Fold-up Reusable Bag

This one is really a shout out to my parents for sharing this incredible anti-plastic device with me.

Thank you!!

It's a reusable bag, but one that folds into a small square -- perfect for tucking into my work bag.

On my way home, I stopped by the grocery store to grab just a few things. As I was there, and my list went from turkey to tomatoes to lettuce to granola bars, I started to worry that I wouldn't be able to get it all home. Don't get me wrong - I have no shame whatsoever about waltzing down the street carrying a head of lettuce. But my catch was bordering on the limit of what my arms could carry (that link is to one of my very favorite posts from Kerry and Erin's anti-plastic journey).

And then - dah dah dah DUHM - I remembered that I'd tucked this:

into my bag. Yes, that's the same picture, but it's so beautiful, don't you think? And, yes I've blogged about this awesome contraption before, but since it totally made my night, I figured it deserved another shot.

*While we're on the subject of carrying heads of lettuce down the street (sans bag), I just want to note that among the health and conscience benefits of Plastic Dieting is the fact that it works your confidence. I'm a stronger human for not caring at all if people think it's weird to carry around lettuce without plastic. I think it's weirder to carry it around IN plastic.

Festivals

Summer is a time for festivals, and DC hosts one almost every weekend. This weekend, for example, was Pride. The Folklife Festival is coming up. And I'm sure we'll be celebrating almost everything under the sun, week by week.

Festivals are plastic nightmares.

I have some pictures of this weekend's plastic, but I can't post them yet because they are on - get this - a disposable camera. I know, I know. I forgot my camera and a friend and I picked up old school disposable ones. I feel terrible.

A notable unnecessary use of plastic was the plastic bags a bank was passing out at the Pride festival yesterday. They were intended to hold all the random papers and (plastic) swag people would inevitably pick up from around the displays. Why not paper? Or, better yet, canvas? Or canvas made of recycled plastic? Honestly, probably because all of those things would be more expensive to produce. But the social cost of plastic (what with its never going away and all) is pretty high...

There is no Planet B

Greece. Is. Beautiful. Don't believe me? Check out these:



I literally don't even know where to start with Greece. I seriously have so much to say! I'll spread it out over a few blog posts so that you don't get bored. But I can sum it up in just a few words: Greece was incredible! If you've never been there, put it high on your bucket list. No one should die without seeing it.

The trip to Greece went a long way on the "unplastic life" thing. You know, the existential part of my anti-plastic campaign. Life is definitely NOT plastic in Greece. And, despite our initial inclination to serially sight-see (run from important place to important place like headless chickens), we managed to chill out and adopt Greek speed.

I spent a lot of time doing this:


while staring out at this:

Mom and I even fell asleep, lulled by the perfect weather, amazing view, and relaxed pace.

Granted, while I was there, there was some kind of spat that resulted in police walking around in riot gear with tear gas, but fortunately the actual "incident" happened when I was blissfully off on Spetses.

And Greek drivers aren't exactly relaxed, given that they tend to park like this:

But I didn't have to drive, so I just found it amusing.

Afterall, when you're literally wandering around where Socrates walked

it's harder to worry about the little things. Something about the history of a place like that makes me feel like, whatever the concern, it will melt away eventually. Plus, I took lots of time to look at and smell these (it really does help!):

Greeks, like many Europeans, take the time to enjoy life. They walk a little more slowly. They savor meals. They make things look pretty. They prioritize things other than expedience, so often the culprit of plastic in American life.

That said, I did see plastic everywhere. I mean, I see plastic everywhere HERE, so it's no special issue with Greece. Though it is somehow more jarring when you're at ruins of buildings that have been around for 3,000 years and see plastic lying around. More posts on the ubiquity of the plastic later.

For now, I want to introduce you to two people I met in Greece.

1. Meet Olga Kaertidou. She's an Athenian who was on weekend holiday to Spetses on Saturday. When she walked by us carrying this awesome bag, my dad kindly chased her down and photographed the great message. We chatted with Olga and her friends for a bit and learned that they were wandering around the island collecting recyclables! That made me smile a lot!! Thanks, Olga, for putting up with us and allowing me to post you and your bag on my blog!

