Participate in the Vices & Virtues Plastics Challenge by filling out this Google Form.
The amount of plastic production and consumption is a significant, highly concerning, and environmentally threatening issue affecting every part of our world. In the United States, plastic waste is particularly pressing. Numbers have risen incrementally and substantially every year since the advent of plastic mass production in the 1960s and its introduction into mainstream society. According to the EPA, 35,680 tons of plastic were generated in 2018 compared to 360 tons in 1960. Of the plastic generated in 2018, only 3,090 tons were recycled, while 26,970 tons of plastic waste ended up in the landfill.
Over the course of one week, the officers of the Zero Waste and Sustainability Club tracked their plastic waste to get a clearer picture of the direct impact their lifestyles have on the plastic recycling and landfill systems. It is important to acknowledge that the pandemic has made certain sustainable alternatives more difficult or impossible to follow, and single-use plastic waste has undoubtedly increased. Nevertheless, this challenge is meant to allow us all to become more aware of our current plastic waste production. In celebration of Earth Month, we encourage you to join us this week in tracking your vices (plastic waste) as well as your virtues (sustainable alternatives you already implement). You can participate by filling out this Google Form also linked above (instructions included). By completing the challenge and submitting this form, you’ll automatically be entered into our Earth Month giveaway and will have the chance to win one of our club tees from our collab with .blacktogrey! We hope that participating in this challenge will give you a sense of where you’re currently at in regard to the amount of plastic waste you produce, while also highlighting the positive changes you’ve made in your sustainability journey. Read the ZWS club officers’ reflections below to gain some insight and inspiration from our experiences:
Nikki
VICES | Going into this exercise, I was a little scared to face the plastic I generated in a week, but I was also excited to see what my results were since this would’ve been the first time I’ve tracked and collected any waste. After collecting my plastic waste for a week, I was surprised to see that I did not use as much plastic as I thought I would, but this is only one week’s worth of plastic waste. Compounded to account for a whole year, my reaction would definitely be less positive. Most of my plastic waste was landfill and realistically, this is difficult to cut down on given how consumer packages are traditionally packaged. For example, the toilet paper my household uses comes in a plastic sleeve. We could switch to paper wrapped toilet paper, but lower waste sometimes comes with a premium. I do feel like my recyclable plastics could be replaced by buying in bulk and using my own produce bags when grocery shopping once it is safe to do so post-COVID.
VIRTUES | Using reusables is a habit that’s been ingrained in my daily routine. I use a variety of reusable containers that range from takeout containers to plastic and glass tupperware to my holy grail silicone Stasher Bags. I try as much as possible to opt for free reusable options like takeout containers and only buy reusables when absolutely necessary. One problem that I have run into is having accumulated a giant stockpile of takeout containers since I almost always wash and keep them–the only way to avoid this would be to stop getting takeout. Overall, this process of collecting and facing my plastic consumption was really productive and helped me identify where I can improve, but also recognize that it’s ok to be imperfect when it comes to being low waste.
Chantal
VICES | At the start of this challenge, I was very interested in finding out how much plastic waste I produce in a week, on average. The experience was new for me because I had never before tracked my waste for any amount of time. I always try to avoid excess packaging when possible, but as a vegan, I’ve found that a lot of the food I eat is unavoidably packaged in plastic (i.e. vegan yogurts, vegan cheeses, hummus, tofu, etc.) In regard to produce, I usually buy organic for personal health reasons. Unfortunately, however, organic produce is almost always packaged in plastic in grocery stores in Germany, where I’m currently located. Germany’s waste disposal system processes all plastics together in one bin, so there was no sorting to be done between “recycling” and “landfill” waste. This challenge made me realize that some of the plastic waste I was producing could have been avoided, for example by choosing non-organic alternatives to the organic produce I was purchasing.
VIRTUES | During the week that I tracked my plastic waste, one optimistic element I noticed was that a lot of the plastic items I was disposing of had actually lasted me a while. The vegan “cheese,” for example, had lasted me about two-and-a-half weeks. Over the years I’ve gathered ideas and methods to reduce my plastic consumption, but living low waste or zero waste is a journey. I use reusable water bottles, carry a reusable straw and spork, and always bring my own bags to the grocery store. I don’t have any Saran / plastic wrap in my household, and I clean and reuse the majority of sturdy plastic packaging containers from food products. This way, I avoid much of the single-use plastic items available. I really enjoyed the process of tracking my plastics for a week because it made me more conscious of every purchase, and I felt a lot more aware of the amount of waste I was producing.
Jackie
VICES | At the start of this plastic challenge, I was interested and nervous to see how much plastic I would generate. Reflecting back on my plastic usage, my plastic usage was entirely food items, which I expected. I do feel like there were situations where I could have used a plastic free alternative, such as buying plums not packaged in plastic and using my own reusable bag at grocery stores (post- COVID) to prevent plastic usage. Realistically, most of my plastic was landfill, with a few recyclables. I do feel like my plastic usage could have been reduced if I bought in bulk or if I had looked for a plastic free alternative. Overall, this experience of tracking my plastic for a week was eye-opening and made me realize that there are some times where I could have not used plastic, but often the plastic alternatives were either cheaper or more convenient for me at the moment.
