No Impact Man

The other night, my family and I watched the film "No Impact Man." We thought it was going to be a spoof about a guy who is over the edge with trying to be eco-positive to the point of driving away his family. It turned out to be a documentary about a writer who challenges himself to one year with zero environmental impact from his family, living in New York City. They gave up all motorized transportation and started walking and riding bikes, stopped using plastic of any kind, bought only local, fresh, organic foods, became vegetarian and starting a worm, composting bin in their apartment. Ok, that's mostly stuff I already do. Many people in Corvallis and Portland are on that track. After being on this path for a few months, he decided they should also give up television, toilet paper and electricity. Life became like camping in a tiny New York apartment. People got angry at them for being "unsanitary." But, they made it through the year without getting sick or losing their jobs or endangering their child. You can read more about this experiment at: http://noimpactman.typepad.com/. The movie is also pretty fun and inspiring to watch. For me, it was great, because now I can say to my family, "at least I let you use toilet paper."

Our big challenge right now is getting rid of stuff. We've massively downsized from our big historic house in Albany to a little house in Corvallis. Wow, moving is wasteful! Plastic abstinence went out the window for the weekend of moving, that's for sure! I had to make a trade-off, because my green bamboo flooring I chose to install in our new home office was wrapped in plastic. Oh what a wonderful treat, when you unwrap it though! I had no idea bamboo had such an amazing smell. It's like a cedar forest - or maybe a bamboo forest? And it looks great too.

What I've learned through this move is that despite the fact that we have been living simply, buying used clothes and furniture or making our own, we've still accumulated too much stuff! Of the three R's, we've got the "reuse" and "recycle" down, but the reduce part is what we have to work on now. Freecycle, Craiglist, Goodwill, Habitat for Humanity, watch out, here we come!

On a positive note, I was able to ride my bike to work today. We've moved to Corvallis, 3.6 miles from my work just in time for national bike commute to work week. Yes! It feels great! High five, No Impact Man!

Today, I was the bag lady. I got dragged a little begrudgingly to the store this morning, because we were out of cereal. I perked up walking through the door though, because there was a big rack of nice reusable bags for 99 cents each. I bought ten, got some cereal and dog food, and went to stand outside the door to hand out the bags. The responses were so interesting! The first guy was so shocked and happy. He had a plastic bag partially full of groceries and his other arm was awkwardly juggling some sort of small appliance in a box. He immediately stopped and tried to wrestle the appliance into the bag, so I helped him, and then he had long, handy straps to help him carry it more comfortably. He was very happy. Most of the people were really happy to get a nice free bag. Some of the people also asked for the mesh produce bags I was holding. Some people said no. Some were very suspicious. It's funny how jaded people get by the fact that everything in our society is supposedly for a profit or a scam. A few people had their own bags, and I thanked and praised them for remembering them. When I gave one guy a bag, he said, "Why?" I said, "Because I want you to use it." He held up his plastic bags and said, "At least I saved a tree." I spared him the lecture.

After giving away my last bag at the Albany store, I went home, got dressed and drove into Corvallis to do the same thing there. I bought twenty bags this time. My poor husband is sure this is going to break us, but I have to admit that it makes me feel great, and the more people rain on my parade, the more likely I am to need to do it some more.

Corvallis was more open to the bags, and many people there were walking in with their reusable bags and boxes. People were so excited to get reusable bags. They couldn't believe they were free. Several people said, "You're giving me something free? Sure, I'll take anything that's free!" One lady said, "Well, what's the catch?" No catch. "I mean, what's the gimmick?" No gimmick. Just next time you come to the store, please use it. A few people said, "No thank you," going into the store, but when they came out of the store, they said, "You're really just giving these to people for free?" Yes. "Okay, then, thanks, I do want one." Awesome. One lady thought the bag was so nice, she wanted to use it to carry things to her classroom at school, not for groceries. That's not really the point, but oh well. At least she won't be using plastic bags for that I guess.

