Top 10 Tips to Reduce Plastic: Tip #2

For those of you who made a New Year’s Resolution to reduce the amount of plastic in your life here's the second of my Top 10 ways to reduce plastic, based on a year’s worth of experience.

Don’t use plastic produce bags.

If you’re committed to Tip #1 (bringing your own bag), which more and more people are, then isn’t it ironic (and counter productive) to put your oranges, and bananas and other produce in plastic produce bags, then stick your plastic bags in a cotton or canvas bag – especially one emblazoned with the words ‘Stop using plastic bags’.

Think about it…How many people have touched that apple on its journey from the tree to the shelf before YOU pick it up. Lots!!! So of course you’re only going to wash it when you get home, aren’t you? So just plunk it in your shopping cart and say no to the plastic produce bag.

Now some of you are probably protesting…'Yuck, but there are germs on the checkout conveyer belt!' Hey – guess what – there are germs EVERYWHERE!!!! Wash your stuff when you're home and get over it!

Take it from someone who knows - if you like to flaunt your green lifestyle (as a way to lead by example) this is a great plastic to give up.

Because people will notice.

When you’re at the checkout counter and your apples, carrots, broccoli, tomatoes, celery and potatoes are sitting on the conveyer belt, exposed for all to see, instead of shrouded in plastic produce bags – people can’t help notice that what you’re doing is different.

And it makes them think.

Bonus points - If you have a handy wire basket like mine, and carry all the stuff out of the store bare to the world, sans plastic, people notice even more and sometimes will ask 'Where'd you get the basket?’

And when they look at you, it’s with that look that says ‘Great idea’ not with the look that says ‘WhackedOutEcoFreak’.

Ya Gotta Love That!

And now, it's time for another EnviroWoman RANT!
It really bugs me when I walk into our local organic food stores and see people putting their produce in plastic bags.

I'm assuming these people buy organic because they are health conscious and don't want to fill their bodies with chemicals/hormones. Maybe even some of them also don't want to support farmers/factory farms that fill the environment with chemicals/hormones.

Then why oh why are they putting their stuff into plastic produce bags, that eventually make there way to a landfill or worse yet wild places or the ocean – and there - fill the environment with chemicals and hormones.

Oh I know, none of us are perfect. Especially not EnviroWoman. And it’s easy to microscopically criticize the behaviour of others while holding ourselves up on some chaste EcoPedestal, turning a blind eye to our own transgressions.

But it still bugs me!

Top 10 Tips to Reduce Plastic: Tip#1

Bravo if you’ve made a New Year’s Resolution to reduce the amount of plastic in your life. Now that I'm in YearTwo of Living Plastic Free I thought I'd share EnviroWoman’s Top 10 ways to reduce plastic, based on a year’s worth of experience. So here's Tip#1...

Bring your own bag.

When shopping (not just grocery shopping, but for any shopping) take along your own packing bag.

Just make sure it’s made of cotton, canvas or a natural fiber (like these cheeky ones from BringYourOwnBag). A bag made out of nylon (which is plastic) or recycled plastic is still plastic, so in a way, you’re kinda defeating your good intentions.

And if you’re shopping for a big family – bring a box instead of a bag. Hey if it’s okay at Costco, why isn’t it okay for Safeway and IGA?

When grocery shopping EnviroWoman takes her handy wire basket along and uses it to pack her groceries in and out of the store. I LOVE my wire basket. I'm the only person in the supermarket who has one...so it makes me feel like an UberEnviroTrendSetter. (Dillusionary, aren't I?)

She also uses a big canvas bag from Ellis Designs (no plastic handles, or buttons, but alas, a plastic inside pocket zipper), which does double duty as a purse for regular shopping.

There are lots of options to choose from nowadays. Just google 'cloth shopping bag' or 'reusable shopping bag'. Or, attend a local craft sale.

And now it’s time for an EnviroWomanRANT
You may have noticed it's becoming more ‘fashionable’ to bring your own bag. And that’s a great thing.

Big chain stores like Ikea, and SuperStore are even charging for bags or not even offering them, or at least selling a reusable alternative (alas, many of which are nylon-plastic). All good things.

But at the same time, it bugs EnviroWoman. Here’s why...

People think that if they bring their own bag they are doing their part to save the planet. They pat themselves on the back for being ‘green’.

