Day 43: Made to last for ever, designed to throw away

My sister in the struggle Logan sent me this link today. There are apparently 5 plastic gyres. Who knew.

http://5gyres.org/

What are we doing to our planet? How could we do this?
Why do we act with out understanding the impact of our actions?

This is a good website to read.


In other news, this just in from the Draino front: Amanda up in Rockland suggests a wire hanger. She writes:

"...this is not for those with a weak stomach or over-active gag reflex, but
ive been trying to avoid buying draino and have used a wire clothes hanger
straightened out with a hook bent into the end to overhaul my bathroom
drain.
and it is FOUL. like maybe im pulling out clumps of old hair or
maybe a small squirrel actually died in here foul. BUT! no draino."

Day 42: Pretzels and Draino.

Things I really do miss:

Emergen-C. The little packets of vitamins that you mix with water and you get a fizzy delicious drink to help fight off colds. I know it is better to get vitamin C and others from real food, and I know that I can get a fizzy healthy energy boost from my homemade kombucha, but I do miss these little treats that I pretend help me stay healthy.

Pretzels. I love dipping pretzels in Raye's Mustard, any of the many amazing flavors. This is my favorite snack. I should learn to make pretzels, huh? But alas, I miss them.

Things I am waiting to buy as soon as Lent is over:

Draino. I said on a past post that you can use baking soda and vinegar to de-clog drains. Well, it is not working on my bathroom sink. It's gross. I am counting down the days till I can de-clog it. I used to have a roommate named Cullen who would de-clog things by plunging them but he moved out and I lack this skill. I know that Draino is super bad for the Earth, so if you have a better idea, I am all ears. But you should see this clog.

Paper towels. I don't use many, but I do use them to clean the bathroom. Sadly, I am confronted with the reality that paper towels come wrapped in plastic. Why? Not sure. Not sure at all.

Camera battery. My Canon 10D batteries are both old and don't hold much of a charge. I would like to order a new one, and may get a bounce flash, but both have plastic on them. Bummer.

Day 39: Cheese.

It's time to talk about cheese.

I didn't realize when I was giving up plastic that I would have to give up cheese! Had that been part of my original deal with myself, this whole project may never have happened. As you may know, I really love cheese.

I have looked in stores and delis across Portland and other parts of Maine, and scared and harassed several deli clerks with my strange demand of plastic-less cheese. There is essentially none to be found.

I figured I could go to a deli like Rosemont or somewhere, and get them to cut a piece off a big piece, and sell it to me in paper. But I discovered that due to health code, they would then have to re-wrap the entire hunk in new plastic afterward my sale. That defeats the purpose.

I found one, ONE cheese in foil at Hannaford, but it was a blue brie. Ick. Not really my scene.

Remember the little small wheels of cheese you used to buy as a kid in wax? Now they make them in wax, wrapped in plastic, in a plastic bag. BUMMER.

K. Horton's, in the new public market, really wanted to help. But it's all in plastic.

I could make my own, but the rennet and citric acid come in plastic!


And so, dear friends, I am basically cheese-less. I did find cream cheese that comes in cardboard and foil, which is nice, but not the sharp cheddar I need to make it through a week.

The irony is, cheese isn't even meant to be kept in plastic. It doesn't let the cheese breath, it is bad for it! But it is ALL in plastic. Why? Because people prefer to buy what they are seeing.

I am in search for a store in the woods somewhere that sells cheddar from a big cheese wheel under a glass display and will give me some without plastic. Until then, I am counting down the days until Lent ends and I can have some crackers and cheese.

Day 38: The kids get it

Warren students bring back silverware

Go Warren Nature Club !! Way to organize.

full story: http://knox.villagesoup.com/place/story/warren-students-bring-back-silverware/314421

Warren — During an after-school meeting of the Nature Club at the Warren Community School, students started to wonder what they could do to make a difference in the world. Many of the students were concerned with issues of wasted resources and decided to find out why their school was using disposable plastic silverware instead of reusable metal.
After generating a list of questions, seven student representatives met with Storm Hendrickson, food service director for Maine School Administrative District 40. Hendrickson explained to the group that the biggest reason for using plastic instead of metal is that many students were throwing the silverware out in the trash with the rest of their lunch waste.
After learning this, the Nature Club launched a campaign to educate the entire student body about the issue. Posters were made, a letter was sent out through the school newsletter urging parents to discuss with their children the importance of not throwing silverware away, and a "Use, Wash, and ReUse" play was presented to the whole school during an assembly.