The last bag is always the hardest for me, because I really feel like just this random lady standing there with a bag, suddenly offering it to an unsuspecting shopper. Who knows where it came from? Luckily, it feels stranger to me than it does to them. The last bag I gave in Corvallis was to a teenaged boy. I was worried he wouldn't take it, because a couple of young guys had been cheeky about not taking bags and intentionally coming back out carrying arms full of plastic bags to "show" me. But, he looked amazed, like I had given him a hug or something. When I was done, I just started walking down the street with that giddy happy feeling of randomly brightening the day of thirty total strangers (and the people who watched from their cars and cafe tables). It's a good way to bounce back from the things that weigh a person down.

Today is the second day of a company retreat at my new work. It's been really interesting and inspiring to see where the founders started, how they grew their dreams and how the other people in the organization have come here from higher paying but less fulfilling jobs. I felt lucky. I'm in good company. It was nice to get to talk soil a little bit to a plant biologist who is having a problem with an invasive grass on a protected hillside.

Listening to my boss talk about the values and goals of the company, I got a couple of gems to think about and pass on. He said that it's so strange that people think that pro environment means anti people, but that most of the conservationists he know are just as passionate about people as they are about all of the other species. That's the point! All species are interconnected. People are ruining the planet not just for other species, but for themselves. The massive extinctions we're seeing are an indication of what we're doing to our own survivability on the planet. It's so hard to get people to understand or care. Why?

The other thing he said that I'm thinking about a lot is "It's one thing to pretend to be sustainable and another to be truly striving for sustainability." Corvallis came to my mind. Sometimes I feel like there's a touchy-feely, "let's act like we're pushing green technology and building and no growth, while we're really expanding, tearing up soil and selling out like crazy" thing going on in Corvallis. I know a lot of individuals who are amazing at conserving/recycling resources, growing their own food, using alternative fuels etc, but the city itself seems to be talking out of one side of its mouth and then doing something else entirely.

The plastic bag issue is case and point. Why are people so attached to a little thing that is so obviously bad for everyone? Last night, my husband offered to carry a woman's three tiny items to her car for her if she would forgo the plastic bag she was taking from the cashier. She said, "Oh no, but don't worry, I use it to clean up my dog poop. It won't go to waste." The cashier promptly came up with another great use for the plastic bag at his house - using it to line his garbage. I said, "Wow. Both great ways to ensure that biodegradable wastes never degrade." They laughed and said, "Yeah!" Like I had made a joke.

This sounds kind of depressing, but never fear. The fun, wacky thing I'm going to do to make myself and hopefully others feel better is to buy a bunch of reusable bags from each local grocery store and walk around passing them out to the shoppers. There's nothing like a whimsical random act of kindness to make a girl feel better about the world. I highly recommend trying it.

The discussion about a plastic bag ordinance in Corvallis, Oregon is now under way. Several people from differing political backgrounds were inspired to write letter to the city manager and councilors in support of a ban on single use plastic bags in stores and pharmacies. People who wrote forwarded letters to me from their councilors with very positive responses, saying that there has been discussion of such an ordinance, but they were awaiting citizen interest. It was all very hopeful. Then, yesterday, I got a succinct email from the mayor, who is in his last term. He drives and electric car, and has tried very hard to promote a "sustainable" agenda for Corvallis, so I was sure he'd be in favor of phasing out plastic bags. I was pretty surprised that his response was very negative, ensuring me that there is strong opposition to a bag ordinance and it is definitely not on the horizon, so I shouldn't get my hopes up. That was a big contrast to what we had heard so far. When I posted this new information on my facebook page, with a query about whether people though the "opposition" of which he spoke might be coming from stores themselves, many people chimed in saying they have heard positive reactions from stores about doing away with plastic bags, and several people requested a grass roots movement/organization to get a broader discussion going about the subject. So, I started a Facebook group: Corvallis Plastic Bag Ordinance to invite the greater community to weigh in with the pros and cons and possible solutions to the issue. Maybe after some discussion with the various interest groups and research into how other cities are implementing their bans, we can come to a rational conclusion that works for all sides. Maybe there aren't "sides," and we just need a common starting point from which to move forward. In any case, I'm putting it out there to get the ball rolling, explore the possibilities, and see where we can go from there. Come on and join the discussion!