But then they walk into the supermarket and fill their shopping carts with plastic packaged food, buy plastic wrapped coconuts (SpockIllogical), put fruits and veggies in plastic bags, buy bottled water, opt for stuff in a plastic bottles versus glass because 'it’s so much more convenient and safe' (maybe for them, but not for Mother Earth, which in the long means it’s not for them either). And so on, and so on.

Where is the 'green' action in that?

They do not see the irony.

Now, EnviroWoman ain’t no eco-Saint. She admits she didn’t see the irony in this either before taking the NoNewPlasticPledge.

But now EnviroWoman does.

And if you stand really close to her in the checkout line, looking at all those plastic filled shopping carts….you can hear her screaming inside. There is no hope. We humans are a lost cause. The planet is on a FastTrackToDisaster.

Sorry if I burst your EcoBubble here. But let's face it, Tip #1 is not enough.

Bringing your own shopping bag is only a wee baby step on the path that takes you to 'living green'. Truth is....you still have a long, long, long way to go. Lots more behaviours to change. Scary. Sad. But necessary.

Now, don't go give up. Instead, cheer up. 'Cuz chicky-poos you're in good company. EnviroWoman still has a long, long way to go too.

Tip #1 may be a baby step, but it’s still a baby step worth taking.

2007 vs 2006 Plastic

How do I know I’m a WhackedOutEcoFreak?There’s a pile of plastic garbage in my living room.

And that’s because not only did I keep all the plastic I let into my life during 2007 (the wee pile on the right, also known as The2007PlasticShrine, 1 lb 3 oz, also shown here in greater detail), but I also kept all the plastic that was in my life as of Dec 31st 2006 which I continued to use and which is now ready for recycling (the huge pile on the left, also known as 2006Plastic, 24 lbs, 9 oz, ).

My rules allow the continued use of 2006 plastic because to just toss out ALL the plastic I owned when I took the NoNewPlastic pledge would have been extremely wasteful, disrespectful to MotherNature, and quite honestly made homebase a desolate place on Jan 1 2007 – cuz plastic is in everything!!! If I had to find non-plastic replacements for EVERYTHING in my life on Jan 1st I would have never been able to keep my NoNewPlasticPledge until Jan 31st, let alone Dec 31st.

Not quite an apples to apples comparison. Oh well.

If I'd really been planning ahead, I would have started my project January 1st 2006 and spent that year living a normal PlasticAddictedLife and collecting all the plastic I brought into my life. That way I could do an apples to apples comparison of a 2006 plastic lifestyle versus a 2007 NoNewPlastic lifestyle.

But life ain’t ideal. Fabulous. But not ideal. So I thought the next best thing, and most useful comparison was to collect 2006Plastic. A lot of it is plastic bought in 2006, but some of it is from earlier years.

Anyway. Isn’t the difference pretty spectacular!

The PlasticShrine Continues

During YearTwo of the NoNewPlasticPledge I’ll continue to add to the 2006Plastic pile since there’s still lots of 2006Plastic in my life that I’m gradually using up, or just deciding to give up, because I’ve found non-plastic replacements.

I’ll also add a bit to the 2007 pile as plastic I brought into my life during 2007 (like paint and deodorant) gets used up.

And I’ll start a new 2008 pile.

It will be interesting to see how the three piles look on Dec 31, 2008. I’m hoping the transition to a NoNewPlastic lifestyle will be even more evident by then.

The PlasticShrines in an Ideal World

If life were ideal, on Dec 31 2008 the 2006 pile would be huge (demonstrating how successfully I am transitioning my life to completely plastic free), the 2007 pile would stay puny, and the 2008 pile would be even smaller than the 2007 pile.

But quite honestly, with all the home renovations I’ve got planned during 2008, that’s gonna be really, really tough.

PROGRESS REPORT: Year One

I’ve finished YearOne of living the NoNewPlastic pledge. Here’s a picture of the plastic shrine which represents all the new plastic I let into my life during 2007 which is now all used up and ready for recycling or the trash.

To be honest, it’s way, way more than I thought I’d accumulate. I naively thought I’d slam the gates shut on new plastic during 2007, and there would be ZERO plastic in the Shrine. Alas, it was amazing how much snuck into my life. And even more surprising was discovering how many things include plastic which you never really think about - like polyester, nylon and spandex in clothing, and those nasty plastic liners in tin cans.