Day 37: Individually packaged in stay fresh pouches

I saw this ad in a health magazine my roommate borrowed from the gym.
For real? Individually wrapped apple slices.
I have no more words, I rest my case. This world is bat crazy.

You can buy them at Wal-Mart!

Day 35: No bubble wrap

My new office chair came in the mail!

I wanted an ergonomic office chair so I will have better posture at work. I ordered one on ebay, and just as I was about to unpack it I realized that it was probably packaged with bubble wrap or some other plastic. Oh no!

But, happily, I found inside the box my chair wrapped in paper packaging. Hooray! Crisis averted.

The chair itself is wood, metal, and fabric. Sadly the wheel covers are plastic. But they are very small.

Kudos to the dude I bought this from on Ebay, wherever you are.

And thanks to my brother from who the chair is a birthday present!

Day 34: The Story of Bottled Water

A must watch!

Day 33: For medical purposes

I vividly remember sitting in the ICU at Eastern Maine Medical Center when my dad was sick. I looked around the room at all the plastic keeping him alive. I wondered, what happens when we run out of fossil fuels to make plastic, and we can't make the things we really need, that really help people?

I'd rather cut back on plastic now and have it for the future when we really need it, than use it all now. I know that we could use less plastic in medicine, and I am convinced that our current mainstream approach to health care is messed up in a lot of ways, but when it comes down to it, we may want some of those bags and machines that we use plastic for.

On that theme, I gave in to plastic last week for medical reasons. I was feeling terrible and in bed and roommate Emily went and got me some Nyquil at the store. It came in plastic. I'm sorry. But I slept great and felt a lot better in the morning.

Speaking of health, I know one little guy who needed a lot of plastic at the hospital recently, and I am glad he is okay. My friends Chris and Morgan had baby Dexter Douglas a week and a half ago, and he had trouble breathing and was taken to NICU for a week. He's fine now, but for a short time there it was really scary. Thanks to everyone who helped get this little guy healthy. Welcome to the world, lil' Dexter! Can't wait to watch you grow.

Day 30: The Biggest Dump in the World

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/7450769/The-Biggest-Dump-in-the-World.html

The Biggest Dump in the World

As large as the USA, the Great Pacific Waste Patch is the biggest dump in the world. Ed Cumming discovers that it keeps getting bigger, and could be poisoning us all.

The world’s biggest rubbish dump keeps growing. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch – or the Pacific Trash Vortex – is a floating monument to our culture of waste, the final resting place of every forgotten carrier bag, every discarded bottle and every piece of packaging blown away in the wind. Opinions about the exact size of this great, soupy mix vary, but some claim it has doubled over the past decade, making it now six times the size of the UK.

Dr Simon Boxall, a physical oceanographer at the National Oceanography Centre at the University of Southampton, goes even further: “It’s the size of North America. But although the patch itself is extremely large, it’s only one very clear representation of the much bigger worldwide problem.”

This global problem is the motive behind the Plastiki, a 60ft, 12-ton catamaran built from 12,500 recycled plastic bottles, which embarks on its maiden voyage from San Francisco this week. The brainchild of David de Rothschild, the flamboyant British banking heir and environmentalist, the Plastiki will sail right through the middle of the Garbage Patch as part of a campaign to help make more people aware of the Pacific’s threatened communities and of the damage our waste is doing to our oceans.

