Day 26, How far would you go to avoid plastic?

Wooden Lego anyone?

What's your number? ...50% ... 75% ...99%?

The choice to reduce plastic is a deeply personal one however, it seems to impact on those around us as I've said already. Before you start, it may be good to consider what is feasible given your circumstances, kids, work, time, opportunity.

This is the final week of Plastic Free July so its a time for some reflection. Well before this experiment, I had already reduced by about half the plastic I would regularly consume a couple of years ago. Now I've taken it further, up from around 90% at the start of the month to somewhere close to 98%. Some plastic is inevitable, like the seal under the lid of a glass jar, a window faced envelope, the occasional tea bag (it's a paper / plastic composite - true!) and other little surprises along the way. I think focusing on the finer details means losing sight of the big picture, so I don't sweat the small stuff.

For me, it's more than just doing my bit for the environment, of course I know that I by myself will have no effect and I don't know anyone else doing this, so I guess I'm out to show that It's far easier than one may think, and perhaps start the conversation.

Along the way there have been many hurdles to overcome, each with it's unique set of thorny issues to consider: toothbrush, drinking straws, take away food containers, cleaning products, deli and meats. Most of these have been solved now, with each day a new challenge.

There are however, some foods I cannot have any more because there's no non-plastic alternative: rice crackers, tim-tams, flavoured yoghurt, udon noodles, tofu!.. the list is large, and growing.


Wins for today:

My vacuum cleaner uses proprietary, synthetic cloth bags with a plastic molded insert. I have found an all-cardboard / paper replacement, much cheaper too $1.50 vs $6 each :)

Fails:

I bought a drill bit and it came in a very solid plastic housing.
I worked out that the 25 vacuum bags I bought will probably last me 14 years. #overbuying