The Plastic Abstention Experiment

     Day six was simple. I didn't buy anything and we had a good time at home enjoying the nice weather and the good groceries I bought Friday. There is a disconnect between home life and consumerism. Peoples desire to be simple and healthy is not supported by popular culture and raising children to be curious and aware is paramount. 

     Day five was a bit more disheartening than the previous days. Exhausted and hungry by lunchtime, I gave in and accepted my meal in a Styrofoam container with plastic utensils. I turned things around later by choosing coconut water in a aluminum can and a snack wrapped in foil.      Dinner was another story. Instead of eating out, I spent $90 on groceries for the family, which brought a fresh wave of plastic. My haul included two foil casseroles with paper lids, pancake mix with a thin plastic lid, plastic-wrapped steaks, and blueberry syrup in a glass jar with a plastic top.      Reflecting on these first five days, quitting plastic cold turkey feels nearly impossible—and perhaps even impractical or unhealthy. The daily reality of just how difficult this experiment has become makes it a steep uphill battle.

     Day four was very similar to day two: I didn't buy anything and brought my own lunch to work. However, I did end up consuming something wrapped in plastic. I donated blood on Thursday, which made me realize that plastic is genuinely necessary for certain things—especially in the medical field. I don't hate plastic, and that isn't the point of this post. What I disapprove of is the careless misuse of plastic that leads to excessive waste, harm to wildlife, and unsightly pollution.

     Day two was very easy. I simply did not buy anything, so plastic wasn't an issue. However, I decided to develop a point system for consuming plastic products. This will help me track my consumption and serve as a resource for others who want to take the challenge and set their own goals. I will update the blog with the points system in a few days.      I also made a few observations I hadn't thought about before. Lifesavers mints, which I regularly eat, will have to be substituted with mints packed in foil, tins, or paper—not a hard issue to solve. Also, my coffee habit will require more attention and effort so that I avoid Styrofoam cups, plastic sweetener packets, and creamer pods. This is another simple fix. My level of self-awareness is steadily increasing, and that pleases me.

     Yesterday was the first day of my personal challenge to avoid buying or using plastic products. Just noticing how one product after another contains plastic was eye-opening. The first thing I did was start planning ahead for items like toothpaste, toothbrushes, and soap. I made drawings of ceramic vessels I can make to hold homemade toothpaste and soap, as well as sketch lists of plastic-free alternatives like a razor, wooden hairbrushes and toothbrushes, and a metal pen.      I take probiotics, and yesterday I happened to run out, which presented my first real hurdle. I began searching online and asking questions in forums. I like kimchi for its probiotic benefits, but my search for kimchi in a glass bottle with a metal lid was a flop. I found some in a glass jar, but it still had a plastic safety seal on the lid. Because of this, I decided to make my own—only to find that sourcing chili powder in glass or cardboard was nearly impossible.   ...