Plastics, You Are Everywhere.

This past summer I had been a camp counselor for 8 weeks and we lived in wooden cabins with no windows or doors. Basically, I thought I would be awesome at the plastics challenge after I had been roughin’ all summer without technology and what I thought was very little plastic. However, I was rudely awakened to the inability to disassociate myself from what has become such a standard part of the American lifestyle.

MORNING

Wakeup aware that I was not going to be able to use my toothbrush. I thought I would be really tricky and use my washcloth, but I went to grab my toothpaste to put on my cloth and realized it was plastic. I was irked, but it was early and so I let my first failed attempt to trick the plastics.

Breakfast: Avoided the refrigerator as the handle was plastic, plus I knew the things that it consumed: plastic contained yogurts, plastic contained grape juice, plastic contained milk, plastic shelves, plastic everything. I opted for the pears sitting out on the counter. I used my purely metal coffee mug and was about to fill up but realized my coffee maker was sad plastic all over so I left the mug at home and I was tired and sad. While I would have liked to have gone Jack Johnson and shoeless, it was freezing out and so I tried to pick the shoes with the least amount of plastics on them so I chose some moccasins with a thin layer on the bottom. Already I felt like I was losing. My big coats all had plastic on them whether it was the zipper or the buttons. Instead I had to wear2 sweatshirts. I had to leave my palm pre cellular phone at home, which was not a happy decision.

AFTERNOON:

Classes: I buy the environmentally friendly notebooks (even though the fronts and back cardboard have already ripped off) so I was able to bring them to my classes without a problem. I was only able to bring old school pencils, but I had to prepare and sharpen them all with my mechanical plastic sharpener. I haven’t seen any metal sharpeners around college ever so that would definitely be a challenge had all of my pencils broke! I couldn’t use my headphones on my way to class, but that was kind of nice.

Lunch: Thought a metal can of Healthy Choice soup would be a good decision for lunch. I was going to make it in the microwave until I realized that its handle and much more was made of plastic. So I got out our metal pots and made it in there. It took longer time, which I did not really have before my next class, but I still made it. Thank god for silver silverware.

NIGHT:

Dinner: My friends made me pasta for dinner so I personally did not have to deal with the plastics of the containers, but I am sure it went into the process because she did not make the sauce from scratch. Everyone else had plastic plates, but I had to request to have a paper one (which I did not think was much better since now I was starting to create more waste). I had to sit on her floor while everyone sat at the table because she only had plastic chairs for her kitchen table. Apparently this was very funny. They were all going to watch TV with plastic all around the border while they sat on their pleather couch, so I knew it must be my time to go.

STUDY: Went to the college library where there is once again plastic at every turn. I decided to go to the Historical Society library because I remembered that they had wooden tables. I was able to use the lamp at the table that was made of glass and metal. Unfortunately, I really had no choice but to face the plastic on my computer keys and of the screen to work on my presentation. Basically, I had to work on it for the rest of the night. I could not let the war on plastic get in the way of my studies unfortunately.

Conclusion: The plastics were everywhere here on campus and play essential roles in our school, our foods, and our social life. I do not think it would e possible to ban all plastics from society because it is so intertwined, but I do still hope that plastic companies will start to take BPA more seriously; at least for this chemical there can be some work done. Hopefully when I am out in the wilderness again I can really accomplish one full plasticless day and feel like less of a failure.

-Claire Gilmore

My Attempt at a Day Without Plastic: Katie Patten

Katie Patten

Section 302

Before I started the plastics challenge I thought long and hard about what plastics I used in my daily life, and what the best way to avoid them would be. The first thing I thought of was all the products I use on a daily basis for personal care and getting ready. These products included: shampoo, conditioner, body wash, face wash, lotion, toothpaste, toothbrush, makeup, and comb/brush. All of the products I use on a daily basis are contained in plastics. Also my shower has plastic in it, and has a plastic shower curtain. The next thing I thought of was food. I normally prepare food in my microwave and store them in my refrigerator. Both of these appliances contain/are made of plastic. Also most of my food comes in plastic containers or wrappers. Another big issue I thought of was technology and communication. My cell phone, lap top, and television all contain plastic.