EnviroWoman’s 2007 Plastic Consumption Stats:

• 1 lb, 3 oz: total weight of new plastic added to the plastic shrine in 2007. Let's make an 'apples to apples' comparison...every man, woman and child on the planet consumes ~200 pds each year.. And that’s probably much higher if you consider just us plastic-addicted FirstWorld consumers. My guess is that average stat doesn’t include things like paint, and clothing (polyester, nylon, etc). So, I wasn't really sure how to factor in the paint I used. Afterall, it's on the walls, so I can't really add it to the shrine. So I added (but didn't weigh) the paint cans all used up to date (about 19 liters, with another 42 liters still to use in 2008)

• 0: number of plastic bags EnviroWoman consumed in 2007. Average earthling – 150 bags, average Australian 326, average American 552 to 1267 (depending on the stat you find). EnviroWoman discovered and used only earth-friendly compostable bioplastic bags in 2007.

• 0: number of plastic bottles EnviroWoman let into her life in 2007. Average person 260 (1999 stat).

• ~4 oz: weight of plastic film EnviroWoman used. Compared to 3.85 pounds per person per year.

• 37%: decrease in dollars spent on groceries from Jan-Oct 2007 compared to same period in 2006. Wasn't expecting that. But ooeee....that’s pretty spectacular.

Plastic Perils Between Oct-Dec 2007
Alot of plastic was added in the final quarter of 2007. And that’s because EnviroWoman has been dealing with a lot of DEATH and NearDEATH. And, as with LIFE…DEATH seems to have an affinity for plastic.

1. NearDeath#1 – MyLittleCar. In an effort to keep the plastic shrine as miniscule as possible, EnviroWoman has postponed painting MyLittleCar after it was a victim of a HitAndLeaveANote, 'cuz car painting requires plastic sheeting. She's even put off buying much needed new tires to replace balding ones, because tires are plastic. But when the 19 year old MyLittleCar failed LaLaLand’s annual AirCareTest, which checks cars for pollutants, she absolutely had to take action. No matter how much plastic it added to the PlasticShrine. MyLittleCar’s dismal report card, was a direct result of KarmicJustice because as EnviroWoman waited in the AirCare line-up, she reviewed her 2006 test results and blatantly and flagrantly boasted aloud ‘LittleCar you ROCK! Look how low last year’s scores were – so way, way below the DangerZone. 6 A+s…and you were 18 years old then. You are SO going to SMOKE this year’s test.” And smoke it did…but not in the way all good environmentalists would hope!!! 4 Fs outta 5. Yes…1…2…3…4 Fs. The shock was enough, but oy vay, there was a big heaping of EnviroGuilt too. Just how many months had MyLittleCar been mega-contributing to Carbonageddon? Bad MyLittleCar – making the icebergs melt. Bad EnviroWoman - being boastful rather than modestly humble. Thankfully, EnviroWoman’s BestEverMechanic (who no kidding, used the words 'catastrophic system failure' when he saw the test results) was able to restore MyLittleCar back to good clean-air health with a new O2 sensor (which thankfully only has a bit of rubber/plastic) and EGR valve (which yipee, has no plastic). ThankGawd, because the big hunk of plastic associated with a new car is something EnviroWoman is not willing to consider while she’s living the NoNewPlasticPledge.

2. Death #2 – HunkaPoohHardDrive. Most of the pet names I bestow on things are terms of endearment but not so when it comes to my computer. I gotta say, my HP Pavilion is a huge piece of SH_T. So friggin slow. And then to boot, the hard drive and the CD Rom drive go totally kapoot after a little over a year. And, you know what’s coming…..I lost everything!!!! All my blog notes, all my pre-written future blog entries (and these little suckers take 5-20 hours to write), all my financial records, all my emails (including from blog readers), all my files, all my blog passwords, all my pictures….everything. Now you might say ‘EnviroWoman, why didn’t you back up!” Lovies…because that would require buying CD Roms, which are plastic! Or a backup drive…which is plastic. I knew the NoNewPlasticPledge was putting me on the precipice of technological disaster, and wouldn’t ya know, my HunkaPoohHardDrive took great pleasure in jumping off the edge. I lived as long as I could without a computer, but it sure puts a damper on blogging! I felt like I had fallen off the planet. I debated, should I just toss the HunkaPooh out - but a new computer would be such a big hunk of plastic. So instead, in December, I opted for a new hard drive (which alas, is just as slow and problematic). Much less plastic, but it did come with one of those nasty foily plastic envelopes. Lesson learned…Never, Ever buy another HP. And find an ftp site to back up to. If anyone knows of a good data recovery place in Vancouver (with a 'clean' room), let me know.