2. On Friday night, we had dinner at this fantastic little restaurant called Hatzi's on Spetses. The chef's daughter is an economics Ph.D. student at George Washington University, so we bonded over studying in DC. And the food was delightful.

But the best part of the night came when we started chatting with the French family seated at the table behind us. They had adorable twin three-year-olds, which started the conversation. Eventually, it wound its way around to occupations. It turned out that the father makes recycling centers that are used all around Europe, including in Greece! You know, like these. I felt like I was in the presence of a celebrity. I was so star-struck (and the kids were so sleepy) that I didn't manage to ask for a picture. But I was pretty thrilled.

So, yes, wandering around ancient ruins and staring out at the Mediterranean Sea did me good. Deep-in-the-bones good. I love Greece! And my generally peaceful attitude as a result of visiting a beautiful place just makes me that much more committed to ensuring that these beautiful places survive. Because, you know, there is no Planet B.

(Photo credits to my awesome parents.)

My Local CVS Stores and Plastic Bags

Update: A kind reader, Debbie, has let me know that not all CVS stores implement this policy. Therefore, I'll probably be able to work with just the two locations where this has happened recently. Nonetheless, a frustrating evening. Read on for details:

Original Post:
You may have read my post titled "I don't need a bag but thanks anyway." Well, the exact same thing happened to me tonight at CVS. I was breezy and pleasant. I requested no bag just as the person ringing me up tossed my items into a bag. She removed them. She crumpled up the bag. I stared in horror. As calmly as possible, I tried to explain that the reason I was requesting no bag was so that she would RE-USE the bag. "Re-use it for what?" she asked. "For the next customer," I replied.

This woman proceeded to tell me that she was the manager, and it is OFFICIAL STORE POLICY to throw away bags that touch ANY CUSTOMER ITEMS. While I might understand if this were food service, the items I was purchasing were not gooey or messy at all. I cannot understand the possible explanation for such a policy.

The manager this evening wound up saying that she "respected my beliefs" and would reuse the bag. However, my choices are not based on beliefs. They are based on these FACTS.

*14 plastic bags contain enough petroleum to drive a car a mile.
*380 BILLION plastic bags or wraps are thrown away in America each year.
*Cities spend up to 17 cents per bag in disposal costs.

No Me! Monday

I certainly did NOT forget my almost-brand-new EarthLust reusable water bottle in a park last week. The sunshine and leisure time did NOT go to my head. I absolutely did not have to replace it with a new Sigg. Not me!



I definitely did NOT buy new eau de toilet all wrapped up in plastic. And I certainly didn't seriously consider buying Bath & Body Works soap just because it smells good when I have lots of soap at home. Nope.


There's no chance that I complained to someone's manager because she refused to take my plastic bag back. Not me!

I absolutely did not post about eco-personal hygiene supplies and then buy my regular (plastic) floss. Never. (In my non-defense, I certainly DON'T have to see the dentist soon.)

I did NOT shun eco-chic newspaper wrapping to buy a (partially plastic) bag for my mom's Mother's Day present. Definitely not me!

I definitely did not refuse straws in restaurants about 10 times in the past week. And I certainly did NOT forget to refuse them another few times.

There is NO CHANCE that I bought new pants at Ann Taylor Loft, only to realize that they are all plastic. And I definitely did NOT keep them anyway.



I certainly did NOT agonize over the hypocrasy of keeping a blog about hating plastic and still using it more than I'd like. Nope, never. Not at all! Not me.

**Not Me! Monday comes from MckMama's blog at www.mycharmingkids.net. Want to play along? Write your own Not Me!s, link to her blog, and read other ridiculous things people are ashamed of NOT doing.

"I don't need a bag, but thanks anyway!"

I say these words at least once per day. Today I said them a LOT. And I got some very different answers.

