Throughout the quarter, I will be recording my weekly use of microplastics. I have never paid it close attention before, but my goal is to grow more conscious of my usage each week.
Week 1: Sept. 27 – Oct. 3
Some of the more blatant examples of microplastics that I use around my apartment include:
Shower Exfoliator Scrub
Single Use Grocery Bags
Individually Wrapped Food
I didn’t think it would be fair to throw myself into this challenge without first considering where I have already cut out or repurposed microplastics:
Reusable Water Bottle
Reusable Straws
Reusable Coffee Cup (pre-corona)
Reuse Single Use Grocery Bags
Week 2: Oct. 4 – Oct. 10
I kept a rough tally anytime I threw away something I thought to be notable. “Rough” tally because I am still adjusting to what should or should not be recorded when it comes to considering my usage of microplastics. Alas, a small trash list:
Shampoo Bottle
Hair Dye Kit and Gloves
Plastic Lids and Straws
While putting in a new pair of contacts like I do everyday, I thought of how much plastic I must have produced throughout my life with the packaging. I then was curious about the actual lenses and discovered that they too are contributing to the microplastics in our water system. That is 14 contact packages and 14 contacts every. single. week.
Week 3: Oct. 11 – Oct. 17
This week I noticed I was finishing up most of my products at the same time, which ended up filling my trash with quite a few large bottles. Here are some things from my trash this week that caught my attention:
Shampoo Bottle
Lotion Bottle
Body Wash Bottle
Expired Debit Card (cut up)
I got to cut up my very first debit card this week, but while doing so I was thinking about the best way to dispose of the little shards so they aren’t a menace to the environment or animals. I still am honestly not sure, but I do wish that this was not something that needed to be done every couple of years when you get a new card.
I also went to the grocery this week. While there, I picked up on a few ways that I can think ahead about what is getting thrown away. For example, I always skew towards glass containers instead of plastic because I am more likely to reuse them for something!
Week 4: Oct. 18 – Oct. 24
This week I threw out more large empty plastic bottles:
Fabric Softener
Milk Gallon
2 Liter Bottle
These items get thoroughly rinsed and dried so that they can be put into the recycling bin instead of the trash can. A change I am hoping to make in future weeks is to purchase cans of pineapple instead of the plastic single serving cups! More pineapple, and less plastic wrapping.
Week 5: Oct. 25 – Oct. 31
Every week I get more and more shocked at the rate of my consumption. This weekend, I noticed a large abundance of aluminum cans going out in my recycling. While these are not plastics, I was still interested in learning how their impact on the environment compares. As it turns out, aluminum is much easier to recycle and much more valuable than both glass and plastics. I even read that Pepsi was experimenting to start selling canned water instead of the bottled, which often results in plastic in the water you are drinking from the bottle. Aluminum seems to be hardest on the environment during metal extractions.