Plastic is the main issue. Fifty years ago, most flotsam was biodegradable. Now it is 90 per cent plastic. In 2006, the United Nations Environment Programme estimated that there were 46,000 pieces of floating plastic in every square mile of ocean. With its stubborn refusal to biodegrade, all plastic not buried in landfills – roughly half of it – sweeps into streams and sewers and then out into rivers and, finally, the ocean. Some of it – some say as much as 70 per cent – sinks to the ocean floor. The remainder floats, usually within 20 metres of the surface, and is carried into stable circular currents, or gyres “like ocean ring-roads”, says Dr Boxall. Once inside these gyres, the plastic is drawn by wind and surface currents towards the centre, where it steadily accumulates. The world’s major oceans all have these gyres, and all are gathering rubbish. Although the North Pacific – bordering California, Japan and China – is the biggest, there are also increasingly prominent gyres in the South Pacific, the North and South Atlantic and the Indian Oceans. Our problems with plastics are only just beginning.

Full story:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/7450769/The-Biggest-Dump-in-the-World.html

Day 29: Whoops

Dear Lent,
Can we pretend Tuesday didn't happen?
Love,
Sarah

Day 26: Crackers and bread

A cold rainy March Sunday is the perfect day to stay in and bake.

I really like crackers, but they all come in plastic packaging. They are also really expensive to buy in the store. A few years ago I realized that crackers were probably really easy to make.

I found this recipe online/ adapted it to my tastes, and it's fast and easy to make. They don't last long around the house, not because they lack preservatives that come in store crackers, but because they are so good everyone eats them up fast!

Wheat Crackers:
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. all purpose flour
1/4 c. wheat germ
1 ts salt
1/4 c. brown sugar (or less)
1/2 ts baking soda
1/2 c. water
1/4 c. softened butter

In a medium bowl, mix flours, wheat germ, sugar, salt, and soda. Stir in water and butter until smooth dough forms. (add a tiny more water if needed). Divide in half, cover, let stand 10 minutes. Place half the dough on a large cutting board, roll out until quite thin. Prick all over with a fork. Cut into squares. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush with water and sprinkle on additional salt or seeds (optional).
Bake at 400 degrees for about 8 min until crisp but not burnt. Remove, cool, and enjoy!


Even though I can buy bread in paper, (I love Black Crow bread that I can buy around the corner at Micucci Grocery), I like to make my own bread.

Today I am trying a sourdough for the first time, without added additional yeast. I got a starter from my dear friend Rebekah, the bread baking goddess of North Berwick. I'll let you know how that goes, but in the mean time I will share a basic recipe I usually use to make yummy homemade wheat bread.

This is the King Arthur Flour "Classic 100% Whole Wheat Bread"

2 1/2 ts instant yeast (or 1 packet) dissolved in 2 T warm water
1 1/3 c. lukewarm water
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1/4 c. honey or maple syrup
3 1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/4 c. non fat dried milk
1 1/4 ts salt

Mixing: In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and stir till the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased surface, oil your hands, and knead it for 6 to 8 minutes, or until it begins to become smooth and supple. (You may also knead this dough in an electric mixer or food processor, or in a bread machine programmed for "dough" or "manual.") Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise till puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk, about 60 minutes, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.

Shaping: Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface, and shape it into an 8-inch log. Place the log in a lightly greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan, cover the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the bread to rise for about 1 hour, or until it's crowned about 1 inch above the edge of the pan. A finger pressed into the dough should leave a mark that rebounds slowly.

Baking: Bake the bread in a preheated 350°F oven for about 40 minutes, tenting it lightly with aluminum foil after 20 minutes. Test it for doneness by removing it from the pan and thumping it on the bottom (it should sound hollow), or measuring its interior temperature with an instant-read thermometer (it should register 190°F at the center of the loaf). Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a wire rack before slicing. Yield: 1 loaf, 16 slices.

Happy baking!!!

Day 25: Cleaning House

Most household cleaning products come in plastic. I like a tidy space, but I don't like all those plastic bottles and wrappers. I'm also concerned about the chemicals we use to clean with, so the Do it Yourself home cleaning methods are a win-win.

The key is vinegar! Baking soda and vinegar are a great sink and counter cleaner, bathroom cleaner, and drain de-clogger. I sprinkle baking soda on the surface I want to clean, pour vinegar on a cloth, and start scrubbing. It works well.

