Grace
I use way too much plastic!
This was the main reason why I chose to challenge my product consumption habits. More specifically, I have a very selfish relationship with the ease of plastic-based items in my daily life. It seems that all of my actions produce plastic waste; whether that be plastic drinkware from my daily coffee purchases, shopping bags from the grocery store, to-go containers, or packaging from my household items, it all adds up fast! Unfortunately, the impact in has on the Earth is anything but fast (Plastic pollution).
Endocrine Disruption
Humans and other species absorb the chemicals added to plastics, which have been found to alter hormones and reproductivity. (Knoblauch, 2022)
Marine Pollution
Besides the toll of plastics to marine life, floating plastic patches allow for more efficient transportation of invasive species.(Knoblauch, 2022)
Terrestrial Pollution
The microplastics found in soils, sediments, and freshwater are estimated to be 4-23x higher that of marine ecosystems. (Plastic planet: How tiny plastic particles are polluting our soil)
Timeline::
Materials:
1- Google Sheets (above)
2- Computer
I will be comparing by plastic carbon footprint (using the tool above) between my control week (week 1) and my target week (week 4) to see how my environmental impact differs based on my interventions.
NOTE: the carbon calculator is created by a French PhD candidate!
I will know that I have been successful if my
realized numbers ≤ target numbers
each week
I will accomplish my goal by paying close attention to the values in my spreadsheet and adjusting my habits accordingly. Specifically, I will try to cook more at home, use a refillable tumbler for drinks, and not use plastic drinking straws whenever I am able. This will be my (expected) greatest challenge through this process as I tend to purchase a lot of my meals from restaurants and cafes. As a busy undergraduate student, I find myself grabbing meals whenever I can, which tends to be at a drive-thru, GrubHub, or vending machine. Additionally, I misplace my reusable water bottle constantly, which contributes to my use of single-use plastic bottles.
References
Images:
header - https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WTXCtPFr6P7EygfJZ8DsA3-1920-80.jpg.webp
Introduction - https://www.openaccessgovernment.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/dreamstime_xxl_166298958.jpg
endocrine disruptor - https://www.madesafe.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/PLASTICS-Infographic-INSTA.png
terrestrial pollution - https://www.azocleantech.com/images/Article_Images/ImageForArticle_913(1).jpg
Conclusion - https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/shutterstock_285951260-1620x1080.jpg
Content:
Knoblauch, J. A. (2022, February 16). The environmental toll of plastics. EHN. Retrieved October 9, 2022, from https://www.ehn.org/plastic-environmental-impact-2501923191.html
Plastic planet: How tiny plastic particles are polluting our soil. UNEP. (n.d.). Retrieved October 9, 2022, from https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/plastic-planet-how-tiny-plastic-particles-are-polluting-our-soil
Plastic pollution. Friends of the Earth. (n.d.). Retrieved October 9, 2022, from https://friendsoftheearth.uk/plastics
Week 1 --> CONTROL
I started my control week (monitorization of my plastic consumption) on Monday 10/10 until Sunday 10/16. My first week of plastic reduction (the personal challenge) begins on Monday 10/17.
My Plastic Footprint
Uh-oh: I surpass the average!!!
Global individual average- approx. 110lbs/year
USA individual average - approx. 185lbs/year
Europe individual average - approx. 66lbs/year
GRACE - 303.5lb/yr
(Pamuła, 2022)
Summary
I discarded 133 plastic-based items
49.8% of total was conventional plastics
116 of the 122 (95%) single-use plastics were conventional
122 of the 133 (91.7%) of discarded plastics were single-use
3 largest problem categories
1. drink bottles
2. to-go containers (meal)
3. to-go coffee drinkware
Surmounting
"TO-GO" has got to go
To-go containers contributed 19.5 % to my overall plastic consumption. EPS (polystyrene) plastics for food transportation used by the USA alone racks up to an amount of 7.5 billion to-go containers; even more concerning is the low recyclability of these materials! A study found that to-go containers in the US emit 297 Mt of CO2 eq. per year (Gallego-Schmid et al., 2019).
the
Hydrate or DIE-drate
Single-use plastic water bottles ranked #1 as my contributor to plastic waste! Reduction in my usage of plastic water bottles will assist in mitigating current biodiversity loss. Significantly, in one year the bottled water industry expends 2.5 million tons of atmospheric carbon dioxide and kills an estimated 1.1 million marine organisms (Grey).
Challenge
There's no place like home...
My third most influential source of plastic was attributable to my caffeine dependence (AKA my daily coffee runs). Nevermind the environmental toll of the single-use plastic drinkware, coffee crops require significant amounts of resources to produce; in fact, for water requirements alone, coffee requires 39 gallons of water to produce 1 cup of coffee (Schlossberg, 2021)! Additionally, the carbon cost to produce that same cup of coffee is estimated to be 0.209 kg CO2e, which adds up pretty quick (Wendel, 2021).
Looking Ahead...
For this next week, I will...