Wow! What a week of interesting connections and conversations! My friend Alicia posted the link to the Corvallis City Council and asked people to write in about the plastic bag ordinance. She got so much feedback both for and against! It was so interesting to see the range of differing opinions out there. That kind of feedback doesn't really happen on my page. People are usually in accordance with sustainability issues. She had people complaining about everything from socialism to botulism. All because of the suggestion that one little town would like to disallow plastic bag companies from invading our homes, lawns and waterways.

My friend Joanie did post some really great suggestions for recycling plastic bags that you have or find by taking them to the local recycling center or the Corvallis co-op. Putting them in the commingled recycling isn't good, because the machines aren't made to process them, and they just get tangled. Very few people even try to recycle them though.

What was also amazing is the number of stories people had about plastic bags showing up in their yards. Where do those pesky things come from? If we're angry about that, imagine how Japan feels about the hundreds of thousands of tons that wash up on their shores every year!

Several people were excited about the ban, but lamented the animal poo disposal issue. I recommend biobags (http://www.cleanairgardening.com/dogpoopbag.html), which are compostable. Their site insists that you put them in your compost and not the landfill, because as they point out, nothing really decomposes in airtight, sealed landfills, even things that are made to. I have a friend who won't use these, because he's sure the poop can permeate the bags and get on him. It doesn't and really, you should be washing your hands thoroughly after handling poop anyway. Another cool thing at this site, speaking of compost, is this ceramic compost bucket (http://www.cleanairgardening.com/ceramic-compost-crock.html). They also have stainless steal. These have a carbon filter in them to keep the smell down, and they look really cute.

At the co-op the other day (where I have finally been enjoying a little plastic free shopping), I saw recycled, recyclable paper bags with soy inks. Hmmm...I wonder how much those cost to make and how many paper products are out there to make them. I don't think it would be a long term solution, but for awhile, it might be a useful alternative to plastic bags. I really think reusable bags are the ticket. When Trader Joe's first opened in Corvallis, they gave one to each customer. I have so many at this point, I could probably supply one to every family on my street. If people had the option of bringing their own bags or having to buy a $3 reusable one from the store, I think they would invest in and remember their bags.

My friend Kathy emailed the city and got a good response. She also directed me to the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition, where I signed up for the "No Car Day Pledge," taking place September 22 (http://www.sustainablecorvallis.org/home)

Not just other citizens but the city council members I emailed had really great responses to the plastic bag ban in Corvallis. Three city councilors responded to me and to others that it has been on the agenda, they were just waiting for some community support. On the contrary, Albany officials didn't even acknowledge that I emailed them. I will email them about this lack of response to my email and their seeming overall lack of interest in sustainability. The only time I've seen them mention it, is in their encouragement of people to buy old houses downtown rather than building new ones. While I love my old house, I wouldn't call it the most sustainable investment I've ever made. Sorry, Albany.

So, we're excited about a ban on plastic bags at least in Corvallis. Maybe we can lead the state in this sustainable move. I always think that acting locally is the most efficient, least costly and least beaureaucratic way to go. Hopefully that thought rings true.

response from local officials

As I said I would, I contacted all of the elected officials in Corvallis, Albany, Linn County, Benton County and the state of Oregon regarding a ban on plastic bags in stores. A Corvallis official said that there has been some conversation about this among the city council, but they have been waiting for requests from citizens for such a proposal. So, now they have one. Hopefully, the idea that someone is waiting and hoping to hear our voices will inspire others to let them know that a plastic bag ban would be supported in Corvallis. There is a choice between a ban or a charge. I don't think a charge will do much other than make someone richer. It won't deter pollution.