On a day to day basis it is very difficult to go about your activities without coming into contact with plastic. I though the best was for me to successfully avoid plastic was to try the challenge on a day when I could isolate myself at home for most of the day. I chose to try the challenge on Sunday December 5, 2010. This way I did not have to get ready, so I could avoid showering and using all of those products to get ready. Instead of using a toothbrush I used my finger and water. Instead of washing my face with my normal face wash I used bar soap. Before I started the challenge I preemptively told my friends and family that I would be out of communication for the day, so I could avoid using my cell phone and computer. I have never thought of myself as being addicted to technology, but it was very difficult for me to avoid the urge to use them. Another difficulty was for me to avoid watching television for entertainment on Sunday, especially while the packers were playing! To occupy myself I decided to catch up on all of the reading for my classes. This turned out to be a very boring yet productive day. I paid special attention to the books before handling them only using the ones I thought were only made of paper. Some of them were hard to tell if the covers contained plastic. I did this for the majority of the day only breaking for meals and to take a nap. To take notes on the reading I had to substitute pens, highlighters, and mechanical pencils with a wooden pencil without an eraser. I could not tell if pencils with erasers contained plastic so I did not use them. I also had to replace the notebook I usually use with loose leaf paper, because the one I normally use has a plastic cover. I was unable to avoid plastics when it came to lighting. All sources of light in my room contained plastic. The switches were plastic, my flashlight was plastic, and candles are not allowed in my building.

For food for the day I bought two subs for lunch and dinner (I do not eat breakfast) at Jimmy Johns. I chose to get my food at Jimmy Johns, because they wrap their subs in paper and use paper bags. I did handle the receipt so I probably did come in contact with plastic there, and my food was probably stored in plastic containers before it was given to me. I realized after I left the house that the jacket I was wearing had some plastic on it, so I came in came into contact with it there. To store my subs before I ate them, I put them in between my closed window and the screen to act as a refrigerator. I drank water from the sink in glass made of glass.

For the most part I was able to successfully avoid plastics, but I had to completely alter my daily activities, plan ahead, and isolate myself. Even with these precautions I still came into contact with plastic. Even indirectly I know that I came into contact with plastic. My drinking water most likely passed through plastic pipes. My food was most likely transported and stored in plastic containers before I bought it. Even products that I used that were not made of plastic were at one point contained in plastic, like my bedding for example. Also for a lot of products it is difficult to determine if they contain plastic. I think that plastics are so engrained in our daily lives that they are impossible to avoid.

A Day Without Plastics, Aviva Stein 309

The Day Before

Okay. A day without plastics. I can definitely do this. It’ll be easy. I’m choosing to do my challenge tomorrow, the day before I leave for Thanksgiving break. I’ve taken inventory of my room, and all the things within that I can’t use tomorrow.

All right, so no lotion. No makeup or jewelry, because it’s all held in that little white container. No cotton pads (the bag), contact solution, contacts, no packing lunch in Tupperware, no deodorant, no medication, no dishwashing, no reading a book with a shiny BPA-coated cover. Okay, that’s do-able, I guess. But then I looked in my closet.

Okay, no coat. Fine. The weather shouldn’t be too bad tomorrow. And just below my coat is my shower caddy, in which my shampoo, soap, toothbrush and toothpaste are held. So I guess hygiene is out the window tomorrow. Good thing I don’t have class.

I took one more sweep of my room. I should be able to make it. Oh.

I live in the dorms. If I can’t use my plastic Wiscard, which is my key, I can’t enter or leave the building. Okay. This should be interesting.

