Day 1:
I went down to Kensington to meet up for a coffee at Moonbean with my friend Alison. I brought my grocery list and enviro-bag, which holds up to 3 normal grocery bags worth. I didn't realize until later that we drank our iced moccacinos through plastic straws (!), (although the drink was served in glasses, not plastic cups).
Grocery shopping's first obstacle was the plastic produce bags. I took one plastic produce bag and try to stuff all the produce into it without squashing it too much, and put the larger produce into the basket. The second obstacle was buying locally and avoiding plastic. Cherries being in season, there were some loose ones you could buy by the pound which weren't locally grown and some Ontario cherries that were in a plastic container. I decided to buy local, since the bulk cherries would have to be put into a plastic produce bag anyway. I ended up with three "purchased" produce bags altogether for bulk items. I plan to re-use the bags instead of throwing them out. Another lesson was to be one step ahead of the lady behind the counter with "I don't need a bag" to avoid annoying them, although they should ask! All my groceries fit well into the enviro-bag, and over the afternoon I avoided a couple more plastic bags.
Day 2:
I brought my envirobag to a drugstore to buy some soy milk, a 9 volt battery for my smoke alarm, and conditioner. Obstacle one: all soy milk containers have a plastic twist-off cap. It's stupid that they make cartons of soy and juice like that instead of the folding ones of the past! I did buy a carton, but found out later from a friend that "Silk" soy beverage is starting up an environmentally friendly program for their plastic caps. I bought a 9 volt battery, plastic casing and all. If I had a 9-volt recharger, I would have bought a rechargable, so I'm saving up to buy that for next time. I decided not to buy conditioner since the only options were plastic bottles, and a friend had told me about plastic-packaging-free shampoo bars that you can buy at "Lush". I checked online at home and found out they do carry both shampoo and conditioner bars, and they're made of all natural products.
* On a side note, that drugstore needs to train their employees to ask if people want a bag!
Day 3:
My boyfriend, Myke, came over for dinner and we had some burgers. (I know it's bad, but I can't let go of beef just yet.) I did not, however, have any buns, so Myke picked some up on his way. I am planning on re-using the plastic bun bag and staying within my mandate of not throwing out any bought plastic on this one.
Day 4:
Today was a huge deviation from the mission. Myke and I went shopping for a tent and an air pump for our upcoming camping trip. The airpump was completely encased in plastic wrap. The tent is still inside the box- I'm afraid to look and see what's in there. We'll keep as much plastic in there as possible and re-use it if we can, especially peg bags, etc. At least we avoided another plastic bag from the cashier.
This was not the worst part of the breaking of the mandate. We went to the movies, where I completely indulged and bought an enormous ridiculously priced beverage... with plastic straws and a plastic top! I suppose I could have taken off the top and just drank straight from the cup, but the "regular-sized" drink would have meant spillage disasters in the dark theatre. Self-discipline is definetly needed to keep this up. I also should have planned ahead and snuck in my Nalgene bottle.
Day 5:
Waking with a new resolution of the mission, I went for coffee with a friend at a cute little patisserie in our neighbourhood. The goodies we ordered were served on paper plates and with plastic forks, even though we were obviously staying. No other option was offered. I tried to repair the situation by not using a plastic lid on my coffee (which was not served in a mug, but a paper to-go cup... I incorrectly assumed again). I'm planning to go back and speak to them about the waste their business is producing. Unfortunately, I don't think I can go back there to eat or drink anymore until they change their waste policy. On a more positive note, they had some fair trade organic coffee for sale at a reasonable price ($10.95 a pound), so I did buy some on the way out.
Day 6:
Today could have been flawless, but for a plastic straw. I used it at the bowling alley with my can of pop without even thinking about it. I'm banning them from my life now... they really have snuck into my North American beverage lifestyle. No more.
