Reflection: The Journey So Far

I'll make this short and sweet. This is the condensed version of my observations and ruminations on leading a no- or low-plastic life!

Stay tuned for my Plastic-Free Vacation Guide, coming up after my vacation this week!

Observations

1) Plastic is EVERYWHERE!

It's easier, frankly, for me to go meatless than plastic-less. Even when I try to avoid it, I keep getting handed plastic! Like when I ordered at a sit-down restaurant last month -- my burger came on a paper plate, but my salad came in a plastic box. Or when I got a whiskey at a bar last week, and the bartender gave me a water with a plastic straw in it without my asking.

2) Some plastic may be unavoidable (if I stick to my current diet).

This is the killer for me: food wrapped in thin plastic. Cheese is the biggest issue for me. I CANNOT seem to get unwrapped cheese anywhere, even the farmers market! Don't know what to do about this kind of wrapping.

3) Sometimes it's awkward, but just speak clearly.

People are used to giving you plastic -- grocery store cashiers automatically put things in bags. Airplane stewards give you cans with cups. Bartenders put straws in cocktails. Just speak clearly and repeat if necessary. Plastic-less requests are not normal, so make sure your message gets through.

"One drink, NO STRAW, please."

"I DO NOT need a bag, thanks."

"I have my OWN BAG, thanks."

Or, just make an unambiguous action (esp. in loud places!): Make a "no/stop" gesture if they reach for the straw, or take the plastic cup off your airplane drink and hand it back.

Everyday Solutions

1) Make/Get a Zero-Waste Kit TODAY!

And don't forget it! I cannot count the number of times I've mentally slapped myself on the forehead when I realize I don't have a reusable spoon, fork, etc.

My kit: collapsible chopsticks, small spoon, small reusable bottle (less bulky) with carabiner. Put in a clean pencil case/zipper bag/wrapped in a cloth.

2) Make a reusable bag part of your ensemble.

Don't get caught without one! Stash it somewhere handy -- in your bike basket, in the trunk of your car, in your backpack/laptop case, etc. I put all my stuff in a small purse, then put the purse in a cute canvas bag that I carry around. That way, when I go shopping, I put my small purse on my shoulder and load groceries/etc. into the bigger bag. Men, I know you don't like purses, but just put it somewhere close by.

If you make these two easy adjustments, I promise that you will be using a LOT less everyday plastic. It only takes one day to make the switch! (And, you probably already have this stuff around.)

Good luck!

Inspiration #2: Corporate Interest

Reusable plastic bags are made of plastic, too, but I do think they are beneficial, since they reduce our total plastic use. I also see it as UPcyling, that is, turning a recyclable product into something that upgrades its value (plastic into books/bags/art, not just another bottle).


My friends at Pick Up America just posted this article (snippet below) about plastic bag producers' attempts to quash the reusable bag.

We see it all the time: When an alternative option becomes a commercial threat, or a nuisance to bigger companies, it often meets with threats and attack. In this vein, I did a story for NPR on the demise of the independent bookstore.

I believe it's our job to stay in touch with a variety of news sources, avoid blind bias, and politically stand up for the endeavors we see as serving personal and environmental wellness. I believe we have to stand up for independent businesses, or else we'll end up going from cradle to grave relying on large corporate production methods and value systems. Just as growing only a few varieties of corn, tomato or potato makes us more susceptible to blight, depending on and consuming from a tiny number of companies puts our health at greater risk when these companies fail -- fail to be ethical, fail to prioritize customers' well-being, or fail to plan for long-term sustainability.


Green America: Stand Up to Big Plastic
May 16, 2011

What will our grandchildren think of the disposable plastic bag? Will they see it as a relic of a bygone era?

It depends on the winner in a number of battles now playing out both in state and local governments, and between the bag manufacturers themselves.

There are other good reasons to avoid plastic bags — from the petroleum products used in their manufacture to their effect on wildlife when ingested — which is why many shoppers choose to carry their own reusable bags, whether their local community taxes or bans them or not.

But now, the forces behind the current misinformation campaign in Oregon and others aimed at bag bans at the community level are even attacking companies that offer green-minded shoppers a reusable bag option.

A lawsuit making its way through the U.S. Circuit Court in South Carolina targets California-based reusable-bag manufacturer ChicoBag. Led again by Hilex Poly (along with Superbag Operating Ltd. and Advance Polybag), the suit alleges that ChicoBag "deceptively communicates that ChicoBag's products are superior to plastic bags, such as those sold by Hilex, with regard to environmental impact" and seeks to end all advertising suggesting that reusable bags represent an "alleged environmental superiority."

Inspiration #1:

While trying to go plastic free this month, I've had a lot of stumbles, d'ohs and head smacks. It is so easy to forget the words "no straw"! I also have been in the process of moving out of New York, which has left me without regular utensils, etc.