A. use my reusable water bottle (which is a repurposed juice bottle) for water, thus eliminating need for plastic single-use alternatives.
B. purchase coffee (to-go) from a cafe only 3 times.
&
C. purchase only 3 take-out meals
In order to reduce my single-use plastic consumption by 50% and my bioplastic and conventional plastic use by 25%!
Weekly Reflection
So far, I have not made any attempt to reduce my plastic consumption; this week was my control week in which I tracked my habitual consumption trends. The biggest hurdle this week was remembering to log each plastic item (..it was a lot). Nevertheless, I already picked up on a few key things about plastic use!
Plastic is EVERYWHERE
It is nearly impossible to recognize just how many of our daily items are plastic-based. Everything from medication bottles, face masks, and even some of our textiles! Essentially, plastic is unavoidable.
plastic is CONVENTIONAL
Society seems to either not acknowledge or is unaware of the toll of plastics; everywhere you go there is a plastic-based item, yet many people overlook the material of the package when the intent is what's inside of it.
plastic is INEVITABLE
Even if you are trying to eliminate your consumption of plastics; you never will! The modern american seems almost dependent on plastics as to live comfortably.
Plastic is SUBCONSCIOUS
We use plastics without even realizing it!
References
Images:
Header - https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WTXCtPFr6P7EygfJZ8DsA3-1920-80.jpg.webp
October calendar - https://www.printabulls.com/
Floating To-Go - https://sustainablereview.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Environmental-impact-of-food-takeout.png
BYOB graphic - https://green.harvard.edu/tools-resources/poster/got-water-byob
Starbucks landfill - https://assets.change.org/photos/8/hu/ei/QCHUEItJhJaQhfF-800x450-noPad.jpg?1518963992
Earth in a bag - https://www.dreamstime.com/earth-plastic-bag-vector-illustration-theme-environmental-pollution-design-concept-day-to-world-environment-image179137161
Data:
Google. (VanDerhei, 2022). Google Sheets: Online Spreadsheet editor | google workspace. Retrieved October 16, 2022, from https://www.google.com/sheets/about/
Pamuła, H. (2022, July 30). Plastic footprint calculator. Check Your Environmental Impact. Retrieved October 16, 2022, from https://www.omnicalculator.com/ecology/plastic-footprint?c=USD&v=yogurt_cont%3A0%21week%2Ccotton_swab%3A0%21week%2Cbath_bottles%3A0%21half_year%2Crefill%3A0%21half_year%2Cother%3A0%21lb%2Cbags%3A5%21week%2Cfood_wrapper%3A14%21week%2Ctoothpaste%3A1%21month%2Ctoothbrush%3A7%21year%2Cdetergents_hdpe%3A3%21three_months%2Ctake_away_box%3A26%21week%2Ctake_away_cup%3A16%21week%2Cstraws%3A7%21month%2Ccutlery%3A15%21month%2Cplastic_plates%3A0%21month%2CPET_bottles%3A3%21week
Content:
Gallego-Schmid, A., Mendoza, J. M., & Azapagic, A. (2019). Environmental impacts of takeaway food containers. Journal of Cleaner Production, 211, 417–427. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.11.220
Grey, C. (n.d.). Why are disposable water bottles harmful to the environment? - office H2O. Why are Disposable Water Bottles Harmful to the Environment? Retrieved October 15, 2022, from https://www.officeh2o.com/2020/02/27/why-are-disposable-water-bottles-harmful-to-the-environment/
Schlossberg, T. (2021, October 31). Coffee and climate have a complicated relationship. The New York Times. Retrieved October 14, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/31/business/coffee-climate-change.html
Wendel, T. (2021). What is the carbon footprint of Your Cup of Coffee? 23Degrees. Retrieved October 14, 2022, from https://www.23degrees.com.au/blog/carbon-footprint-coffee-supply-chain/
Week 2 --> Reduction Phase 1
I started the first phase of my plastic reduction challenge on Monday 10/17 until Sunday 10/23. To achieve the overall goal of eliminating half of my plastic consumption and totally eliminating my single-use plastics, I have set the goal to cut my single-use plastics by 50% of that of my control and my conventional and bioplastics usages each by 25% of that of my control week during phase 1.
The DATA
CARBON OFFSETS
1 lb PET = 3 lbs CO2
If all of my plastic waste was of PET composition I would be contributing 429.9 pounds of carbon dioxide per year. That is just from my plastic use-- WOW!
DECOMPOSITION
1 plastic shopping bag takes 1,000 years to fully decompose
A single plastic bag weighs 5.5 grams. If all of my plastic waste took 1,000 years to decompose then it would take 64,999,787 years for my plastic waste to decompose.
ENERGY REQUIREMENTS
It takes between 62-108 MJ of energy to produce 1 kg of crude oil based plastics.
I am estimated to use 143.3 lbs, or 65 kg, of plastic in one year; the energy requirements for this production range from 4030 -7020 MJ of energy.