The Day

This morning I woke up, rolled out of bed, and put on my glasses. As soon as I blinked the sleep out of my eyes, I realized I had already failed at the plastics challenge, just seconds into my day. I had considered taking off my glasses and attempting the day without, but I truly can't see two feet without some kind of corrective eye wear. So I figured, eh, whatever, I'll just do this one thing. I walked over to the closet, and picked up my toothbrush and toothpaste. I immediately remembered today was to be the day without hygiene, and unwilling, put them down. I compromised with myself for some gum. I was really proud of myself for having bought the kind of gum that comes in a little cup of 60, which cuts down on trash. But of course, the little plastic cup was the enemy, and I had to put it down. I then decided to compromise for some water, which, you know it, was in my Nalgene. Vexed, I went into the hall and took a long drink from the water fountain. It took a while, but I finished my first task of the day. But of course, it's incredibly likely that the water I just drank had travelled to me by way of PVC, plastic, piping. Sigh. I headed back in, and sat down on the bed. I then remembered what Professor Langston had said about the plastic in the lining of a fitted sheet. So three times now, within five minutes of waking up, I had failed the challenge. I was hungry, so I headed to the fridge. The plastic fridge. I settled for a bagel I kept on top of the fridge. Which was in a plastic bag. Oh well, I couldn't have used my plastic toaster anyway, nor the peanut butter held in the plastic jar, anyway. I sat down again. I wanted to go get breakfast at the dining hall. But not only would I not be able to get back into the building without my Wiscard, but I wouldn't be able to buy my food, either. And even if I could somehow get to Frank's, all the food is held in plastic bins and use plastic serving utensils. Increasingly frustrated, I got back in bed. I couldn't use the computer; that thing is loaded with plastic. I couldn't read the book I was currently working through; the sleeve was shiny and crisp, a telltale sign of BPA coating. I couldn't call my friends on my plastic phone, nor could I listen to music on my plastic iPod. So I did the only thing I could do. I got up, picked up my toothbrush, and brushed my teeth. I then came back to my room, put on my contacts and deodorant, pulled on my jacket, grabbed my Wiscard, and headed out the door.

Later

I'm pretty disappointed in myself for this day. I couldn't make it past the first few waking minutes of my day. Actually, I failed the challenge in my sleep. And I was of course on top of plastic bed liner, which is necessary if one is going to sleep on those grimy dorm beds. Even if I had made it past the preparatory moments of my morning, how would I have eaten? How would I have done any homework? How would I have gone to the bathroom, where the stalls and curtains are plastic?

I couldn't have. I couldn't have biked anywhere, I couldn't have turned on the lights once it got dark, I couldn't have done anything that day but sit on the floor in the dark. We have actually created a world wherein one cannot exist fruitfully without plastic. Why would we bring this upon ourselves? Eras upon eras of society have existed previous to ours, all of which were entirely plastic-free. Civilization did not shrivel without little baggies for their bagels and newspapers, nor should productivity stop at the loss of travel-sized bottles and shiny magazines. But it would. My world literally came to a halt without plastics. I'm actually mildly disgusted with myself-- why didn't I see this coming? Why did I let myself become so dependent on somethng so banal? I recently saw a documentary wherein a crew of documentary film makers sailed seven full days into the center of the Atlantic ocean. They dipped a sample cup into the water, and found billions of pieces of dissolved plastic swirling in the sample. This is irreversible. What will it take to stop our dependence before we can't ignore it anymore?

A Day Without Plastics

Dan Poquette

ID#: 9083367248

TA: Peter Boger

Sec 310

A Day Without Plastics

Night Before

So I've decided to take on the plastics challenge and I've quickly come to the conclusion that I will in fact need to do some preparing. That is if I want to succeed in making it through an entire day without using anything plastic. First I decided to put toothpaste in a glass cup to get the morning breath out of my mouth. God I hate morning breath, especially after eating Ben and Jerry's the night before and forgetting to brush your teeth. Which of course I would never do and is most defiantly not my case.

I also poured some the milk into a glass quart jar and dumped some cereal into the box without the bag. I was determined to complete this challenge because I never lose challenges.

Thursday Morning

I woke up at 9:28 with a start. My phone was turned off because I wasn't going to use it the next day and that was what I would normally use as an alarm. I jumped out of bed and searched through a mountain of clothes at the end of my bed that kept my feet warm all night. I would have to part with my long underwear this chilly morning because they contained polyester in them and I think that comes from plastic or something. I was about to grab my laptop in order to search it on google but that had plastic in it too. So I just wore blue jeans and sweatshirt. I grabbed a wooden pencil and shoved some paper in my pocket for notes in my econ lecture. I jumped on my moped and turned it on before I realized that it was made of plastic too. Since it was 9:28 the last time I looked at a clock (which I guess would be technically cheating too) I decided just to drive to class anyway and consider whether or not I should lie about it in my blog or not on the way to class. I also realized that my shoes were also made of plastic. So I drove and cursed under my breath all the way to class. My day hadn't even been 10 min long and already it was turning out to be a bad one.