Anyway, I was nervous to contact them. I'm shy, don't like confrontation, and I didn't think they would listen or want to hear from me anyway, but they did. They are waiting for people to say this is important so they can move on it. If you have any inclination to get something done about this at all, please send a brief note to your city council person (or all of the city council people) found at:http://www.ci.corvallis.or.us/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=92&Itemid=54. It really isn't that crazy of an idea.

Plastic bag ban - sample letter

Hello, Sara:

I'm spending some time today to contact all of my state and local elected officials to express my support of a ban on single-use grocery bags in stores, shops and pharmacies in Oregon. San Francisco has implemented such a ban, and I'm sure you know Portland has one in the works as well. I've read that Oregon had such a bill last year, but it didn't come to fruition, so it's up for consideration again in January. It's very very very important that we stop contributing to the pollution of our waterways with plastics, especially plastic bags. We're choking our aquatic and marine wildlife. Many people won't be able to make this change of their own choice. Plastics are too pervasive and perceived as cheap and easy. Saying no to them takes great will-power, work and sacrifice, and most people are trying too hard just to get by in life right now. The only way the change can really be made is if the government puts a foot down and says, "Oregon isn't going to give in to the plastic companies anymore." A 5 cent bag charge isn't enough to deter people. A $3 charge for a reusable bag is far more likely to get peoples' attention and encourage them to bring their own bags. Please help by lending your voice to this legislation.

Thank you very much,

Wendy Peterman

Environmental Scientist

2357 NW Green Circle

Corvallis, OR 97333

Life without plastic - Taking Action

So, my week without plastic generated some interesting thoughts and discussion among readers. While last week, I was getting emails and messages with support and ideas for overcoming my own plastic challenges, this week, I'm getting the question:"Now what?" What can we do to change this? How can we keep from putting plastic in our waterways? How is my behavior as one person going to change anything? Answer: it won't. My biggest observation while abstaining from plastic is the mindlessness with which other people buy it, use and throw it away. The only way to stop them from doing that is to make it illegal. Illegal? Yipes. Plastic companies will get mad. They'll guilt us for using paper bags. Yes, well, we should also feel guilty about that. Here's an idea: buy and use re-usable bags. They're very handy.

I've just read that Ikea stopped using plastic bags and went to only reusable bags due to a 92% vote from customers. So you don't think you have a voice? You do! Use it.

This is what I'm going to do this week, and I invite all of you to join me. I'm going to contact all of the elected officials of Corvallis and Albany, Benton County and Linn County and Governor Kulongoski (contact info below) to say it isn't OK for stores in our community to continue to use plastic bags, and I want them banned now and replaced with reusable bags. Oregon was trying this year to be the first state to ban plastic bags in stores and pharmacies. They didn't get the bill together in time for last year, so it's going to come up again in January. They got some nasty pressure from plastic bag companies as well. I'm sure the people who work in plastic bag companies can work in reusable bag companies. Portland is trying to make it's own ban in the meantime. Why can't Corvallis and Albany do it too? We banned smoking in restaurants, we can ban plastic bags in stores. We don't want a 5 cent tax like Washington DC. We already have that fee, and it doesn't deter. What's five cents? (Well, actually, 5 cents a day is $18.25 per year, which is enough to buy several reusable grocery bags that can fit in your purse or on your key chain. (http://www.chicobag.com/)) Come on, we can do it! We have a tiny little town with elected officials who post their home phone numbers on their website as if they really want to hear from us. Even if you don't live in Corvallis or Albany, you have local officials in your area who are real people, in every one of us has the power within our own town to make this change. San Francisco is doing it for goodness sake!