Graphic from the North American Forest Foundation
The FOOTPRINT
Overall, I reduced my total pounds of plastic consumption from 303.5lb/yr to 143.3lb/yr. That is a 160.2lb reduction!
In my control week, I produced about 303 pounds of plastic in a year. That is about a gorilla worth of plastic waste!
In reduction phase 1 week, I produced about 143 pounds of plastic in a year. That is about a cougar worth of plastic waste!
That's an overall difference of roughly 160 pounds-- or one Snoop Dogg!
The COMPARISON
I reduced my conventional plastic consumption from 127 to 46
-63.78%
MET MY GOAL OF REDUCING 25%!
I reduced my single-use plastic consumption from 122 to 51
-58.20%
MET MY GOAL OF REDUCING 50%!
my bioplastic consumption remained steady at 6
DID NOT MEET MY GOAL OF REDUCING 25%
2/10 --> Piece of cake!
Image: istockphoto
Ease-o-meter
Category: single-use plastic water bottle
Action: eliminate need for plastic bottles by swapping for a reusable alternative
Execution: repurposed an old lemonade bottle, properly cleaned it, and use it as a refillable water bottle
Ease Level: 2; the hardest part was removing the sticker label
Additional Comments: Overall, I spent $0.00 on hydration this week; this total includes the cost of purchasing a refillable water bottle.
5/10 --> You're getting there!
Image: istockphoto
Category: single-use to-go plastic drinkware
Action: eliminate need for plastic drinkware by swapping for a reusable alternative, or preparing coffee at home.
Execution: many times I found myself dining in while at a cafe (use ceramic dishes rather than plastic cups) which seemed. Sometimes I would prepare coffee at home, as well.
Ease Level: 5; I really enjoy going to coffee shops to do homework and connect with my community; therefore, it was hard for me to only drink coffee that I made at home. This being said, it is equally as difficult for me to find time to sit down and finish my drink in one sitting with school and work built into my schedule.
Additional Comments: Overall, this is an area that could really be improved. In the coming weeks, I will look into restaurants that offer reusable cups as an option for drinkware.
9/10 --> Tough as nails!
Image: istockphoto
Category: single-use to-go food containers
Action: eliminate need for plastic containers by swapping for home cooked meals, unpackaged items, or reusable containers.
Execution: This is the category that has the most room for improvement, for me. I HATE cooking and I find most of my groceries perishing prior to consumption, so I just do not go. The result? I buy basically all of my meals! A few times I had to get creative and go out for pizza (yay cardboard instead of plastic!) or dine in.
Ease Level: 9; again, I HATE cooking and grocery shopping! I really need to adjust my habits if I am going to eliminate single-use plastics in week 4!
Additional Comments: Overall, this is an area that really needs to be improved upon. In the coming weeks, I MUST make an effort to eat at home more often, dine in instead of taking out, and being more conscious of not only where my food comes from, but how it gets to me.
Let's get involved!!
To promote social involvement in plastic reduction I would most likely:
Social media campaign!
The average individual spends about 2.5 hours or more on social media, thats a lot of time to reach new audiences!
Stigmatize plastic!
I would create carbon emission labels and place them on menus, posters, signs, etc at restaurants or cafes to deter people from requesting plastic-based containers. There was a study that determined the efficacy of this action on diet choices in a dining hall on campus! This could also take the form as a public campaign!
WEEKLY REFLECTION
While trying to brainstorm methods to reduce my plastic consumption I found myself looking into some of the local (or online) businesses that have established low-waste or no-waste initiatives. Specifically, I was looking for stores that sold plastic-free personal care and household items, restaurants with plastic alternative to-go packaging, and coffee shops with options to refill a personal mug; thankfully, Madison has many options for individuals attempting to minimize their plastic footprint! I have attached some resources below for where I have found to have some eco-conscious policies.
Going forward, I will definitely need to be more conscious of what products I buy, if I really need them, and if a low-waste alternative exists!
Shopping Sustainably
Many of the daily items we use are plastic-based; especially those used for personal hygiene! Click through the carousel to find out where you can shop to reduce plastic consumption through your personal care products!
Peet's Coffee
Beyond Peet's company wide sustainability initiative, Peet's in the UW Unions provides customers with recycled drinkware. Additionally Peet's in Union South carries paper straws.
Available
In Madison, WI
CLEAN
COFFEE
Colectivo Coffee
The regional chain, Colectivo, boosts many eco-friendly practices within all aspects of production. Included in these initiatives are:
Plastic drinkware from plant-based sources
Plastic utensils by request only
Discounts when bring your own mug!
cardboard to-go containers
Eco-Friendly Dining
In the United States the restaurant industry has contributed over $72.8 billion to the US economy in 2021 (statista.com)! With this level of economic productivity, the restaurant industry creates more than just increased revenue; it also creates a ton of environmental pollutants. Below are just a few examples of how the restaurant industry is contributing to the biodiversity crisis:
Plastic packaging waste- the EPA estimated that more than 23% of landfill materials were due to food packaging waste: included in this number is food carrying containers from restaurants (epa.gov).