Day 7:
I "had to" buy a bottle of water today. I forgot to bring my Nalgene water bottle to work (I teach singing lessons, so keeping hydrated with water is super important.). I was in a rush and was halfway to the school before realizing my mistake. I really regret it, because plastic water bottles are the worst culprits next to plastic bags and straws.
Epilogue:
Thus, meeting my challenge was pretty much a failure each day despite my efforts, but it was an excellent learning experience. Living without plastic takes a lot of planning. Some things are unavoidable. What about toilet paper? It's completely encased in plastic wrap. Corrosive matter like batteries need something safe like plastic casing to contain them until a viable alternative is presented (or maybe it is already and I haven't done enough research!).
I went down to Kensington to meet up for a coffee at Moonbean with my friend Alison. I brought my grocery list and enviro-bag, which holds up to 3 normal grocery bags worth. I didn't realize until later that we drank our iced moccacinos through plastic straws (!), (although the drink was served in glasses, not plastic cups).
Grocery shopping's first obstacle was the plastic produce bags. I took one plastic produce bag and try to stuff all the produce into it without squashing it too much, and put the larger produce into the basket. The second obstacle was buying locally and avoiding plastic. Cherries being in season, there were some loose ones you could buy by the pound which weren't locally grown and some Ontario cherries that were in a plastic container. I decided to buy local, since the bulk cherries would have to be put into a plastic produce bag anyway. I ended up with three "purchased" produce bags altogether for bulk items. I plan to re-use the bags instead of throwing them out. Another lesson was to be one step ahead of the lady behind the counter with "I don't need a bag" to avoid annoying them, although they should ask! All my groceries fit well into the enviro-bag, and over the afternoon I avoided a couple more plastic bags.
Day 2:
I brought my envirobag to a drugstore to buy some soy milk, a 9 volt battery for my smoke alarm, and conditioner. Obstacle one: all soy milk containers have a plastic twist-off cap. It's stupid that they make cartons of soy and juice like that instead of the folding ones of the past! I did buy a carton, but found out later from a friend that "Silk" soy beverage is starting up an environmentally friendly program for their plastic caps. I bought a 9 volt battery, plastic casing and all. If I had a 9-volt recharger, I would have bought a rechargable, so I'm saving up to buy that for next time. I decided not to buy conditioner since the only options were plastic bottles, and a friend had told me about plastic-packaging-free shampoo bars that you can buy at "Lush". I checked online at home and found out they do carry both shampoo and conditioner bars, and they're made of all natural products.
* On a side note, that drugstore needs to train their employees to ask if people want a bag!
Day 3:
My boyfriend, Myke, came over for dinner and we had some burgers. (I know it's bad, but I can't let go of beef just yet.) I did not, however, have any buns, so Myke picked some up on his way. I am planning on re-using the plastic bun bag and staying within my mandate of not throwing out any bought plastic on this one.
Day 4:
Today was a huge deviation from the mission. Myke and I went shopping for a tent and an air pump for our upcoming camping trip. The airpump was completely encased in plastic wrap. The tent is still inside the box- I'm afraid to look and see what's in there. We'll keep as much plastic in there as possible and re-use it if we can, especially peg bags, etc. At least we avoided another plastic bag from the cashier.
This was not the worst part of the breaking of the mandate. We went to the movies, where I completely indulged and bought an enormous ridiculously priced beverage... with plastic straws and a plastic top! I suppose I could have taken off the top and just drank straight from the cup, but the "regular-sized" drink would have meant spillage disasters in the dark theatre. Self-discipline is definetly needed to keep this up. I also should have planned ahead and snuck in my Nalgene bottle.
Day 5:
Waking with a new resolution of the mission, I went for coffee with a friend at a cute little patisserie in our neighbourhood. The goodies we ordered were served on paper plates and with plastic forks, even though we were obviously staying. No other option was offered. I tried to repair the situation by not using a plastic lid on my coffee (which was not served in a mug, but a paper to-go cup... I incorrectly assumed again). I'm planning to go back and speak to them about the waste their business is producing. Unfortunately, I don't think I can go back there to eat or drink anymore until they change their waste policy. On a more positive note, they had some fair trade organic coffee for sale at a reasonable price ($10.95 a pound), so I did buy some on the way out.