Surprisingly I made it to class by 9:35 and I hadn't missed any notes yet! I sat in my seat trying to focus on what was going and fighting to keep my eye lids open. I looked around at all the people using plastic and took note of it. There was a girl using a water bottle that I hope didn't have BPA in it. Everyone I could see was using a pen or mechanical pencil that both were made of plastic. Many people were wearing winter coats that looked like they were made out of polyester.

Soon as class ended I ran out the door as fast as I could because my moped was parked illegally and I didn't want it to get towed away again but then I remembered that I had moved someone's moped out of the way so I could park legally. Their moped was gone so I assume they drove it away and that the moped on the back of the tow truck couldn't have been the one I moved.

Thursday Afternoon

After my econ class it was time to get my workout on. I got ready, grabbed my roommate and we jumped in our SUV. Again, I decided that I should just lie about it in my blog later. I just thought it was too cold to walk to the gym. When I got to the weight room I looked around and realized that every single weight was made out of plastic. I was too “jacked” up to not workout so I worked out anyway. Again this was not helping my not using plastic score for the day. I went back to my house and made my roommate make me a protein shake in a glass cup. I went upstairs to my bed room so I wouldn't watch tv and sat down and tried to work on homework. After about an hour someone turned the stereo on and the house was shaking and people were shouting. I went downstairs and my roommates and some of my other friends were dancing around and fighting. Everyone there had a plastic cups and some people were throwing plastic balls into more plastic cups. It was a mess. This was not a place for me to be with all the unavoidable plastic everywhere (of course the next day when I looked at my phone I saw that my roommates had txted me that they were having a party).

I left the house disappointed that I could not participate in tonight's activities. So I walked all the way to my girlfriend's apartment. I had to push a plastic button to buzz myself in because I felt like throwing rocks at her window might break something and then there would be no chance that she would give me a “message” later that night.

EPIC FAIL

Only A Caveman Could Pass This Challenge --- Zana Sijan TA: Emma Sec: 303

Trying to live a day without plastic is near impossible. It’s as same as trying to not drown when you don’t know how to swim. I failed from the start, and the sad part is that I really tried to put in effort and give it my best shot. Pretty much, in today’s world, a caveman is the only person that is able to go a day without plastic.

Wright from the start I failed. As my alarm went off to wake me up I reached for my phone to turn it off. BAM! The phone casing is completely made out of plastic. Then as I was walking around my room trying to get ready I realized that I failed even before the alarm woke me up. My bed and my bed sheets contain a type of plastic material mixed in with other compounds. The clothes that I wore that day had plastic in them as well. We could just make a UW a nudist campus and we might actually pass this challenge. Then came the daily routine of hygiene. Brushing my teeth was impossible because both the tooth paste and the tooth brush contained plastic. I am pretty sure that my classmates would prefer me without my morning doggy breath so I ended up brushing my teeth. Putting deodorant would be a no –no because it is in a plastic case. Again, if I was a caveman this might have worked out. Who needs perfume when you sleep on bear hides. Breakfast went well because I ate jelly out of a jar and break that was in a paper bag. Trying to drink milk for breakfast or orange juice was could not be done if I wanted to at least attempt to not use some plastic items. I stuck to water out of a glass that morning.

Putting on my backpack also solidified how fast I lost the challenge. I had plastic materials in the backpack as well as the fabric that the backpack was made of consisted of some sort of plastic ingredients. Trying to get on a bus to be able to get to class meant that I had to swipe my bus pass which is plastic. I am positive that the bus consists of a hundred plastic parts so maybe I should have just walked the 4 miles to campus.

During my research that I do on campus, I realized how much we use and waste plastic materials from experiment to experiment. We go through so many vials, gloves, bags, pipette tips and caps. There is no real way to go around that because it makes the experimental results easier to obtain and without having to spend too much time on sterilizing some of the materials.

Going to the gym was an epic fail. I had to use my ID to get in. All of the machines have some sort of plastic attached to them. The only workout that I could do was probably crunches but I’m positive that the carpet/floors have a type of plastic compound in them.

