May 2, 2013

Plastic Challenge: Natalie, Week 2

Plastic Challenge: Natalie, Week 2

How to anticipate surprise plastic in restaurants and cafes?

IS there a law about having to give lids for paper cups in NY or anywhere?

Better places for buying bulk in central NJ or NY? I know of some, but Unpackaged in London sounds like a dream.

Ideas about, given the choice, to get plastic takeout containers or throw food away (less long-term impact, but methane and waste of precious product)?

Something I struggle with is packing efficiently. I’ve been taking a stainless steel water bottle AND coffee mug the last few days because I never know what I’m going to want, plus the glass container I carry lunch in and my laptop and notebooks etc and it’s killing me. Wondering if there are any tips for packing light on a sustainable diet?

Location:, New Jersey, United States… Read the rest

April 11, 2013

Plastic Challenge: Natalie, Week 1

Plastic Challenge: Natalie, Week 1

When sharing food/other essentials with other people who don’t share your enthousiasm for living without waste, what do you do? Do you buy your salad separately if they buy it in a plastic container, so as not to waste? I think there’s a delicate balance between doing what you believe is right and alienating people around you. Also, looking at what I have, any ideas? And did I get anything wrong about what’s recyclable?

Location:, New Jersey, United States… Read the rest

June 2, 2009

Susan, Week 2 in Plastic

Susan, Week 2 in Plastic

Here is my list of plastic from Sunday, May 17, 8 p.m., where my last tally left off, and Monday, May 25, 8 p.m. EST, when I should have taken out the trash for weekly pickup but didn’t feel like doing a plastic tally. I am not tabulating or picturing cans and waxed/coated paper products because there’s too much regular plastic to keep track of, or trash that I pickup on my way to work or trash that blows into my lawn from my neighbors (unfortunately quite a bit).

Plastic from Farmer’s Market Food Products — 8 pieces 2 pcs*: 2 rubber bands from a bunches of farmer’s market asparagus [RU] 2 pcs.*: 2 rubber bands from bundles of small greens [RU] 2 pcs (1*): 2 wrappers from farmer’s market mozzarella, each heavy clear plastic with an inner woven layer sealed to the outer 1 pc: plastic wrapper from farmer’s market hot italian sausage 1 pc*: plastic produce bag from farmer’s market snap peas (I ran out of bags) … Read the rest

June 2, 2009

Susan, Week 1 in Plastic

Susan, Week 1 in Plastic

I (female) live with my (male) partner in a smallish single family house in an old suburban neighborhood in a heavily developed area of the east coast. The two of us share almost all of our meals except for weekday lunches. We try to consolidate shopping trips and reduce food packaging by buying larger rather than smaller sizes of items. I purchase loss leaders in multiples for future use. Bulk bin is not easily accessible to us on a weekly basis — what is often has a low turnover on some of our staples. My partner works primarily from home; I sometimes work from home. We both have a profession that can require intense multi-day deadlined work. I do not drive. I usually take my lunch to work and it’s usually soup or leftovers. My office eats lunch out together once or twice a week.

My partner is not participating in this experiment. But most of the plastic waste related to food is mutual plastic. One interesting aspect of this has been my reaction … Read the rest