Day 6:
Today could have been flawless, but for a plastic straw. I used it at the bowling alley with my can of pop without even thinking about it. I'm banning them from my life now... they really have snuck into my North American beverage lifestyle. No more.
Day 7:
I "had to" buy a bottle of water today. I forgot to bring my Nalgene water bottle to work (I teach singing lessons, so keeping hydrated with water is super important.). I was in a rush and was halfway to the school before realizing my mistake. I really regret it, because plastic water bottles are the worst culprits next to plastic bags and straws.
Epilogue:
Thus, meeting my challenge was pretty much a failure each day despite my efforts, but it was an excellent learning experience. Living without plastic takes a lot of planning. Some things are unavoidable. What about toilet paper? It's completely encased in plastic wrap. Corrosive matter like batteries need something safe like plastic casing to contain them until a viable alternative is presented (or maybe it is already and I haven't done enough research!).
But I now know of some pitfalls to avoid:
Always be clear when making a purchase to deliberately avoid plastic. Tell the sales clerk you don't want a plastic bag, and that you already have one. A lot of people behind me in line-ups asked where I got my enviro-bag when they saw it (it was a gift, but I saw some at "The Outer Layer" for around $5), and consequently, some people ended up buying the $.99 eco-friendly bags in grocery stores for their purchases. If you're buying a beverage, tell them when you order that you have your own mug if it's to go or clearly specify that you're sitting down to stay. Be clear that you expect your food or drink in a mug or on a real plate if you're staying in, not paper or plastic. You're the customer, say it with a smile and you can't be wrong. If you're eating out, bring tupperware along for the leftovers instead of a doggie bag. If the restaurant doesn't have biodegradable or recyclable take-out containers, leave a comment card or better yet, speak to the manager about it. Watch out for those sneaky plastic straws! Do you really need one?? Re-use plastic bags if you have to take one (in the case of produce, buns, etc.). The decision to avoid buying plastic takes commitment to your choice, as I learned the hard way. Don't give into temptation and stick up for the right thing: both things I still need to work on while growing as an environmentalist.
Some follow-up details:
Always be clear when making a purchase to deliberately avoid plastic. Tell the sales clerk you don't want a plastic bag, and that you already have one. A lot of people behind me in line-ups asked where I got my enviro-bag when they saw it (it was a gift, but I saw some at "The Outer Layer" for around $5), and consequently, some people ended up buying the $.99 eco-friendly bags in grocery stores for their purchases. If you're buying a beverage, tell them when you order that you have your own mug if it's to go or clearly specify that you're sitting down to stay. Be clear that you expect your food or drink in a mug or on a real plate if you're staying in, not paper or plastic. You're the customer, say it with a smile and you can't be wrong. If you're eating out, bring tupperware along for the leftovers instead of a doggie bag. If the restaurant doesn't have biodegradable or recyclable take-out containers, leave a comment card or better yet, speak to the manager about it. Watch out for those sneaky plastic straws! Do you really need one?? Re-use plastic bags if you have to take one (in the case of produce, buns, etc.). The decision to avoid buying plastic takes commitment to your choice, as I learned the hard way. Don't give into temptation and stick up for the right thing: both things I still need to work on while growing as an environmentalist.
Some follow-up details:
I did find some awesome solid shampoo and conditioner at "Lush", both which smell amazing and work really well. They'll all natural ingredients. You buy them by the pound (I spent about $10 on each product) and they last for months, plus no plastic packaging! You can also use the conditioner bar for shaving, as a pommade or a leave-in. I also came across some travel sized Burt's Bees solid shampoo in "The Outer Layer" on Queen St. West for around $3.