I ran out of laundry soap, and figured making my own would be easy. After much research, I realized that most of the ingredients they recommend to these DIY laundry detergents come in plastic. Foiled!

I tried to buy laundry detergent at the store in cardboard boxes, but luckily I checked before I bought some, because it is in a plastic bag inside the cardboard! What the heck?

The laundry soap I like best is O-Nature-L. I first found them at the Commonground Fair in Unity. It's a family business in Skowhegan making all natural laundry soap and cleaners. It comes in paper, which is great! But the paper has a very thin plastic lining. Bummer. They carry O-Nature-L at Whole Foods in Portland, and many health food stores around the state. You can buy it online too. I like the Cederwood scent!

Another bathroom essential is toilet paper. Why wrap paper in plastic? I had to look to find recycled content TP wrapped in paper. Seventh Generation came through for me, but it was sort of pricy.

Dishsoap: My current bottle of dish soap is running out, so I have sought out alternatives. I grabbed a bar of soap I made a few months ago, just a plain bar of soap, and tried suds-ing my dishcloth on it. Works fine! That was easy.

Toothpaste: as you may recall, TSA took my toothpaste at the airport. Tom's of Maine is in metal, but it still has a plastic cap, so I decided to make my own. Again, the ingredients all come in plastic or bottles with plastic caps. Sort of defeats the purpose. So Tom's it is, with the bummer on the plastic cap.

If you want to try to make your own toothpaste, most call for baking soda, mint essentail oil, and vegetable glycerine. The oil and glycerine packaging tripped me up.

http://www.diylife.com/2008/03/21/make-your-own-toothpaste/

http://www.alternativeconsumer.com/2009/04/27/diy-toothpaste/

Day 22: Simple steps to success

I have written on all the things that have tripped me up in this plastic free process, instead of celebrating all the easy ways we can replace plastic.

Today I'd like to give the basics for beginners
How to start replacing plastic today in 10 easy ways.

1) Stainless steel mug. Get a stainless steel travel mug for your coffee. Some of them have a plastic lid, but some don't. This means you can avoid Styrofoam at the coffee shop or gas station. Sometimes I keep a couple ceramic mugs in my car too. They could break and you could spill, and coffee gets cold faster, but maybe we should just sit and have a cup of coffee without always being on the go, anyway.

2) Stainless steel water bottle. Ditto. Don't use bottled water any more-- switch to tap water. We have great tap water here, unlike many places in the world where I have been where you can't drink what comes out of the faucet without getting very sick. Keep a few glass jars like peanut butter jars or mason jars nearby and fill up, or carry a stainless steel bottle around with you.

3) Paper or plastic? The best idea at the grocery store is to bring your own tote to take groceries home. Try keeping a few totes in your car so you don't forget them. If you only are buying one or two things, you don't need a bag at all. If you do get stuck, ask for paper. Sometimes you have to act FAST or else the clerks use plastic automatically, so practice asking first thing.

4) Buy bulk food in paper. Ask your grocery store to stock paper bags in the bulk section instead of plastic. (Whole Foods does, and I bet many co-ops and health food stores could too). If they don't, bring your own.

5) Dishclothes instead of sponges: switch to dish clothes like your grandma used to make. So easy, they work just as well, and they last longer. If you don't knit, hit up a church fair in the fall or summer craft fair and you'll be sure to find some.

6) Buy glass when possible. Often times in the grocery store you can find glass bottles instead of plastic. Pick glass instead. Think: ketchup, vinegar, juice, etc. They usually come in both glass and plastic.

7) Washcloth: Anyone using a plastic scrubby thing in the shower can easily switch to a cloth washcloth.

8) Wooden spoons: Something about plastic on hot food sketches me out. I am a huge advocate of wooden spoons, spatulas, and kitchen supplies. Hit up yard sales, or buy new when you have to replace something.

9) B.Y.O.S.: Silverware. Bring your own fork and spoon in your bag with you when you go places. Avoid plastic cutlery that gets used once and then into a landfill it goes.

10) Wax paper and tinfoil: If you have to wrap something, put down the Saran Wrap and use wax paper or tinfoil instead.