3. Death #3 – Television UHF/VHS Thingymebob Back in March I reported how the little DoHickey that allows my ancient TV to connect to cable tried to commit HariKari. But EnviroWoman, who is also a HandyWoman, whipped out her trusty soddering gun and copper wiring and welded a band-aid fix. This was repeated several times over the course of the next 9 months until finally the DoHickey did a HumptyDumptyCouldn’t BePutBackTogetherAgain. It was dead, dead, dead. I lived without TV while I shopped for a new Thingymebob. But found none that didn't come encased in a huge gob of blister pak. Couldn't have that. It looked like we had seen the death of TV in our home. But thankfully, when the CableGuy visited to make us InternetWired in the new abode, he had an extra one handy (without any packaging) which he graciously offered at no cost. TV was resurrected from the dead.
   

4. Death #4 – Chocolate Brown Walls. In July, EnviroWoman moved to a new home which required renovations. The chocolate brown and forest green walls (in a north facing home!?!!!) were particularly ghastly and gloomy. EnviroWoman may be an introvert, but she ain’t no troll. For many months she resisted the temptation to paint, thinking she'd put it off until 2008 (my mantra is 'Remember the PlasticShrine. Remember the PlasticShrine'). But, by September EnviroWoman was seriously contemplating extending her NoNewPlasticPledge for another year. So she took the paint plunge, opting for low/no-VOC paint where she could...which is slightly more environmentally friendly, but is still plastic.
   

5. Death #5 - TheBeast. EnviroWoman has foregone much needed dental work in 2007 because dentists mean plastic. She even put off a blood test (plastic syringe, surgical gloves, rubber tube-stoppers) to check if the ridges that appeared on her toenails a few months into the year were symptomatic of a protein deficiency brought on because her usual meat substitutes (which are ALL plastic packaged) were now off limits in 2007. But when the Vet said 'We have to get subcutaneous fluids in TheBeast first, if we want to administer pain killers' EnviroWoman's NoNewPlastic resolve evaporated like morning dew. After 18 years of furry companionship, TheBeast was suffering a slow and agonizing death. She deserved help even though it meant lots of new plastic. Who woulda thunk that TheBeast would have ended up commemorated in the PlasticShrine… but there’s her contribution…in the form of a big bag of Ringers Lactate, needles, and tubing. But, in true form EnviroWoman looks on the bright side of life (and even death)…..at least the crematorium was willing to put her ashes in a paper bag instead of a plastic one!!!

Other plastic added in the last quarter of 2007

• 4 pastry cups, which deceptively appeared to be 100% paper in the bakery display case, but rudely revealed their plastic lining once brought home. Plastic really is sneaky!
• 6 inch roll of nylon fabric
• Tampon wrappers & one casing
• 2 pairs of surgical gloves and 6 plastic xray covers from dental checkup
• Toothpaste lid and tube (the latter, although metal, probably has a plastic liner)
• 2 Nestea tea bag packages, although paper, seemed to be plastic-coated
• Plastic protective seal on a cosmetics bottle
• Deodorant container
• Vinyl label from a pair of jeans
• T-shaped clothing price tags thingys
• Food labels, produce stickers, 2 plastic lids
• Laundry detergent measuring cup…sneaky little bugger – hidden in the detergent box. One must be ever vigilant.
• Caramel Apple Wrapper
  
  There was also 24 buttons, 2 zippers and a 100% polyester blouse - none of which are ready to be recycled yet. And of course, there were some plastic packaged, plastic containing Xmas gifts, but as per TheRules, these will all be re-gifted.

Will there be a YearTwo of the NoNewPlasticPledge?
Of course! YearOne was just the warm-up. The real challenge begins when all the plastic EnviroWoman had in her life as of Dec 31, 2006 gets used up, and that's gonna take a couple of years. Besides, I have yet to find a plastic-free toothbrush…but I'm determined...and it better happen soon, because my current toothbrush is totally falling apart.

And, in a weird, perverse way, I really enjoy discovering how this extreme lifestyle has changed my life. Oh sure, the combination of living with Cruelty-free, Vegetarian, and Plastic-free rules makes this all a TripleChallenge that probably no one else on Earth has taken on. But thankfully I’m also a Chocoholic – and eating chocolate makes it seem all worthwhile, and so much easier.