Cooking oils- a study concluded that the oils and organic matter required by restaurant chefs accumulates in the exhaust of kitchens and eventually ends up polluting the atmosphere (Shipley Robinson et. al., 2018)!
food waste- Cornell University determined that, on average, 17% of restaurant meals are not eaten and 55% of leftovers were left (& discarded) by the restaurant (foodprint.org).
Despite the unforgiving statistics, restaurant sustainability is possible; alternatives such as compostable or paper containers, participation in compost, and even switching to more energy-efficient appliances can all reduce the environmental impact. Click the button to find out more!
Content:
Anderson, J. (2021, May 26). Snoop Dogg's height, weight and body measurements " Celebily. Celebily. Retrieved October 23, 2022, from https://celebily.com/snoop-doggs-height-weight-and-body-measurements/
Bratcher, R. (2019, March 2). Recycling vs. landfills or incinerators. Sciencing. Retrieved October 23, 2022, from https://sciencing.com/recycling-vs-landfills-incinerators-23884.html
Brunner, F., Kurz, V., Bryngelsson, D., & Hedenus, F. (2018). Carbon label at a university restaurant – label implementation and evaluation. Ecological Economics, 146, 658–667. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2017.12.012
Collier, E. S., Oberrauter, L.-M., Normann, A., Norman, C., Svensson, M., Niimi, J., & Bergman, P. (2021). Identifying barriers to decreasing meat consumption and increasing acceptance of meat substitutes among Swedish consumers. Appetite, 167, 105643. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2021.105643
Energy costs. North American Forest Foundation. (2021, April 28). Retrieved October 23, 2022, from https://northamericanforestfoundation.org/energy-costs/
Fryling, C. (2020, September 16). The life of a plastic bag. Elmwood Park Zoo. Retrieved October 23, 2022, from https://www.elmwoodparkzoo.org/the-life-of-a-plastic-bag/
magazine, S. T. A. N. F. O. R. D. (n.d.). Plastic bags: To recycle or not: Essential answer. STANFORD magazine. Retrieved October 23, 2022, from https://stanfordmag.org/contents/plastic-bags-to-recycle-or-not-essential-answer#:~:text=But%20let's%20compare%20them%20to,the%20weight%20of%20a%20can.
Niklas. (2020, March 1). List of animals that weigh 300 pounds. Weight of Stuff. Retrieved October 23, 2022, from https://weightofstuff.com/list-of-animals-that-weigh-300-pounds/
The problem of food waste. FoodPrint. (2022, March 15). Retrieved October 23, 2022, from https://foodprint.org/issues/the-problem-of-food-waste/#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20Cornell%20University,are%20left%20at%20the%20restaurant.
Reducing food waste packaging. (n.d.). Retrieved October 24, 2022, from https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-08/documents/reducing_wasted_food_pkg_tool.pdf
Robinson, E. S., Gu, P., Ye, Q., Li, H. Z., Shah, R. U., Apte, J. S., Robinson, A. L., & Presto, A. A. (2018). Restaurant impacts on outdoor air quality: Elevated organic aerosol mass from restaurant cooking with neighborhood-scale plume extents. Environmental Science & Technology, 52(16), 9285–9294. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.8b02654
Sam Wixted ~ 8 minutes to read. (n.d.). Why marketing through social media is effective. WebFX. Retrieved October 23, 2022, from https://www.webfx.com/blog/general/why-marketing-through-social-media-is-effective/#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20reasons%20social,with%20your%20products%20and%20services.
Various. (n.d.). Topic: Restaurants in the U.S. Statista. Retrieved October 23, 2022, from https://www.statista.com/topics/1135/us-restaurants/
Data:
Google. (VanDerhei, 2022). Google Sheets: Online Spreadsheet editor | google workspace. Retrieved October 16, 2022, from https://www.google.com/sheets/about/
Pamuła, H. (2022, July 30). Plastic footprint calculator. Check Your Environmental Impact. Retrieved October 16, 2022, from https://www.omnicalculator.com/ecology/plastic-footprint?c=USD&v=yogurt_cont%3A0%21week%2Ccotton_swab%3A0%21week%2Cbath_bottles%3A0%21half_year%2Crefill%3A0%21half_year%2Cother%3A0%21lb%2Cbags%3A5%21week%2Cfood_wrapper%3A14%21week%2Ctoothpaste%3A1%21month%2Ctoothbrush%3A7%21year%2Cdetergents_hdpe%3A3%21three_months%2Ctake_away_box%3A26%21week%2Ctake_away_cup%3A16%21week%2Cstraws%3A7%21month%2Ccutlery%3A15%21month%2Cplastic_plates%3A0%21month%2CPET_bottles%3A3%21week
Images:
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTQ0OrUgxRodO2VktS2XQLzAvVjfUapiE1SAQ&usqp=CAU
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTeaojisiZ9HKIZMjn0sDS5wQL0ydiLjVgAeQ&usqp=CAU
https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/gorilla
https://ovlc.org/ojai-wildlife/cougar/
https://www.axs.com/artists/104722/snoop-dogg-tickets
Week 3 --> Reduction Phase 2
Monday 10/24 until Sunday 10/30 was the second week of my reduction phase. To achieve the overall goal of eliminating half of my plastic consumption and totally eliminating my single-use plastics, I have set the goal to cut my single-use plastics by 50% of that of my reduction phase 1 and my conventional and bioplastics usages each by 25% of that of my reduction week phase 1.