Corvallis City government:

http://www.ci.corvallis.or.us/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=121&Itemid=87

Mayor: Charlie Thomlinson 541-766-6901

Ward 1: Mark O’Brien 541-766-6491

Ward 2: Patricia Daniels 541-766-6492

Ward 3: Richard Hervey 541-766-6985

Ward 4: Dan Brown 541-766-6494

Ward 5: Mike Beilstein 541-766-6495

Ward 6: Joel Hirsch 541-766-6496

Ward 7: Jeanne Raymond (541) 766-6497

Ward 8: David Hamby 541-766-6498

Ward 9: Hal Brauner 541-766-6499

Albany City government:

http://cityofalbany.net/council/

Sharon Konopa, Mayor 926-6812

Dick Olsen, Ward I(a) 926-7348

Floyd Collins, Ward I(b) 928-2961

Ralph Reid, Jr., Ward II(a) 928-7382

Bill Coburn, Ward II(b) 928-0649

Bessie Johnson, Ward III(a) 791-2494

Jeff Christman, Ward III(b) 926-0528

Benton county:

Benton County Board of Commissioners
408 SW Monroe Avenue

Suite 111 (located on the mezzanine)

PO Box 3020
Corvallis, OR 97339-3020

Phone: 541-766-6800
Fax: 541-766-689

Linn county:

Linn County Courthouse, Room 201

Hours: 8:30 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. Mon - Fri

Phone: 541-967-3825

Oregon government:

Governor:

Governor Kulongoski 160 State Capitol 900 Court Street Salem, Oregon 97301-4047

PHONE Governor’s Citizens’ Representative Message Line 503.378.4582

Senate Bill 1009, introduced by Senators Jason Atkinson (R-Central Point) and Mark Hass (D-Beaverton), represents a significant first step in addressing the problems created by the proliferation of single-use bags. It would go a long way toward reducing Oregon’s annual use of 39 million plastic bags which require 150,000 barrels of oil to produce, unnecessarily fill our landfills where they don’t biodegrade, and cause significant litter along roadways, waterways and beaches where they harm wildlife. Jurisdictions around the world, including China, Ireland, Bangladesh, Mexico City, San Francisco and even Washington DC, have laws in place designed to limit their use. Oregon would become a leader in the U.S. by establishing the first statewide ban.

Oregon Legislature convenes in January 2011, state lawmakers may be considering outlawing the use of plastic bags to carry groceries across the entire state.

No Plastic Vow - Day 7

Well, there we go - one week. Not so bad. Pretty darn good actually. And I didn't starve. I found that I could go without a printer cartridge, wash my cell phone and still use it (and someday replace it with a recycled plastic phone), get tacos to go in my own reusable container, buy fish in a paper wrapper, make yummy cheeses at home, save money on groceries by getting them unpackaged, shop at the Wednesday farmers market next to my work, get a university to have online forms rather than printable ones, and make friends in the process. All good motivators to make permanent lifestyle changes.

Some thoughts this idea has brought up for me - what will I do when I need new shoes or a new shower curtain? Vinyl shower curtains are shown to emit over 100 toxic chemicals in the first few days after purchase. Whoa. I started researching vinyl, because it's one of the few substances to which I don't get an allergic reaction. I personally am allergic to latex. So, even though latex is organic and comes from natural sources, my body can't handle it. Crazy. It emits dioxins and chlorine gases. The vinyl industry says it has those things under control and has made vinyl totally sustainable, non-toxic, recyclable and enviro-safe. Apparently, they've removed the cancer-causing substances they used to use in it, which is good, but as the second most used plastic, there is some cause for caution. Also, they claim it's only 50% petrolelum-based and 50% salt. Hmmm...

My daughter sent me this awesome site for a shoe company that uses all natural, organic and recycled materials to make eco-friendly and vegan shoes. The funny thing is that my totally synthetic shoes I have to wear to keep my feet from getting rashy are vegan. They just aren't natural in any way. In any case, simpleshoes.com uses bamboo, hemp, organic cotton, cork, recycled plastics, recycled carpet padding, recycled paper and recycled tires in their shoes. Very cool. They also have some shoes with silk and eco-certified leather, so they sell both vegan and non-vegan shoes. Their latex is sustainably harvested straight from trees, which is lovely for the trees and totally evil for my feet. So, I guess I'll wear the heck out of my synthetic shoes and keep researching sustainable footwear that doesn't give me hives. As for the shower curtains, I'll have to keep looking into that.

