Show Your Plastic Challenge: Week 6

SHOW YOUR PLASTIC CHALLENGE - WEEK 6

Total - 61 PIECES, 25 OZ

After 6 weeks, I feel a sense of, umm, not of failure but of disappointment. With expectations set high I wanted to see significant change by now. I've been working hard to ensure that my bread is homemade, we do without conveniences, sourcing plastic free food locally, etc. Yet why do I not see a change in the amount of plastic consumed? Each week there is a new hurdle to jump over or through. Do I feel pulled by alluring packaging? Less work, immediate gratification. Wow, advertising does a doozy to our minds! Remember...life style change!

I'm still determined to keep treading water to prevent this plastic sea from swallowing me!

SHOW YOUR PLASTIC: WEEK 6

                 

Recently we welcomed a few laying hens to our flock and as a result were in need of cedar shavings for our chicken house. Ordinarily I would pick up a big plastic wrapped bale of shavings from the feed store. Here in North Central Arkansas we are surrounded by logging companies and tree mills. As I was driving through our town one day, on the same route I always drive, a light bulb came on. Why do I pay some unknown company across the country to ship plastic encased cedar shavings to Wal-mart or the feed store when I drive by a cedar mill everyday?

The answer can be summed in one word - CONVENIENCE.

When we go to a big chain store, it's a one stop shopping experience. They have programmed our brains to believe that every need can be met within the four walls of the megaplex SUPERSTORE. It's funny, I've hardly been in those stores lately. They don't sell very much that I want to buy. I decided to call our local cedar mill and ask if I could buy some of their 'waste,' leftover cedar shavings. The end result of a brief phone call was that we were able, for free, to load as much of the shavings as we wanted. We brought a couple of garbage cans and a big shovel and filled up without any expense or plastic consumption.

The lesson for me was: (1) don't be afraid to ask and (2) think outside the big plastic box that I've been trained by for so long.

PLASTIC FREE PROGRESS:

• I do see the plastic in my cupboards lessening. My husband is having withdrawals!
• If we do have a processed food: bread, crackers, chips, etc. I try to limit it to one product per day.
• We did without store bought sweets/cookies this week. I didn't buy any!
• I contacted Enjoy Life Foods about plastic packaging.

SUMMARY:

Week 1 Total - 52 items, 13 oz

Week 2 Total - 59 items, 18 oz

Week 3 Total - 44 items, 14.1 oz

Week 4 Total - 50 items, 17.9 oz

Week 5 Total - 37 items, 12 oz

Week 6 Total - 61 items, 25 oz

GOALS:

• Source local honey in my own refillable jars.
• Make homemade crackers.
• Make another batch baby wipe solution (baby care post to come)

I CHALLENGE YOU TO TRY TO THINK OUTSIDE THE PLASTIC BOX THIS WEEK!