Post-modernity and a Plastic Assessment

Contest winner coming soon (though it's pretty clear as of now...get your last-minute entries in!).


It just hit me that this blog is highly ironic.

The basic premise is: my life is on fast-forward, my life is one-time-use disposable plastic, and I need to address that both literally and figuratively. Living in a montage is basically the definition of post-modernity. And the microprocessor is the vehicle that sends us into this hyper-stimulated, quick-fix orbit.

The reality is: I am using a medium of communication that has existed for only a few years, one that owes its very conception to the aforementioned microprocessors.

We live in a world of contradictions. Blogging evokes a sense of community lost to the demands of individualistic, post-modern pursuits. And yet blogging is a testament to our disconnections, the embodiment of self-indulgence, and a fundamentally lonely sport. Similarly, I am a bit of a contradiction. As I approach the end of grad school, I find it useful to take stock of where my plastic-reductionist journey has taken me. Which things have I successfully eliminated? What have I tried to eliminate but slipped back into? What did I never really give up? What new changes can I make with enhanced time in a post-graduate life?

Plastic victories:
*plastic bags
*plastic straws
*plastic lids
*disposable cups (for the most part)
*bread: I basically just don't buy it.
*CDs/DVDs: I've avoided buying these since I started. I don't miss it much, since you can buy most anything you'd want online. Also a good cost-saver.

Attempts I later abandoned:
*shampoo/conditioner: I bought the bar conditioner from Lush and really tried to use it. However, that stuff does NOT lather. Call me vain, but I went back to regular conditioner. The saleswoman at Lush also claimed that it could double as shaving cream, but my sensitive skin begs to differ. Thoughts? Does anyone have better plastic-free shampoo/conditioner besides what comes from Lush?
*I realize this is a dirty little cleaning secret for a plastic blogger, but I LOVE Swiffer sheets: Tried to give these up. I mop, I vacuum. But seriously, there is nothing like a wet Swiffer wipe to clean off that cat fur you didn't even see. It really is five different kinds of clean. I suppose I could put a rag on my Swiffer and dampen it with eco-cleaner (like my favorite, Greening the Cleaning, or maybe just baking soda and water?). Anyone have thoughts?
*Dairy: Pretty much didn't buy any at all during my first month, when I was trying for the 1 piece of plastic/day rule. But I like milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, sour cream, and eggs. I've yet to find them without plastic. I really wish I could. I hear exciting things from New York regarding glass-casing on yogurt and milk, so I'll keep looking. But a girl's gotta get some calcium!
*Granola bars: This is an area I can improve. I generally eat them when I'm in a huge rush. Hopefully I'll be able to organize and stabilize my life post-studenthood. No guarantees. I definitely could use some better on-the-go food options.
*Meat: I was semi-vegetarian (unless out to eat) in October. Currently, I let myself buy a pack of chicken about once/2 weeks. Wish I had a better solution...man, I miss the butchers in Spain who wrap your food in paper!

Don't go there:
*Crackers: You can't get them without plastic. And I really like them a lot. No, I don't have time to make them myself. No, there is no real logic about why I buy crackers and not bread. Except that crackers last a LOT longer.
*Popsicles: I never really gave them up, as I had some when I started the Plastic Diet in October. I'm not going to lie; I keep buying them. I hate that they are individually wrapped. And I have visions of making my own, but anything I'd make them out of (juice) would come from plastic. So does anyone know where I can get plastic-free juice? I guess I could buy fruit and make my own juice. But then the popsicles would lack their main attraction: 15 calorie goodness! I might just have to swallow the hypocracy of this one...
*Makeup: See previous posts. Blonde eyelashes, etc. I am looking for makeup that comes in eco-friendly casing.
*Office Supplies: See contest.
*Pet supplies: I appreciate those of you who suggest cooking for my cats, but a) if I buy meat to cook for them, I will be using plastic and b) it's a lot more expensive. And the natural litter doesn't work for my cats. Sigh.

I've said it before, but I think my major victory is AWARENESS. Senior year of college, I took a class called "Religion and Consumer Culture" with Prof. Vince Miller. He based the course on his book Consuming Religion. Basically, he advised us to choose just ONE thing and trace it back, whether it be a new pair of shoes or the bananas we were choosing to eat. He wanted us to take one small area of our lives, evaluate the implications and act consciously. I feel like the plastic diet might be like that for me. I'm not eliminating everything. But I am very conscious, and at least I'm making real choices. I have eliminated many more than one thing in my life, so at least I'm succeeding on that scale!

Here's to creeping forward.

Plastic-Free is the Way to Be!

It's October 1st. That means that as of now, I only get to use one piece of new plastic per day. Modeled off of Kerry and Erin's rules, here's the game plan:

1. Use only one piece of non-reusable plastic/day for the month of October.
2. ANYTHING that is not reusable counts. A straw I didn't ask for (or asked not to have) counts. EXCEPT:
a) Medical Plastic. This includes Band-Aids, vials and tubing for injections, anything they decide to use on me in a doctor's office or hospital, and containers of prescriptions or vitamins.
b) Plastic I cannot see and legitimately do not believe to be part of a product before purchasing an item. See the entry on Kerry and Erin's blog about plastic IN one of their meals.
3. I will keep all non-reusable plastic until the end of the month. I will then recycle what is recycleable.
4. I reserve the right to revert to plastic abuse on November 1. We'll see how it goes. I may also modify my plastic diet to general mindfulness or to 2 or 3 items to make it more sustainable past October.

Watch here for stories of my trials and triumphs! Down with wasteful plastic!!

Plastic in Daily Life

I've been observing plastic for several weeks now. I'm feeling pretty scared of the Plastic Diet challenge. I think I'm going to try for October - and I'll just try to make it through that month on the "one piece a day" to see how it goes. Not quite as hard core as Kerry and Erin, but it's a start.

Anyway, today I noticed a couple of things:
1. Subway has plastic straws wrapped in plastic! Most places at least cover their hopelessly non-eco-friendly plastic straws in happy biodegradeable paper.

2. Classico tomato sauce has no extra plastic around the edge of its jar! Yay Classico! I still heard the pop and the lid popped up, so I know the canning process did its job, but it wasted no extra plastic! Yippee! Though I'm concerned about how to eat pasta on the Plastic Diet. Most pasta has that little plastic window or comes in a plastic bag to decrease total packaging. I'm going to have to look into this.

The grocery store is an incredibly scary place for a Plastic Dieter!!