So, one week down, an unknown number to go. Living without plastic is possible, interesting, challenging, inexpensive, and a worthwhile goal.

No Plastic Vow - Day 6

Day 6 has come and gone. It was a great day for not buying plastic. I worked from home the first half of they, so my meals were covered, then went to work for the afternoon. My husband picked me up, and we walked out to the parking lot where the Wednesday farmers' market was happening. It was great to see all the vendors out there with their compostable berry containers. Only a few people had items wrapped in plastic. One person even had some cheeses in glass jars. We bought fresh strawberries and munched them until we found a vendor selling gluten free crepes. That was awesome! We shared one with basil, tomatoes and brie. Nice.

Next, we went to the co-op with our stash of Gladware containers from home and bought peanut butter out of the grinder, white vinegar out of a spicket and fresh mozarella out of a tub. My husband was sure it was going to be expensive, because the prices per pound of each thing sounded high. We were pleasantly surprised that our trip only cost us $8. Sean said, "Wow. I guess packaging is expensive."

Outside the co-op was a girl pitching memberships to Environment Oregon. She started by asking if we wanted to help ban plastic bags in all stores and shops in Oregon. Why yes, we do! She was giving a spiel about the huge island of plastic garbage in the Pacific gyre, which I had just written about the other day. This isn't such an uncommon wavelength I'm on.

At home that evening, I used my buttermilk and a quart of regular milk with my white vinegar to make farmers' cheese, pictured above. What a fun and relaxing task that was! I used the whey to make a little bit of ricotta, which I ate with some blackberried from my backyard for breakfast this morning. I'm going to use the leftover water to water my garden. So, Day 6 was a day of transformation, hope and coming out the other side of this journey. New perspectives and ways of doing things are emerging and showing a light at the end of the tunnel. My week is complete after today, and I feel like it's just the beginning.

No Plastic Vow - Day 5

Day 5 was very simple. I worked from home all day, ate food I made from scratch or picked from the garden, and had a wonderful car ride with my daughter to see her horse in Newberg, OR. While I don't love the idea of burning the gas to drive that far, I do love that time alone with my girl. I get to enjoy her questions, opinions, thoughts, quirky sense of humor and edgy taste in music.

On my way home from the barn, I did have to make a stop at the grocery store. As I lamented yesterday, we still live far from the co-op, so I decided to see what I could get away with in the Albany Fred Meyers. I checked the deli department for bulk cheeses. I basically found that they have the standard brands of cheese, wrapped in the same vacuumed-sealed plastic as the refrigerator case. They're bigger, so you can buy a chunk without taking home plastic, but in the end, they'll end up wasting almost as much plastic as I would if I bought large blocks of cheese myself.

Walking from the deli through the bakery to the produce section I saw plastic cake covers, plastic bread bags, plastic gloves, plastic berry containers, plastic-wrapped melons, plastic fruit and veggie trays and plastic bags of salad. I used my own handy dandy recycled plastic mesh bags to get a few apples, broccoli and bulk peanuts. I couldn't buy carrots, because they were in plastic bags or peanut butter, because the jars all have plastic seals around the lids to show they haven't been opened, and the bulk peanut butter machine had plastic containers to hold the peanut butter. I bought non-organic milk in cardboard cartons, because all of the organic milk containers have handy plastic nozzles and caps on the sides. At least the organic, free-range, veggie-fed eggs don't have any plastic on the containers. Another really cheap visit to the super market - $20.

When I got home, my husband said, "I got us Thai food." I said, "Ummm...To go?" He said, "Uh-oh. I forgot." At least this Thai place uses reusable, recyclable plastic to-go containers rather than styrofoam, but I would have preferred to actually eat at the restaurant and avoid the plastic altogether. It's amazing how normal and convenient plastic has become. We don't even think about it. I can't blame him. I'm making a conscious choice to be very focused and mindful not to buy any plastic right now, and just the other day, I realized I bought an inexpensive 100% cotton t-shirt that was nice enough for work, without even noticing that it had 6 plastic buttons on it. There goes the "no plastic" part of my vow. I'm still trying though. Growing into an almost no plastic kind of girl.