In times like these, inspiration keeps me focused! Check out this amazing movie, Waste Land:

WASTE LAND

Renowned artist Vik Muniz and a group of landfill scavengers take an emotional journey from a giant garbage dump in Rio de Janeiro to the most prestigious auction houses and museums in the world. Ultimately, the alchemic transformation of trash into art also transforms the artist and his collaborators, taking them to entirely new worlds.

Tip #4: Be Honest

Honesty is your best friend in any endeavor to change your behavior, your attitudes, and your life in general. Maybe you know someone who quit something cold turkey, but that's not realistic for most of us. The best way to start on the road to change is by making small, realistic, concrete steps, and to keep at it day after day after day -- this is maintenance. Taking action is only one part of change -- reflection, planning, and motivation are just as important as that first step.

To help remember this, here's a Yoda-style mantra:

Honesty leads to reflection
Reflection leads to progress
Progress leads to motivation

Motivation leads to maintenance of progress

Fear/Anger/Hate LEADS TO THE DARK SIDE!

The Dark Side is us pretending that we've gone plastic-free, when secretly we're still using plastic bags for produce and bulk rice, getting lunchtime salad in a throw-away plastic container, and sitting around feeling guilty about it. It's better to admit our problem areas to the world, so we can collaborate to find solutions.

That said, here's me being honest in my...

Promises for Progress
1. I promise only to post Tips I've tried myself.
2. I promise to openly discuss my problem areas, not hide them.

(That way, my solutions will also be public)
3. I promise to blog regularly (at least once a week),

as a way to motivate myself & others & maintain progress.

Starting Your Own Blog: Feel free to use my "Dear you" letter and Promises for Progress as templates for your own introductory posts! Add your own inspirational links and your own style.

Tip #3: Beware Beginner's Buying Syndrome

This is often what happens when we start a new activity like music, or hiking, or gardening, or reducing our disposables:

Me: I'M REALLY INTO THIS!
Me: Look at all the ACCESSORIES I can buy to support this!
Me: I want to buy all these THINGS! And I'll definitely use them!

2 months later...
Me: Look at that THING (climbing shoes/collapsible cup/10 essential oils) I got; I never use it and spent all that money!
Me: And anyway, this thing I already have in my house works just as well, only I didn't know it then.

I suffer from beginner's enthusiasm. I had to forcibly restrain myself so I wouldn't buy a collapsible cup, a reusable bamboo knife-fork-spoon set that comes with a handy baggie, reusable sandwich bags, reusable cloth napkins, the list goes on...


Tip: How to Move Forward
(avoiding auto-consumer mode)

1. Make a wishlist of all the helpful reusable things you want to buy.
2. WAIT! 2 months before buying any. Meanwhile, try to find alternatives in your house. (You probably will!)


A bit stumped? Check out these great DIY ideas!
Some easy examples:
1. Instead of new bamboo utensils + carrying case, just get the case, and put your own utensils inside.
2. Instead of buying stylish new linen bags, just use the cloth bags you have already.
3. Instead of buying a collapsible cup, just attach a carabiner to a metal water bottle.
4. Instead of buying a new reusable zippered carrying case for utensils, just use an old, small make-up bag you/your female relation probably have.

Some examples for crafty people:
1. Instead of new cloth bags with trendy designs, make a t-shirt bag!
2. Instead of buying a Topsy Turvy planter for your tomato/parsley, make your own upside-down planter with a soda bottle!
3. Instead of buying a ribbon for gifts, UPcycle a plastic bag! (Attach it with glue, not tape, and add a card suggesting your friend reuse it!)

Tip #2: Do the Trash Can Test

The Trash Can Test is the quickest way to judge your use of disposables.

Go look in your trash can. If it's not too nasty, root around and observe:
How many things in my trash can will rot?

Chances are, there are plenty of things in there that won't rot -- at least not for thousands of years! These are the disposables that you use day in and day out, probably without even realizing how much you use.

The usual suspects are: juice boxes, straws, plastic wrap for food, yogurt cups, take-out food containers, etc. These things cannot be recycled and become TRASH.

How to Reduce Your Waste:
1. Do the trash can test every couple of days and note down somewhere the unrottable items you see most often.
2. Stop and think twice before buying those items. Is there a non-plastic alternative?


MY TRASH CAN TEST

Right now my trash can contains:
-scrap paper*
-pamphlet*
-napkins*
-banana peel*
-wax paper (wrapping)
-plastic wrap (came with bar soap)
*these can be composted! (I've chosen not to, which I'll write about later as a Problem Area)

REUSING - Stuff my trash can would have had:
-empty plastic container for grated cheese (I washed it & will use it for storage)
-empty paper box for medicine (recycle!)
-empty plastic container for kimchi (washed & used for food storage)

Notes to Self: Next time, try to find a brand of kimchi that uses glass jars. Buy soap that comes in a paper box or, better, bulk soap with no packaging.