The first time today, it didn't go so well. I was at CVS, picking up a last minute Mother's Day card. (I got the present weeks ago, and completely forgot that I also needed a card.) I politely requested no bag. The cashier gave me a bag anyway. I removed my items from the bag and said, "I don't need a bag, but thanks anyway." She stared at me. I picked the bag up and held it out toward her, saying "Can you just use it again for the next customer?" She glared at me, took the bag, crumpled it up, and threw it away. I said, "The whole point of my not taking a bag is so that you can re-use it. Will you at least recycle that bag?" More stares and glares. "Can I please have the bag so I can recycle it if you won't? And can I speak to your manager?" SERIOUSLY? I am used to questions. I am used to amusement. I am NOT used to outright defiance, in particular from a store clerk. I was simply asking you to reuse a perfectly new bag, that YOU GAVE ME AGAINST MY WILL, that touched the outside of a card and a bag (nothing that remotely affects a future user), that I POLITELY returned to you. I'm thinking she was just having a bad day. The manager was understanding. I took the bag next door to Giant and recycled it.

However, the rest of my requests for NO PLASTIC went pretty well today. My mom and I went on a Mother's Day shopping trip (she loves shopping, especially with me, and - trust me - the feeling is mutual!). We successfully declined bags everywhere we went. At one store, they gave us a bag after we had asked for no bag. My mom politely said, "Oh, I don't actually need a bag, but thanks." And you know what? The sales associate said, "I'm sorry." Ah, the appropriate response when you do the opposite of what the customer asked and she politely reminds you!!! And it totally made my day when my mom pointed out that the person ahead of us at one store also had her own reusable bag and was refusing unnecessary shopping packaging!

You know what else? My parents have become experts at avoiding plastic shopping bags. They keep several reusable ones in their cars. My dad even picked up some cool reusable bags that fold up so they're quite small (purse-sized!) but unfold to be a full grocery bag!





To your left, the bag in folded form.











This, from the people who pitched a fit last Thanksgiving when I insisted on BUYING THEM some reusable bags. If you think you can't make a difference by changing your plastic habits, this is proof that you can. Setting an example DOES make the people in your life think. :)

Other Peoples' Anxiety

Yesterday, I was out to dinner with a dear friend who is highly knowledgeable about my un-plastic ways. Yet, I noticed that she seemed slightly embarrassed each time I refused plastic. I ordered my water without a straw, and she smirked. She straight up laughed when I returned an un-necessary (and unexpected) plastic bag in which they placed my left-over pizza (I forgot my tupperware -- sad -- but expected a box; it's leftover pizza for heavens' sake! They wrapped it in aluminum foil and put it in a bag...foil = recyclable; bag = unnecessary). But you know what? I don't care if she was embarrassed. Because I'm NOT embarrassed.

I'm not embarrassed about the easier plastic things. I do get annoyed when I request "no straw" and the server says "ok" and then gives me a straw approximately 2.5 seconds later. I know it's out of habit, but really?? Does anyone have a good way to make sure they seriously don't give you a straw? But I digress.

I'm genuinely not embarrassed to refuse straws or bags. Or to return those items when they get handed to me (unless the straw is already in my drink...in which case, I'm pretty much stuck). I'm not embarrassed to bring my own tupperware or silverware.

But I do get embarrassed around social plastic. I've blogged about this before, but I don't really know what to do about it. Where is the line?

Then there's the hypocrasy problem. I am good with the littler things. I've easily adjusted my lifestyle to avoid plastic straws, plates, silverware, and bags. If I want to stop by the grocery store and didn't bring my reusable bags, I only buy what I can carry. Afterall, the store is only a few blocks away, and I can't eat all that food in one day anyhow. But I struggle with other things...granola bars, popsicles, ice cream. Canned food (a grad student's gotta eat! plus I'm all about emergency preparedness). And then there's the plastic pipeline (i.e. the plastic my food was wrapped in that I don't even see, like the packaging they wrap around fruit for shipping or the plastic tape on the big box out of which your individual cereal box came), in which case the only solution would be to move to a farm and become self-sufficient. I'm not about to do that. Not always sure what to do about these bigger issues, so I just try to take one day and one plastic-riddled decision at a time.

Plastic and Life -- and cool documentary on at 10 pm tonight

The one constant theme of my plastic journey has been balance. Keeping the Earth in balance. Keeping myself balanced.

I know I can't be as hardcore about plastic as some plastic bloggers. No, sorry, no mascara is not an option. Like I've always said, I'm down with medical plastic. It objectively is better to have some things be one-time-use (tubes used in blood tests and band-aids, for examples).