I'm through Day 4. My cell phone works. The sound is a little tinny, but I'm not complaining. This is its second time through the laundry in two years. It recovered much more quickly this time. Maybe it's getting used to it. Yesterday was a low-stress day on the no plastic front. I took a Glad container to work (one I'd bought as a permanent to-go container months ago). I brought it with me to La Rockita, the Mexican restaurant near my work. They were very sweet about putting my two veggie tacos in the sandwich section of the container, and pouring some salsa in one of the smaller wells. I put on the lid and carried it to work. This experiment has been fun. Yesterday, I was thinking, why would I stop after one week of this? I'm finding teamwork, creativity, laughter and thoughtfulness from everyone I interact with on this journey. Well, everyone but my daughter. I can see the "oh goodness, please don't let my mom get even more eccentric" look on her face. But, as my friend Shelly says, I should be pretty used to people thinking I'm odd by now.

Today, however, as I embark on Day 5, I'm waxing philosophical. My refrigerator is nearly empty. I need to go to the store. I want to use the containers I have already to go to the co-op and have them filled with fresh or bulk items. I want to ride my bike there and save gas and reduce my plastic usage, but I still live far from the co-op in Corvallis, and I need to work at home all day, so I can take my daughter to her really far horse lesson. The mindfulness aspect is kicking in. My intention needs to be strong today. I read several articles about the plastic garbage dumps collecting in the ocean, and that certainly gave me the willpower. It's no wonder oceanographers tend to be vegans who use only biodegradable plastics. Check out: http://ecology.com/ecology-today/2008/08/14/pacific-plastic-waste-dump/ for more information about the massive collections of plastic in slow-moving ocean gyres. Another article I read on Discovery network (http://news.discovery.com/earth/how-much-plastic-is-in-the-ocean.html) said that a scientist has estimated that there are at least 315 billion pounds of plastic in the ocean right now. That's too much to even clean up. It's not only giving me a passion for not consuming plastic and continuing to recycle what I do use, but also for keeping and using the heck out of every plastic item I already own. Who ever though I'd end up loving and cherishing my plastic objects through this experience? It's not that they're so great, but that I don't want them turned loose in the world. So, goals for Day 5 - buy enough food for my family to make it through the day, and plan Day 6 so I can ride my bike from work to the co-op with my reusable containers to buy things in bulk. I can see this growing into a month-long vow. Wouldn't it be great, if it could grow into a lifestyle?

No Plastic Vow - Day 3

Day three started with overcoming the anticipated hurdle of getting a lease agreement form printed without replacing my printer cartridge. My husband also needed to have a movie script scanned, so he called the local Staples to find out if they do that service. They said they could scan it for $0.25 per page, which is definitely worth not having me wrestle with the scanner over 119 pages. While he had them on the phone, he asked if they had rental forms, and if they were sold as individual pages or if they were packaged. The girl responded that they were packaged. He figured the week was over then, but instead we went online, purchased a downloadable lease agreement from a law firm, saved it on his handy-dandy thumb drive, and took it with us to Staples.

The girl there turned out to be a former student of his at OSU. There was kind of an odd energy about that for a moment, and then she started asking questions about what we wanted done with our scanning. After that was squared away, Sean asked her if she could print our forms, to which she said, "yes." Then he proclaimed, "And we need not to have any plastic!" The girl positively got the giggles. He might as well have told her she needed to paint herself blue and hop on one foot while scanning our pages. I have no idea what struck her so funny. She looked at me for the first time, and I nodded assent. When all the scanning and printing was done, we went to the cash register to pay, and she said, "So....do you want a...pa-per bag?" "No bag, thanks," we said, and cheerfully took our papers out the door. That was kind of fun.