The DATA
the DATA summary:
Yet again, my plastic consumption has been dominated by conventional plastics; additionally, 91.4% of my conventional plastic usage was single-use! On the bright side, my contributions attributable to take out food and beverages have dropped significantly-- as has my demand for plastic water bottles! Unfortunately, I seem to have developed a shopping problem this week as online packaging has become a concerning contender in my plastic demand.
Comparing FOOTPRINTs
The progress I have made has decreased my contribution to the biodiversity crisis by...
The world produces over 367 metric tons of plastic waste per year, over 8 metric tons of which invades the ocean! A decrease of over 240 pounds from my control means that I prevented 0.108862 metric tonnes of plastic from entering the oceans. If everyone in the world decreased their plastic consumption by 240 pounds annually, there would be a reduction of 853,151,494 metric tonnes of plastic in the ocean, per year!
On average, 12% of plastic waste is incinerated, which releases toxic chemicals into the atmosphere. Many, if not all, of Earth's species find these aerosols to be noxious. My 240 pound decrease has prevented 28.8 pounds of plastic to be incinerated annually.
Only 9% of plastic is recycled (even lower in the States!!). Considering the 12% that is incinerated, the remaining 79% of plastic waste remains in landfills or the natural environment. A 240 pound decrease has eliminated the contribution of 189.6 pounds of plastic to landfills/the natural environment each year!
I'm under 100 pounds!! I decreased my plastic demand by over 240 pounds (that is a total reduction of one plastic Giannis)
<--
For reference, my plastic consumption for reduction phase 2 week was 60.4lbs/year. In one year, I could have my very own plastic model of my pup, Maggie!
the OVERVIEW
My goal this week was to reduce my consumption by 50 percent for single-use plastics and 25 percent for my conventional and bioplastic uses. Below is the comparison:
Reduction Phase 1: Reduction Phase 2 Target:
Single-use => 51 Single-use => 25.5
Conventional => 46 Conventional => 34.5
Bioplastic => 6 Bioplastic => 4.5
The EASE of it all....
I have realized that reducing plastic consumption is easily done so long as you have the proper commitment and dedication! In my control week, my largest contributors to plastic waste was plastic water bottles (solved w/ a reusable one), to-go boxes (dine-in!), and to-go coffee (save some change and make it at home!). Nevertheless, it is impossible to avoid all plastic waste; I've noticed that, for sanitation and hygiene purposes, industries such as the medical and beauty require single-use containers to ensure safety. For example, I threw away a medication bottle this week-- there's no avoiding that one! Solutions for these types of uses are to get creative and find a way to reuse the bottles! I think that this may have contributed to my missed goal of single-use plastics. Next week, I will make it a priority to find alternative uses for everyday plastics!!
Reduction Phase 2 Realised:
Single-use => 29
I missed my goal by 4! Overall, I experienced a 57% decrease from last week. So close, Grace!
Conventional => 34
Target met! I wanted to hit 34, and I did exactly that!
Bioplastic => 2
Yay, yay, yay! I exceeded my goal for bioplastic reduction (67% reduction!)
Changing the world is a community effort
Reducing plastic pollution is no feat for a single individual-- it requires a joint effort from everyone! Whether this be individual swaps at the household level or wide scale production reform, plastic reduction starts with plastic recognition...
Community outreach
Community outreach is a proven method to advocating for a goal and encouraging mass participation! Engagement from various levels (individual, social group, corporations. governmental, etc) is possible given rightful execution of outreach.
For the purposes of plastic reduction, I would recommend checking out existing community programs (see below), as well as seeking out local organizations that share your same passions for the environment!
Possible actions may include booths at farmers markets, craft fairs, etc. or fun informational pieces at high traffic locations! Click the button below to check out a neat local establishment that is connecting Madison children with sustainability!!
Education
Education is essential & educating yourself and others on plastic pollution and mitigation methods is essential for the prosperity of the planet. I would push to include environmental studies in public school curriculum, including recycling fundamentals, at the K-12 levels. Click on the buttons below to explore possible lesson plans with a focus on the environment!
Beyond the schools, recyclable guidelines on public recycling bins will passively educate users.
Conversation
Never underestimate the power of conversion! Next time you are feeling social, strike up a conversation with a peer regarding plastic waste! This doesn't need to be forced, even a compliment on a cute tote bag (reusable, of course) or a cool refillable water bottle will suffice to draw attention to non-plastic alternatives!
