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.
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