Only a caveman could pass this challenge! This was more of a lesson that opened my eyes to how much plastic we use and that we truly are dependent on plastic. How it became so wide spread in our daily lives goes way beyond comprehension. To me, it seems that plastic has just been around for centuries.

Mia McKinney_Plastics Challenge_TA: Vanessa Wishart

I've always been a very strong and competitive girl. From a young age, I was always confident and ready for whatever came my way. I've never been one to step down from any challenge; no matter what. All that changed the day I decided to challenge plastics.

I decided to start the challenge while I was on vacation as I wouldn't have access to my everyday items that I use. I woke up early excited about the competition.

Morning

I woke up around 10 EST. The first thing I did was look at my phone to read the emails and texts from the previous night. Already, I lost the challenge. Not only was my phone made of plastics, so was my phone case, the coating on the electrical wires on my charger as well as the plastic cover on the electrical outlet on the wall.

So, I started over.

I didn't turn on the TV or the computer today because both of those things were made of plastics. After all, my plastic phone can do all the same functions as the TV and computer.

Next, I was preparing for a shower. I opened my suitcase using the plastic zipper. Shaking my head, I pulled out the outfit for the day only to find that the elastic in my sweat pants was also plastic.

Ah well, time for that shower. I opened my plastic cosmetic bag to take out my (all plastic) floss, threader, toothbrush, toothpaste and mouthwash. I pulled back the plastic liner and let the water run.

I really started to get a little agitated with all the plastic usage. It really is something that I never thought about.

Afternoon

All clean and ready to hit the town. I decided to get a bite to eat first. I walked to the refrigerator and realized the handle was plastic. I decided that I was thirsty first, so I grabbed my favorite Minute Maid Tropical Juice. The whole bottle was plastic. I pulled out the Tupperware containing the lasagna I made. Plastic, plastic and more plastic.

I got a little stressed out and decided to take a nap. Maybe I could dream up some ideas to avoid using plastics.

I didn't really sleep on the beach. It was 22 degrees in Georgia this weekend. This is me wishing that my nap was on the beach.

Late Afternoon

I woke up to my plastic phone. Went through my tooth brushing ritual with all my plastic utensils, again.

This time, I decided to go out. I got in the car thinking that I may be home-free from plastics. NOT. I turned the heat on--a plastic nob. I turned the radio on--a plastic faceplate. Then I thought about all the plastics under the hood and on the tires.

DEFEAT, DEFEAT, DEFEAT!

I decided to drive around little bit. At least that way, I wouldn't utilize anymore plastic. Yea, that was my initial thought. I arrived at a stop light and what do you know? It was a plastic mold on the lights held in the air by plastic wiring.

I was awfully close to giving up.

Evening

Since I was so stressed about all this plastic use, I did what any normal college student would do. I found the local tavern.

On the up side, I didn't encounter my opponent, Mr. Plastic, in the bar right away. I'm pretty sure that's a lie, but it sounded good to me.

My drink came in a glass with a plastic straw. I grabbed napkins out of a plastic container. My wings came in a plastic basket.

It was at that very moment that I decided to have a good time and stop thinking about all the plastics. I danced a bit. I ate a lot; probably too much.

Conclusion

On my way home, I really reflected on the day I had. I thought long and hard about the environment and how much we, as humans, take things for granted.

I didn't come up with a conclusion, but I definitely thought critically about all of this. I realized the 'real' challenge comes in trying to diminish plastic use altogether.

In this way, I took the TKO that the plastic challenge gave me. Back to the training room.

Someone wipe my face, please.

NO PLASTIC FOR A DAY?

Goal: Live without plastic products for a day.

Duration: 2 days:

Day 1: Planning

Day 2: Carry out plan

Going about a normal day without plastic products... People used to do it in the past, at least before it was first synthesized, so this should still be possible. All it takes is careful planning the day before. It is very important to focus on the important aspects of the following day and come up with alternatives for plastic products. I focused on food (breakfast, lunch and dinner!), clothing, work, classes, etc. Alternatives for some of these are possible, but some things cannot be avoided....

As a student trying to wake up early and to to work, the light shining through my windows is not enough to wake me up in the morning. I had to set up two alarms, one on my digital alarm clock and the other on my cell phone. But of course, they are both made up of plastics. I barely opened my eyes and already had contact with plastics as soon as I hit the snooze button. Well, that already points to failure. I can't survive without plastics. But the day must go on.