Another option may be a discussion on our favorite low waste swaps (shampoo bars are one of my favorite for those wondering) or thrift stores!
WEEKLY REFLECTION
This week I challenged myself to find some creative ways to reuse (or repurpose) my plastic waste; however, I am not creative in the slightest! Primarily, I have thought of ways to refill my plastic bottles with alternative things (homemade cleaners, fertilizers, cosmetics, etc). While I am still working on some of my favorite homemade recipes for personal and home care, I wanted to find out what I can do with my waste in the meantime. Below are some of my favorite local sustainability initiative to help assist in your plastic reduction journey!
Aldo Leopold Nature Center in Monona, WI offers a financial incentive to wedding guests who chose to use reusable utensils for their event. An easy way to save $400 on your big day!
Green Life Trading Co located on Williamson St in Madison, WI is not only a fantastic source for a low-waste lifestyle, the store also hosts a variety of recycling programs available for the public at no cost!
Many of your favorite coffee establishments offer incentives for using a refillable cup! These include:
Starbucks' "Reusable Cup Benefit" which allows customers to save $0.10 on their drink when they bring in a reusable cup from home
Colectivo Coffee offers $0.25 off on a drink purchase when you use your own reusable cup!
Many of your favorite stores offer incentives for forgoing a plastic bag! These include:
Target offers customers a $0.05 reduction at check-out for each reusable bag you bring!
Trader Joe's offers the same $0.05 discount per reusable bag at check-out.
Earthbound Trading Co offers a discount to customers who use their own reusable bag at purchase!
Content:
Dengler, R. (2017, July 19). Humans have made 8.3 billion tons of plastic. where does it all go? PBS. Retrieved October 30, 2022, from https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/humans-made-8-3-billion-tons-plastic-go
Ebi, K. L., & Semenza, J. C. (2008, October 9). Community-based adaptation to the health impacts of climate change. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Retrieved October 30, 2022, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0749379708006843?casa_token=Ol1PR3rLTZMAAAAA%3AqJbr4-ox5AsqE0pomMGuSvi3-Im5KarKyxOrBbs5VvEEOVdFZB4FC_jAOAlGsgybaJk53ioXFA
Giannis Antetokounmpo: Milwaukee bucks. Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks | NBA.com. (n.d.). Retrieved October 30, 2022, from https://www.nba.com/player/203507/giannis-antetokounmpo
Lai, O. (2022, February 8). 8 shocking plastic pollution statistics to know about. Earth.Org. Retrieved October 30, 2022, from https://earth.org/plastic-pollution-statistics/
Magazine, S. (2022, May 9). At least 85 percent of U.S. plastic waste went to landfills in 2021. Smithsonian.com. Retrieved October 30, 2022, from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-us-recycled-just-5-percent-of-its-plastic-in-2021-180980052/
Reddy, S., & Lau, W. (2020, July 23). Breaking the plastic wave: Top findings for preventing plastic pollution. The Pew Charitable Trusts. Retrieved October 30, 2022, from https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2020/07/23/breaking-the-plastic-wave-top-findings#:~:text=An%20estimated%2011%20million%20metric,of%20coastline%20around%20the%20world.
World Data. (2021). Earth. Earth - Place Explorer - Data Commons. Retrieved October 30, 2022, from https://datacommons.org/place/Earth?utm_medium=explore&mprop=count&popt=Person&hl=en
Data:
Google. (VanDerhei, 2022). Google Sheets: Online Spreadsheet editor | google workspace. Retrieved October 16, 2022, from https://www.google.com/sheets/about/
Pamuła, H. (2022, July 30). Plastic footprint calculator. Check Your Environmental Impact. Retrieved October 16, 2022, from https://www.omnicalculator.com/ecology/plastic-footprint?c=USD&v=yogurt_cont%3A0%21week%2Ccotton_swab%3A0%21week%2Cbath_bottles%3A0%21half_year%2Crefill%3A0%21half_year%2Cother%3A0%21lb%2Cbags%3A5%21week%2Cfood_wrapper%3A14%21week%2Ctoothpaste%3A1%21month%2Ctoothbrush%3A7%21year%2Cdetergents_hdpe%3A3%21three_months%2Ctake_away_box%3A26%21week%2Ctake_away_cup%3A16%21week%2Cstraws%3A7%21month%2Ccutlery%3A15%21month%2Cplastic_plates%3A0%21month%2CPET_bottles%3A3%21week
Images:
Giannis - https://www.nba.com/bucks
Maggie - Grace VanDerhei & her iPhone 12
Community effort - https://www.vecteezy.com/vector-art/2884243-people-gathering-plastic-bottles-into-large-box-for-recycle
Community outreach - https://www.samaritanhealthcare.com/community-outreach/
Education - https://futureoftheocean.wordpress.com/2016/10/08/going-to-school-on-plastic-pollution/
Conversation - https://offices.vassar.edu/counseling-service/services/conversation-hour/
Life w/o Plastic - https://www.pinterest.com/pin/617556167635005298/
ALNC - https://www.volunteeryourtime.org/agency/detail/?agency_id=43794
Green Life Trading Co - https://greenlifetradingco.com/blogs/end-of-life
Reusable coffee - https://www.homegrounds.co/keepcup-review/
Reusable bag - https://mendorecycle.org/Blog/Post/2
FINAL WEEK
October 31 ----> November 6
Final Report
Concluding Essay
FINAL REPORT
INTRODUCTION
My personal challenge was to reduce my plastic consumption; specifically, I wanted to significantly reduce my single-use plastic waste. Using the numbers of my control week, I aimed to reduce my conventional and bioplastic waste by 50% and my single-use plastic waste by 100% by the end of the duration. While I did reduce my overall plastic waste; unfortunately, I did not realize my goal of eliminating single-use plastics in my final week.