The real issue came when we got home, and I started to wonder when my daughter was going to call and ask to come home from her sleep over. That led to wondering where on Earth I had left my cell phone, which led to my husband calling it to help me locate it. His call went directly to voice mail. Uh oh. I had just charged it the night before, so it wasn't turned off. I immediately began to wonder if it had gone through the laundry. We looked in all of the usual hiding places to no avail. Then, yes, it was at the bottom of a very wet load of clothes in the washing machine. I had just turned down an offer for a new phone with renewal of my Verizon contract. I told the guy, "I like my phone, and I think it would be wasteful to get a new one just to make you guys feel better. I'll tell you what, I've been your customer for years, and I fully intend to renew, without you bribing me with a new phone. Does that make you feel good enough?" He said thanks, it did. And now, I've put the phone through the laundry for the second time in it's two year lifespan. And, it still works.

Going through our drawers and piles of craft supplies this weekend, I found five old phones waiting to be recycled. They aren't all mine, but it did bring a bewildered laugh to look at the pile. Actually, now that I think of it, there is one more in my husband's car. So, I looked up places to recycle them. There are all kinds of cell phone recycling opportunities, and some even support charities. Just type in "cell phone donation" to Google, and you're off. I also found this article about a cell phone made entirely of recycled plastic. The phone company also trades Carbon credits for some extra enviro feel-good marketing. Check it out at:

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/01/ces-2009-motorola-launches-the-first-carbon-neutral-cell-phone.php.

Now, on to Day 4. The big challenges: making it through the work day without plastic wrappers and to go-containers and beginning to learn to make our own cheese - the one thing we really can't buy without plastic.

No Plastic Vow - Day 2

It' s really easy not to buy plastic, if you don't go to the store. Staying at home, eating from my garden, doing my chores, I feel like it's a piece of cake. Then, the daughter and the husband make a deal that he'll work on her hula hooping video if she makes dinner. They agree on a menu, and get their appetites all worked up over the wonderful things she wants to cook. She calls her aunt to get the recipe, then says the fateful words, "Mom, I need you to take me to the store for ingredients." I try to no avail to talk her into making something with the things we have, and end up driving her to the store. We don't have a co-op in Albany, so even the idea of bringing our own glass containers and buying bulk food won't work. Walking in the doorway of the store I blurt, "No plastic." My daughter says, "Oh no, Mom! Can't you fudge and say that technically you're buying it for me?" "No," I say. She thinks of the first thing on her list, and decides to ask the fish guy if he can sell her fish without any plastic wrap. He says that's no problem, and wraps it in butcher paper. Whew! My daughter walks through the produce aisle, carefully choosing exactly the items and amounts she needs, so she doesn't have to put them in plastic bags. So far, so good. We go to the spice aisle, and she finds a brand of spices that is in glass bottles with metal lids. They're even organic, but the only spice they don't seem to have is ground mustard seed. The only brand that turns out to have it has plastic containers and plastic lids all wrapped in a plastic seal. I have a brilliant idea to try the bulk section of the store. They have it! But all they have available to carry it in is plastic bags. We walk away from the ground mustard. The really great thing is that we get out of the store with all fresh ingredients, and we only pay $12 for everything.

We manage not to buy ice cream, because it has a plastic seal around the lid, and we pass by the gelato store, because they use plastic bowls and spoons. Wow. I could lose some weight and save some money with this adventure! On the way home, my daughter notices that our neighborhood cafe now serves ice cream, and she says, "We should go there sometime. I bet they would let you bring your own bowl." Later in the evening, the reward comes when we drive her to stay the night at a friend's house. We venture to the local Yogurt Extreme shop and get fat free, sugar free, gluten free, kosher yogurt in a paper cup and eat it with the wooden spoon they supply. Yes, I do also want to save the trees, but today, the battle is plastic, so it's a small victory.

The big question for Day 3 will be, "Can we manage to print/buy a lease agreement for renting out our house without either buying a plastic printer cartridge or buying paperwork wrapped in plastic?" Tune in tomorrow to find out.