VIRTUES | Throughout the week that I tracked my plastic, I did manage to use some zero waste practices in order to reduce my plastic usage. I used metal straws whenever I could in order to not use any plastic straws. I also used wax paper and silicon reusable ziplock bags to store any leftover fruits and vegetables. I used glass containers when I could to store meals and I used fabric napkins to reduce my napkin waste. These zero waste options helped me reduce some of my plastic waste during this challenge and helped me see that I am reducing waste in small ways. After this experience, I hope to implement more zero waste practices into my daily life.
Claire
VICES | Almost all of the plastic I generated this week was food-related -- bread bags, produce tags, the shrink wrap from my frozen pizza, a couple of Jolly Rancher wrappers. Some of my plastic came from food I consume regularly, like the vegan cream cheese container and the nutritional yeast bag. But I also saw my grandpa this week, and he gave me some vegan donuts and rugelach, which meant that I probably ended up consuming a little more plastic than I typically do. Some of my plastic is recyclable, but most of it has to go to landfill.
VIRTUES | Over time, I have implemented many zero waste strategies into my lifestyle that reduce my plastic consumption. My shower routine is plastic-free, since I use bar versions of shampoo, conditioner, face soap, and body wash. I also use a bamboo toothbrush. In the kitchen, I use reusable wax wraps, silicone sandwich bags, and Tupperware. Before the pandemic, I bought a lot of my groceries in bulk, but that’s not currently possible at most stores.
Lauren
VICES | The plastic I used this week fell into three general categories. Most items were food packaging, like the bread and granola bags and the pasta packaging. I also had a few hygiene items which came in plastic packaging, and some wrappers for items I bought online. I usually don’t shop much but I needed a new notebook and laptop case for spring quarter, and both came wrapped in plastic. Most of the plastic I used would have to go to the landfill, and there is definitely room for improvement. One change I can make is to find a substitute to floss picks which produces less waste. Most of the other packaging is pretty difficult to avoid, but I like to buy in bulk when I can to reduce the amount of packaging needed for food.
VIRTUES | Since I spend most of my time at home these days, I feel like I do not need to use as much plastic, for example, to store food. I use a mug and water bottle instead of plastic water bottles. I also use tupperware to take food on the go instead of plastic bags. When I was able to go grocery shopping in person, I always used reusable bags as well. I rarely order takeout, so I am able to skip the plastic associated with most restaurants and use my own plates and silverware. This activity has made me realize that I could incorporate more zero waste practices into my daily life, and it was very interesting to quantify my plastic usage and identify the habits I already have to reduce the amount of plastic waste I create.
Milin
VICES | Most of my plastic waste was food-related. I had finished up a bag of kale, a bag of tortillas, a tub of ice cream, a gallon of milk, and a basket of strawberries. I also used some plastic bags for food storage. I tend to store leftover vegetables in plastic food storage bags because its convenient. I had finished up the last of my paper napkins, hence the plastic napkin packaging. Lastly, I used some pipe cleaner for my clogged tub. Most of my plastic waste is recyclable and some in the landfill.
VIRTUES | I feel like I could cut down on the plastic food storage bags by replacing them with reusable containers or reusable bags. The containers like the ice cream tub could be easily used to store other items once cleaned. I try to use good quality tupperware to ensure food will last long. I’d like to cut down on more waste by replacing cleaning products with refillable and more natural cleaning products.
Hannah
VICES | After taking a closer look at my plastics from the last week I noticed that they mostly fell into two categories: food and necessary items. I currently live in the campus dorms and because of this all of my food is transported out of the dining commons in paper or plastic containers. This also includes packaged items such as cereal, sauces, drinks, and sides. It is unavoidable to make waste here because of the COVID-19 guidelines, however there are ways to compost leftover food and anything that comes in paper. The other items of waste are things like mail with plastic in the envelope, cough drop wrappers, and stationery supplies such as markers and white out. I have an almost paperless note set up which greatly reduces my need for pens and markers but these items are not completely avoidable. I do try to take advantage of recycling programs and I am looking for plastic-free alternatives.
VIRTUES | There are certain things I use frequently that have helped me to avoid plastic each day. Some of my favorites here are my water bottle, glass jars, and my Leaf safety razor. I am still in the process of using up products that I already have and replacing them with low waste alternatives. I think this challenge really helped me focus on the things I need to improve in my zero waste routine but it also helped me see how much waste I have been able to avoid. It is a little discouraging during a pandemic because shops are less likely to allow the use of reusable items but I have hope that this won't be as big of a problem in the future.
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