METHODS
Execution of my personal challenge was unequivocally dependent on accurate data collection. Each of the four weeks of this assignment period I tracked each item of plastic that I discarded; I subdivided the categories into 3 distinct groupings: conventional plastics; bioplastics; and single-use plastics. Additionally, I logged what the item was and on what date I discarded the item. I stored my data in a Google spreadsheet each week, where I was able to manipulate the data into relevant graphics for weekly summarization (VanDerhei, 2022).
Additional resources that were consistent throughout the challenge were my weekly Plastic Footprint calculator (Pamuła, 2022). My footprint calculator measured various indices of plastic use to determine the poundage of plastic I would consume annually and within my lifetime.
RESULTS
Figure 1 highlights the relevant summary statistics of my personal challenge, divided by the week. For this assignment, the relevant summary statistics were the amount of plastic waste generated and my counts of conventional, single-use, and bioplastics. Figure 2 displays the graphical trends, as well as my plastic footprint comparison, across the 4 weeks of challenge period.
Figure 1-
Table of summary statistic throughout challenge duration.
Figure 2-
(A) Comparison of plastic consumption in the categories of single-use, conventional, and bioplastics across all four weeks.
(B) Trends in overall plastic waste discarded each week of the challenge duration.
(C) Visual comparison of target and relizaed values, by week, as compared to the control week standard.
DISCUSSION
Although I missed my goals, I still reduced my environmental impact. In the beginning weeks of my plastic challenge my largest areas of waste were disposable dining and drinkware. I noticed that, just by carrying a reusable water bottle to avoid single-use plastic ones, I could reduce my plastic footprint significantly! This was one of the two main realizations of this challenge: simple swaps can have a significant effect on your environmental impact. While I failed at eliminating all single-use plastics, I can confidently say that reducing your individual plastic consumption is not all that daunting of a feat.
My second take away from this challenge is that plastic is inevitable. My downfall in the final week was wholly cultural based– Halloween. It is alarming how ingrained plastic consumption is in American society; I feel as if this is attributable to the culture of convenience in the US (Mcswpadm, 2017). While convenience is largely my personal speculation, it is difficult to deny the numbers– the United States generates more plastic than any other country in the world (Parker, 2021).
Upon completion of this challenge, I will be more conscious of not only the quantity of my plastic waste, but rather the drivers behind my consumption. I found that it is entirely impossible to avoid plastics, however, being more open to sustainable alternatives is an efficient way to minimize consumption without compromising too much of our beloved convenience!
REFERENCES
Mcswpadm. (2017, February 21). The American Convenience Culture · Relocateusa. RelocateUSA. Retrieved November 7, 2022, from https://relocateusa.com/the-american-convenience-culture/#:~:text=The%20United%20States%20is%20sometimes,easily%20available%20at%20all%20times.