Other things get into gray area. Milk cartons? Mostly paper, coated in plastic. What happened to the days of the milk delivery? I'd happily pay for milk in a glass bottle and then return the bottle to the store. What about ice cream? It's getting warm, and I can't hide my general obsession with frozen treats. I'm a huge fan of the ice cream cone -- pretty much ideal in anti-plastic-land. You eat the container! And a good place gives you a recycled napkin with your treat. But even stuff like that has plastic in its past...the big cartons in the ice cream store are inevitably plastic. Even though I generally don't go beyond myself in the life-cycle of a good when determining the presence of plastic (otherwise I'd go absolutely crazy), sometimes that makes me feel hypocritical.

I think this gets into bigger themes of the individual vs. the community (my topic for my graduation speech). Everyone lives on fast-forward. I know I feel more "entitled" to plastic when I'm in a rush. How can I move back to healthier times?

I like some of the innovative solutions I saw on the trailer for this documentary Addicted to Plastic. (Check out Trailer 2.) It's on tonight on the Sundance Channel at 10 pm. Sadly, I don't get the Sundance Channel, but I'll keep my eyes out. The most important quote I heard was, "We will be putting more packaging out there on the market because that's what consumers are demanding." And that's where I DO have a say. I can CHOOSE what I demand.

On the plus side, many people in my life have begun making some simple changes that, together, can make a big difference. They reuse bags and refuse plastic straws. They endeavor to take their own silverware to work for lunches.

I think it's ok to struggle. I'm going to try to follow some of my favorite advice from a book I was asked to read before my freshman year of college, Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Marie Rilke: "live along one distant day into the answer."

Christmas Shopping...er Christmas Plasticking

So Christmas shopping is a challenge when you don't want to buy plastic. I will full-on admit that I stepped into Lindt chocolates yesterday and forgot all of my plastic-averse ways. I bought two bags of truffles, each individually wrapped in plastic. I know. Terrible! But SO delicious.

On the plus side, I really limited the number of bags I used and almost all were paper.

Today, I remembered to take my reusable shopping bag to the bookstore. It really helped with carrying the books home! And hopefully balanced out my intense plastic waste yesterday when my mom and I stopped for a shopping treat of Thai food in the mall food court....served up on plastic.

Having emerged from exams, I'm bracing for re-entry into the plastic-reductionist's world. I know that my own work in just a few months has touched other people - friends and roommates and even my parents - who now tell me about the plastic they are reducing. Even if these people (and, honestly, even if I) cannot fully eliminate plastic, being conscious and at least reducing is a step in the right direction.

I think my revised goal (based on the October intensity) will be 3 or fewer pieces of plastic per day. I know that's not likely to satisfy the plastic blogosphere, but I used to be a teacher, and we like to set attainable goals. If that starts to feel too easy, I can push it down. The one piece per day thing was not attainable for me without elimination of meat and dairy and somewhat unhealthy obsessions and feelings of guilt. I will try again at 3. Starting on January 1.

Happy Holidays!

Plastic Plastic Everywhere

I've been a little out of touch this week. As my friends at plasticisforever.blogspot.com can attest, that sometimes means you've been overusing plastic.

It started out well. Tuesday was a one-piece of plastic day. Wednesday was a plastic-free day. Then Thursday hit. Out at a restaurant, I definitely got some dirty looks from the wait staff when I requested no straws. I was only partially successful in avoiding them. Friday, I indulged myself and got some buffalo sauce with a sandwich from, dare I say it, Burger King. That comes in plastic. "It's ok," I told myself. "It's just my one piece for the day." But then I went to an Obama fundraiser and ordered some nachos. They came with the guacamole and sour cream in separate plastic cups. Who knew? I didn't even think to ask for no plastic on my food. Oops. Then I met a friend at Good Eats (see previous post) and although I carefully selected plastic-free options, she picked up extra plasticware for me. Plus, even though we were eating in, they put our food in a plastic bag! I was confused because they had trays but for some reason gave us a bag. So, yikes, six pieces of plastic in just one day?! Ugh.

I went apple/pumpkin picking yesterday -- quality from-the-farm delicious apples! Seriously, these things are so sweet and tasty. When I got home I was so tired that a nap turned into an all-night-sleep. Unfortunately, I'd gotten some of my precious pre-Plastic-Diet chicken out to thaw but never woke up to my nap alarm. $10 worth of chicken and some plastic wasted. I was sad.

