of envelope windows
a cheese package
a bag some power strips came in
milk bottle tops
frosting container from cinnamon rolls

not pictured:
a takeout cup, cover and straw

What items could I easily replace with plastic-free or less plastic alternatives?
I could bake cookies and bread from scratch or from a bakery, I could get chocolate in foil and paper, I could have looked for power strips not packaged, I could remember my reusable takeout cup and silverware that I usually use, I need to re sign up for automatic bill pay.

What items would I be willing to give up if a plastic-free alternative doesn’t exist?
Oh, god, almost all of it! no wonder I lost weight, everything here is junk food!

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

What lifestyle change(s) might be necessary to reduce my plastic consumption?
Stop eating packaged junk food, remember my cup and silverware 100% instead of 80% of the time

What one plastic item am I willing to give up or replace this week?
the soda wrapper, the candy bar wrapper, the hot dog wrapper, and the dinner roll bag were all given to me, so those would be easy but wouldn’t count. I’ll give up packaged cookies.

What other conclusions, if any, can I draw?
I eat too much freeking junk food!