And so it begins -- my foray into the land of the plastic-free. I have to admit that I really have no idea what to expect other than to expect to encounter plastic everywhere. For instance just this morning I thought, what happens if I cut myself? I can't use a band-aid? That's insane! What am I thinking?
But that's really not the point of this project. There is good plastic -- like bike helmets and band-aids, and there's bad plastic, the disposable kind -- like cups, utensils, and containers.
Our FIRST eco-friendly mentor is Sustainable Dave, who is basically the inspiration for this project. Check out the EPIC FU episode he's in and our follow-up blog post. He sent in this video about cutting out single-use, disposable items:
He suggests using these items on a daily basis:
- Backpack (this will eliminate the need to pick up plastic bags)
- Waterbottle
- Thermos
- Toothbrush holder w/ metal utensils
- Orikaso bowl (made of polypropylene, but reusable)
- Small cloth towel
- Container w/ a sample of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (for kicks and inspiration)
And here are some of his easy solutions for plastic bag alternatives:
As far as I go, it's about 2pm PST and so far, so good - but then again, I haven't left home yet. I had toast and tea for breakfast... lunch is looming and Steve is asking what I want to eat. The first thing I'm thinking about now? Some place where there are no plastic containers.
My daily wrap-up post coming late in the night...
Annie said:
i'm sitting here at the office, expectantly waiting to see what kind of lunch you bring back. actually, i'm imagining the face of your server/cashier as you try to explain your project to them as they wrap your meal. *evil laughter*
just kidding. go zadi go! i'm rooting for you.
DoniaEsa said:
Wow! That's such a good challenge, you can do it Zadi!
Sustainable Dave is such an inspiration, I already suscribed to his blog. It would be awesome if more people around the world decided to make little changes to their lifestyles.
Cheers from México.
Jo van bio said:
Hello, nice.
I am joining in and blogging in Dutch on www.indymedia.be/nl/node/28967 For the case anyone of you people understands my native language.
Ever tried 14 days on Fair Trade?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAG4vHLb-BA
cyberviking said:
good, cool and excellent. We've been trying to SAVE on things for the environment for years. While plastic is one of the most fantastic materials what worries me is how much electricity my house server and gadgets use. Perhaps in a future epic-fu adventure you can explore how to power ones personal infrastructure without adding CO2?
J.W. said:
I sent back 2 straws last night, out for dinner. The waitress of course forgot that I didn't want straws when I asked for another glass of water. (they always forget) We shared fajitas and chips and salsa. No plastic was consumed, although the tortillas were wrapped in a wax-like paper thingy, and we used a few paper napkins....so, maybe you could do that one night.
Also, I noticed that those tortillas and french fries in your fridge are sealed in *plastic* bags. So no eating those this week. If you do go grocery shopping this week...I definitely want to see how you manage.
good luck!!!