Things are looking up, though. I feel newly committed to the cause. I even went grocery shopping tonight and mostly avoided plastic. The only pieces of plastic I picked up were: lids on a box of walnuts and a box of cous cous and a little plastic around the edge of my oatmeal box. I basically just buy canned food and fresh produce on this Plastic Diet which leads to some pretty healthy meals. I'm pumped for the asparagus soup that I'm planning for tomorrow.

At the farm yesterday, they had plastic bags for the apples. I'd left in a hurry and hadn't grabbed a reusable bag from home but fortunately they had some reusable ones for sale there with the following Plastic Diet inspiration attached:

*14 plastic bags contain enough petroleum to drive a car a mile
*380 BILLION plastic bags or wraps are thrown away in America each year
*Cities spend up to 17 cents per bag in disposal costs, wasting millions of taxpayer dollars

REDUCE YOUR PLASTIC. SAVE YOURSELF. SAVE THE WORLD. SAVE MONEY.

Groceries

I went to the grocery store tonight. It was an odd mix of stocking up on plastic before I go plastic-free and feeling motivated to try to avoid plastic.

Plus side:
*I got lots of canned food. It's amazing how much good stuff you can make out of things that come in cans.
* Salsa, one of my favorite foods, comes in glass jars. Without any plastic around the edge! (Why, oh why, can't hummus come in glass jars too?!)
*I took my own bags and my grocery cart. Giant actually gives you back 5 cents for each bag you DON'T use. That was nice! Plus I had a good conversation at the check-out about my attempts to reduce plastic use.
*I almost got a big bottle of olive oil in a plastic jar, but at the last minute I caught myself and switched it for a glass jar.
*I didn't use any new plastic bags for my produce.
*I enacted my lettuce plan by buying a whole head of lettuce, taking it home, washing it, tearing it up and storing it! Just like bagged lettuce but plastic free! My salad felt so much better knowing that it didn't come from a bag. Plus it tasted crisper.
*I found flavored rice in cardboard boxes. Very exciting! I used to always buy it in the plastic pouches.
*I bought cous cous that came in a cardboard box instead of in a plastic container. Except it's a LOT more expensive that way. But they were out of the plastic ones anyway, so my decision was pretty easy.
*I got the larger jar of cumin because it came in a glass jar instead of the cheaper, smaller (not even recyclable!) plastic jar.

Minus side:
*I caved and bought one last box of Swiffer wet cleaning pads. Not only made of plastic, but encased in hard, never-going-to-biodegrade plastic!
*I got some yogurt. I am going to miss yogurt. Although, I will say that it's pretty cool that they've stopped putting that extra plastic cap on top of the foil. Maybe if I just get a big thing of yogurt once in awhile it will be ok, because I can totally reuse those as tupperware!
*I got popsicles. I am really going to miss popsicles. I guess I could make them myself but they won't be as good. And it will be hard to make them only have 15 calories. On the plus side, ice cream sandwiches seem plastic-free. They come in cardboard and are wrapped in paper.
*I got meat. Ground turkey for my yummy soup and chicken to stock up on for when I'm not supposed to buy plastic. It is IMPOSSIBLE to get meat without plastic. I'm not sure I want meat without plastic. But I definitely can't get it even if I want it.

Lettuce Spinner

My most exciting birthday present was, oddly enough, a lettuce spinner. Granted, it is plastic (please hold your reactions). However, it will save lots of plastic use in the future and prevent me from using those plastic bags that fly away to the swirly Pacific Ocean mess.

My lettuce spinner: The Backstory.

I acquired a lettuce spinner because I will sorely miss my bagged lettuce on the plastic diet. I know it's not good for the world, and it's totally more expensive, but I'm more likely to eat salad if I buy lettuce in a bag. In my attempt to pre-plan for this mission, I decided that a lettuce spinner could help the cause. I will get heads of lettuce (no plastic there, just maybe a metal twist-tie), wash it, break it up, and store it in my own reusable container. That way salads will be easy but I won't be using the evil bagged lettuce. Yay for reusable plastic purchased in the service of averting future plastic!