So when I feel stuck on something plastic free like buying cheese (sneak preview of tomorrow's post) I'll try not to be frustrated and instead think about all the little easy ways we can use less plastic.

Day 20: Low blood sugar

Hello dear blog friends, sorry to be neglectful.

Over the weekend my poor laptop was infected with a wicked bad virus but thankfully big brother Ben came to the rescue and fixed it! Reminder to all-- update your anti-virus anti-spyware stuff.

So I have oh so many things to update about plastic free life, but I'll start tonight with a short story. I was getting gas in my car after work and was really tired. I knew I had a 45 minute drive home and I felt low blood sugar and sleepy. I decided I would really splurge and get a small candy or something to spur me back to action for the drive.

Hoping to find a mini peanut butter cup or peppermint patty or something wrapped in foil or paper, I went inside. I looked and looked everywhere in this convenience store in downtown Lewiston and couldn't find one thing not in plastic.

Not one single thing.

It's everywhere! A headache grew and I hit the road for home, still sleepy but now cranky too. It blows my mind that literally every single thing for sale in that store was wrapped in plastic.

I'll have to be better at packing trail mix in paper bags in my glove box for low energy moments. It's probably for the best- all that "food" was junk anyway, and I'm better off not eating it. But boy was I cranky.

Day 14: Home again

I'm back in Maine from a week on the road, and oh the plastic tales I have for you!

It is a story of triumphs and trials, of challenges and victories.

On my flight from Tampa to D.C., I pulled out my red mug and tea and asked the attendant for hot water, offering forward the mug. She turned to the cart and poured a Styrofoam cup full of hot water, even though I was saying- wait, no, please use this mug. She handed it to me and I just sat their, sadly not knowing what to do. I poured the water into my own mug. Then she asked if I wanted another cup with more water! It was a very sad moment. I kept the cup. (See photo).

The rest of the weekend went fairly well. At the Citizens Trade Campaign Fly-in, where I got to connect with fair trade coalition staff from around the country, we luckily had delicious meals served on paper. I had to avoid the plastic wrapped food available, but ended up snacking on fruit instead, which is way healthier. This plastic free thing helps me avoid munching on processed and generally unhealthy food and opt for whole foods like fruits and veggies. That's a plus.

Being a social bunch, we spent our evenings and nights out on the town in D.C. I have to talk about straws. When I order water or a drink, I always get straws! It's a bummer. I feel that sucking my beverages through thin plastic for no good reason is fairly silly. However, making a special request of a bartender to omit a straw at a loud, busy bar felt obnoxious, so I ended up with several throughout the course of the weekend.

A funny moment came when I was in Union Station and had a couple hours to kill before making my way to the airport to go home. I had just spent a lovely hour at the U.S. Botanical Garden on the National Mall- I recommend it if you are at the Capitol.

Anyway, I had been eying a particular sandwich at some cafe in Union Station all weekend- it was red pepper, avocado, etc on poblano cheese bread or something delicious like that. I ordered one and then realized that if I didn't act fast I would get it on a plastic plate. No real dishware here. I dug through my bag quickly and pulled out a paper plate I had packed, and asked the worker if he could use that instead.

He gave me the most confused look ever. I felt like a total weirdo. Thank goodness there was no line of people behind me or I probably would have chickened out and taken the plastic plate. In lieu of chips I could get an apple with my meal, and it was a darn good sandwich as I thought it would be.

Moral of the story for today: Between the airplane attendant, the bartender, and the sandwich man- I realized that I don't want to be a pain in the butt for these folks who are working hard, probably under paid, and have to put up with annoying customers all day. If we could pressure stores and cafes and everyone to use paper instead of plastic, and then have a compost bin to put them in, that might work. I certainly don't want to make anyone's job harder.

But easy on the straws already.

Unpacking, I realized that my nametag from the UCC conference was plastic too. I'll be keeping all of the plastic things I incur by accident these weeks for a summary at the end of Lent.

PS Mad thanks go out to the wonderful James and his DC housemates for the place to stay this weekend, and a shout out to all the rock star fair trade organizers for a good time, old friends and new. Wicked glad to be working together with you folks!