Rebecca Helppi

Environmental Problems

12/16/13

A day without plastic

               This challenge was very informative because it made me really think about what products I used and if it were plastic what I could use instead. Going a whole day without using any plastic was very challenging because in present day society we are surrounded by plastics in every direction. It is my opinion that everyone should be required to do this challenge so as to realize just how much plastic we use in a day, and how much of that plastic could be eliminated.

               One of the hardest things that I gave up for this challenge would have had to have been phone because I use it every day. It was hard because I was unable to call my mom, check my email, or text my friends. Thank goodness I did this over the weekend because if I had been driving and stalled out or something like that I would have been unable to call for help.

               Another thing that was more challenging to go without was plastic shopping bags; however they were much easier to replace than a cell phone because they sell canvas bags right there in the store. Sure it cost me a little more than it would have had I not been doing this challenge, but I believe that these bags were a good investment because now I can use them in the future as well. One more plastic item that was harder not to use would have been saran wrap. Unfortunately I use this product often to cover food and to be without it made me try to figure out a new solution. I resorted to putting food in a bowl and covering it with a plate, because my tupperware containers are also plastic.

               Some things that I found easy to go a day without included: plastic cups, take-out containers, and plastic utensils. I do not use these items on a regular basis so they were not missed during this project. However, in the future I intend to avoid these products as much as possible as well.

               This challenge definitely helped to open my eyes to how many plastics a person can use in one day ranging from anything such as a paper cup to a baby rattle. Our society has come to accept plastics as a part of our everyday lives and I feel like this is not a good things. Many people do not always recycle because of the effort it takes. I also believe that the younger generations are not even realizing how plastics affect our environment due to plastics becoming the ‘norm’ in everyday society.

 

 

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