my plastic fast (2): where do i use single use plastic

the first step in preparing for my plastic fast will be to account for all of my use of single use plastic at home and when out

fortunately, stanley bought a wide array of mesh and cotton bags that we use for buying produce and items that we can purchase at the grocery store in bulk. because of my experience living on taiwan, i was already in the habit of taking my own bags to make groceries. for the same reason, i usually carry chopsticks or my own cutlery. i thought that we were doing a good job, until i looked around…

and i don’t mean those ubiquitous bubble teas. grrrl, i’m over the shaken plastic cup thing

i mean the ways that plastic just creeps in on you if you don’t refuse it. stanley and i looked around and realized that we go through the following single use plastics on a regular basis:

food related:

cheese wrappers, bagged granola, bread wrappers, milk cartons, tofu containers, tempeh wrappers, bagged or boxed salad, take out coffee cup lids, clementines (they often sell them in plastic mesh bags), occasional take out containers

health and beauty:

prescription drug bottles, lotion, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, dental floss

work:

dry erase markers, plastic wrapping of batteries, pens, mechanical pencils

household items:

laundry detergent, garbage bags

i’m not sure what my contribution is to the 8 million metric tons, but i didn’t like what i saw. some of these could be easily switched out. for example, we do know a grocery store at which we can buy salad greens without getting them in a plastic box. but what about tofu and tempeh? toothpaste? pens? cheese wrappers? will the grocery store let us buy cheese without the clingy plastic wrapped around it? and where can we get tofu–would we need to make it ourselves?

this is going to take some research and planning, if i really am going to do the plastic fast starting 12 days from now…

 

i guess that i should also think of the mardi gras beads, too….

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