Tip #1: Repurposing Everday Items

There are things in your home that are much more useful than you or I ever imagined!

So here's a funny little question a great professor asked me once: How many things can you do with a brick?

First, you'll probably say that you can build something with it, like a house. Or, you can smash something with it, like a window. But what else? For starters, you can use it as a step. You could also use it as a make-shift hammer. Or, use it as a weight when you make cheese, corned beef, or sauerkraut. You can put it in the tank of your toilet so it displaces water and reduces how much you use to flush. If you have many bricks, you can make an herb spiral. What else can you do with a brick?

I think you're getting the gist here: We look at items everyday, we give them names, but often we restrict their functions to the ones that are most ordinary.

When it comes to living a sustainable life, we have to go MacGuyver! We have to look at our possessions with greedy eyes, rubbing our hands eagerly as we wonder how many functions we can squeeze out of every item we see.


REPURPOSED ITEM #1: THE BACKPACK
Repurpose: Carrying other items, like groceries
Replaces: getting new plastic bags, forgetting your reusable bag

Let's start basic, people. You have a backpack, or a messenger bag, or this kind of thing. You probably put books in it, maybe an emergency banana snack once in a while. Or maybe you have one, but you graduated and it's collecting dust in some closet.

Get the backpack out and look at it. Open it up. There's so much SPACE in there! And when you put things in, they're heavy, but you can carry it on your back! SO much better than trudging down streets with an awkward shopping bag in each hand. You'll have your hands free for your hands-free!

Next time you go to buy groceries, or school supplies, or office stuff, or computer parts, PUT IT IN YOUR BACKPACK!

You can also put OTHER BAGS folded up inside your backpack, and have even more carrying capacity!

Try it today. The backpack.

The Beginning: What's this all about?

Hello, folks. Welcome to my blog -- thanks for visiting!

This is the beginning of my first PLASTIC-FREE MONTH. I'm excited!

Because this is the introductory post, it has the grand scheme, which is long but necessary. In the coming weeks, I'll be "zooming in" and focusing on specific parts of the plan, my everyday challenges & successes, and providing easy-to-do, realistic, adaptable tips for reducing the waste in your life!


Dear YOU,

I just want to publicly announce that I'm starting a PLASTIC-FREE MONTH starting today, May 4th, 2011. Even though I've always been pro-sustainability, it's taken me a long time to realize how important reducing use of disposables is.

I WOULD LOVE YOUR HELP -- please comment and help me refine my strategy & goals! Share your own experiences, too! Focus on positive input & suggestions.

"Plastic free" is just one part of my month - my overall goal is to reduce and finally eliminate disposables from my daily life. I'm defining "disposals" as things that you use once and throw away, and things that aren't biodegradable. They end up in rivers, lakes, oceans, the ground, your backyard, birds, you know the deal. There is too much trash & the marketing industry is busy convincing us to buy & trash more things all the time.

WHY?

I have a lot of inspiration -- both positive role models and terrible reminders of our pro-waste habits. I'll be posting inspiration regularly on Facebook.

Main inspiration right now: Pick Up America, run by my good friends.They inspire me by actually doing something about the problem, and educating others.

CHECK OUT: http://www.pickupamerica.org/

YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoQ_d3Hijdg

Another inspiration is the GREAT PACIFIC GARBAGE PATCH:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pacific_Garbage_Patch

ACTION PLAN

I'm going to do one month, monitor myself (successes & failures), and blog about it. Then I'll evaluate my month & improve my action plan for month 2!

IF YOU JOIN ME and blog about it, too, I will make you a FREE custom piece of art! Calligraphy, paper art, set of decorated blank cards, or clay figurine.

WHAT'S OKAY:

- Reusable items ALREADY owned (tupperware, take-out containers, bottles, jars, bags)

- Alternative items ALREADY owned (glass/metal containers like Mason jars, paper containers/bags, hemp, cloth, bamboo products, etc.)

- "Duh" Repurposable items ALREADY owned (e.g. backpack = shopping bag)

- Biodegradable items SPARINGLY (napkins, paper towels, cardboard containers for food, etc.)

- Unavoidable items (IV's, syringes for medication, metro cards)

WHAT'S NOT OKAY:

- NEW plastic items (food containers, drink bottles, bags)

- NEW items in general (limit purchases of anything besides food, unless necessary)

This effort is not comprehensive - it does not consider issues like fair trade, organics, animal cruelty, development, etc. The focus is on a specific issue because I believe people get discouraged and overwhelmed by all the problems in the world, and don't do anything because they don't know where to start. This is one place you can start.