Pamuła, H. (2022, July 30). Plastic footprint calculator. Check Your Environmental Impact. Retrieved November 7, 2022, from https://www.omnicalculator.com/ecology/plastic-footprint?c=USD&v=yogurt_cont%3A0%21week%2Ccotton_swab%3A0%21week%2Cbath_bottles%3A0%21half_year%2Crefill%3A0%21half_year%2Cother%3A0%21lb%2CPET_bottles%3A33%21week%2Cbags%3A5%21week%2Cfood_wrapper%3A14%21week%2Ctoothpaste%3A1%21month%2Ctoothbrush%3A7%21year%2Cdetergents_hdpe%3A3%21three_months%2Ctake_away_box%3A26%21week%2Ctake_away_cup%3A16%21week%2Cstraws%3A7%21month%2Ccutlery%3A15%21month%2Cplastic_plates%3A0%21month
Parker, L. (2021, May 3). U.S. generates more plastic trash than any other nation, report finds. Environment. Retrieved November 7, 2022, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/us-plastic-pollution
VanDerhei, G. (2022). Part 2: My personal challenge. Google Sheets: Online Spreadsheet editor | google workspace. Retrieved November 7, 2022, from https://www.google.com/sheets/about/
Images-
Plastic Bottle - https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WTXCtPFr6P7EygfJZ8DsA3-1920-80.jpg.webp
Life w/o Plastic - https://www.pinterest.com/pin/617556167635005298/
Zero Waste- https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTeaojisiZ9HKIZMjn0sDS5wQL0ydiLjVgAeQ&usqp=CAU
APPENDIX
Graphs/visuals from my final week of the personal challenge
CONCLUDING ESSAY
Across the Product consumption posts, commonalities presented themselves. We all commented on how difficult it is to substantially reduce–or eliminate– unsustainable materials. Especially true of plastic products, the pervasive nature of the material makes avoidance impossible. Another similarity that I noticed was how we all quantified our contribution to the biodiversity crisis in terms of carbon emissions; while there is no doubt that plentiful carbon is a driving issue to the crisis, I think that the reliance on this metric may undermine the true severity. Unfortunately, with considerations to the limitation of efficient metrics and the ubiquitous nature of unsustainable materials, this experience has reiterated my pessimistic outlook for solving the biodiversity and climate crisis. I began this challenge with the mentality that avoiding excess plastic waste would be as simple as dining at home and carrying a water bottle; I did not anticipate the abundance of plastic in various forms and packaging. Furthermore, the convenience culture in developed economies intensifies the tremendous environmental impact attributable to plastic waste. This is one of the largest reasons why I believe that plastic avoidance is the most difficult solution to minimizing the ecological footprint of human product consumption. Thankfully, there are alternative solutions that may be more efficient to implement.
Instead of evading all habitual plastics, reusing plastics would lower the impact. There are many sources on the web (I have attached some of my favorites below!) that explore this correlation: reusable is better than single-use. Regardless of the composition materials (i.e. paper, aluminum, etc), life-cycle assessments unanimously favor reusable options when compared to single-use counterparts (upstream solutions.org). Similarly, the World Economic Forum made the claim that “reusing 10% will stop almost half of plastic waste from entering the ocean”. To achieve this, I would argue that improved education on the dangers of plastic pollution could be a successful strategy. From personal experience, although those images of turtles trapped in plastic are sad, the knowledge of plastic-based endocrine disruptors sent me on a downward spiral of Google searches!
A case study determined that the “most important drivers of consumers’ plastic packaging waste avoidance and recycling are environmental concern and task-specific benefits, and the most important barriers are lack of knowledge and understanding as well as lack of opportunities, inconvenience, and task difficulty” (Fogt Jacobsen et al., 2022). In theory, any strategy that would target one or all of these areas of difficulty would likely be followed by a reduction in consumer plastic waste.
To see global successes in the climate/biodiversity crisis, responsibility should not fall strictly on the consumer. According to the Plastic Soup Foundation: “there are three parties that bear this responsibility. Governments that can make and enforce rules, companies that produce or use plastics, and consumers. Each party has its own responsibility. But instead of tackling the plastic soup together, people tend to point fingers at one another.” All three responsible parties must demonstrate a continuing commitment to improving the plastic crisis. To make matters more difficult, this needs to be at a global scale, since it is a global issue that affects us all.
References-
Fogt Jacobsen, L., Pedersen, S., & Thøgersen, J. (2022). Drivers of and barriers to consumers’ plastic packaging waste avoidance and recycling – A systematic literature review. Waste Management, 141, 63–78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2022.01.021
Plastic Soup Foundation. (2021, June 8). Who is responsible for plastic pollution? Plastic Soup Foundation. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://www.plasticsoupfoundation.org/en/plastic-problem/plastic-soup/who-is-responsible/
Reusing 10% will stop almost half of plastic waste from entering the ocean. here's how. World Economic Forum. (n.d.). Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/07/reusing-plastic-waste-pollution-economy-value/
Upstream Policy Institute, INC. (n.d.). Reuse vs single-use: Environment - upstream: Sparking innovative solutions to plastic pollution. Upstream. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from https://upstreamsolutions.org/reuse-vs-single-use-environment
Images:
monkey - https://cdn.downtoearth.org.in/library/large/2019-01-14/0.49350200_1547464435_garbage1.jpg
seal - https://coastalcare.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/plastic-pollution-seal-trapped.jpg
tiger- https://wildernessandme.files.wordpress.com/2020/02/picture8.jpg
plastic boy - https://assets.weforum.org/article/image/large_gYUaBA4mt1jErnMfoqDkgeXJfDRV_Vgs4ekhX-BPCDc.jpg
Livestock - https://cdn.downtoearth.org.in/library/large/2022-03-03/0.28036400_1646298787_plastic.jpg
Black bear - https://i.natgeofe.com/k/2b520d12-6d78-4509-a219-0600c2ae6dca/bear-cub-with-plastic_4x3.jpg
polar bear - https://www.plasticsoupfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/dierenleed.jpg
suffocated deer - https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/171B/production/_104351950_muntjacdeerpixelated.jpg
bird - https://www.tropicalconservationfund.org/uploads/8/5/2/9/85297444/plastics-pollution_orig.jpg
squirrel - https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/img-35.jpg