Last night I decided to open up my blinds (made from plastic, of course!) to allow sunlight into the room in the morning. This way I did not have to use artificial lighting or touch the light switch (PLASTIC!). My mornings are usually very hectic. I try to get up, get ready, and run to work. Thankfully, I prepared everything the night before. My clothing did not include any plastic zippers, buttons, or belts, but the sweater was 70% cotton and 30% polyester. This challenge will be harder than I thought! Another thing I cannot avoid is using my glasses. They are made up of plastic, and no compromises can be made. I either wear them, or walk into oncoming traffic. Okay, okay. My eyesight is not that bad, but I do need glasses to help me see well. But the one thing I did not have to worry about right now was using my laptop, because the internet has not been working all weekend. Thanks a lot internet provider! No, really, thank you. With your help, I am able to decrease the amount of plastic I'm using today.

The next problem I encountered was with brushing my teeth. We have established that both the toothbrush and the toothpaste containers are made from plastics. Nothing can be changed.... or can it? I heard people mentioning that they cleaned their teeth with baking soda. After looking up the information online (the day before), I found out that it is in fact a very effective way to clean teeth! However, its chronic use is discouraged (http://www.buzzle.com/articles/brushing-teeth-with-baking-soda.html). Since I do enjoy some light baking, baking soda is always around. Live without plastics, right? Sacrifices must be made....

Well, time was running out, and I had to grab my coat (with plastic lining), backpack (with some plastic on it around the zipper), and snow boots (bottom has plastic) and leave the house. But not before grabbing an apple for breakfast and the plastic container with macaroni and cheese for lunch!

The fastest way for me to get to work is by taking the bus, and with limited time, I didn't have a choice. The bus pass is made up of plastic. Sorry, I'm not going to use my money to pay for the ride just to avoid plastic. I'm not that dedicated. The bus was made up of plastic too. Parts of the outside, as well as the inside (seats, handles, trash container) were made using plastic. There's no way out of this....

I finally arrived at work. Unfortunately, I could not eliminate the use of plastic there. I work in a lab, and I clean mice and rat cages, as well as their water bottles. ALL of the cages are plastic! I also take a plastic cart around the lab to collect the bottles and soak the stoppers from them in a plastic bin filled with bleach (from plastic container) and water. I think it's obvious that I was helpless in this situation.

Classes came next. Out of the three classes I had, I could not eliminate the amount of plastic used in any of them. I always like to use either pens or mechanical pencils to write my notes. I did have to sacrifice the comfort and choose an older writing utensil. One I do not use very often . . . A WOODEN PENCIL . . . Sacrifices must be made. I took a closer look at the lecture hall seats. I believe that those might be lined with plastic. I guess I could stand, but I wouldn't be too comfortable taking notes this way. Also, during one of my lectures I had to use the I-Clicker. Those seem to be almost 100% plastic on the outside.

After that I decided to eat my mac & cheese I've prepared for lunch. Even though I placed it into a plastic container, I avoided using other plastics that I would get when purchasing food from somewhere else. At least this way I can wash and reuse the container.

When all of my classes ended, I finally went home and this time I did not take the bus. However, upon my return, I found out that I would fail at my goal even more. There's a 5 month-old puppy in the house, and it created a mess on the kitchen floor. Let's just say that I needed about three plastic bags to clean it up, a mop, and a plastic bucket. Enough said.

When it was time for homework, plastics kept sneaking up on me. First, the laptop, then textbooks lined with plastic. Also, it is close to impossible to finish chemistry homework without using a calculator. Now, the day isn't quite over yet, and it's obvious that I could not live without plastic products. Plastics are a convenience in our lives: the convenience of storing our food, the convenience of writing homework assignments on a computer, and the convenience of plastic bags used to clean up after a four-legged friend. Our generation cannot survive without plastics. This creation has been made to help with our everyday lives. It's true that plastics have toxic chemicals that are slowly leaking out, but plastic has been deeply rooted in our lives. It was made to help us survive, but it might actually be killing the human population at the same time. This is the greatest irony of all.

By: Agnieszka Podraza

Section 306