Kaitlyn Johns Section 309

I have found, through the plastics challenge that avoiding plastics is not just hard it’s inevitable. I decided to take on the plastics challenge on November 23rd. On the night before, I thought out changes I would have to make in the following day to avoid plastics. I considered specifically asking other people to touch something plastic for me to be cheating.
Therefore, I knew I was going to break the plastics challenge right when I woke up, but I thought I could make it through the rest of the day without a struggle. I broke the challenge when I touched my phone to turn off the alarm I had set. I continued on with the challenge by changing into a sweatshirt and jeans that both did not contain plastic parts and proceeded to the bathroom wearing real moccasins. In the bathroom, I realized that I could not brush my teeth, or wash my face. When I came back to the room, my roommate had thankfully turned on the light. I grabbed a piece of gum to freshen up my breath and used a wipe to wash my face. I did not put any hairspray or make-up on due to the plastic bottles these items are contained in.
The next major challenge was breakfast. I could not open the fridge or use the microwave, so I searched for some food that was not contained in a plastic container and did not have to be placed in the microwave. I also had to look for something that did not involve dishes or utensils because I only had plastic dishes and utensils. My only option was an apple so I ate it.
Leaving my phone on my bed, I grabbed my backpack, and shut and locked the door without turning off the lights. I filled up an old Snapple bottle with water to use as a water bottle. Since the bubbler contains plastic I filled it in the bathroom’s sink. I had to walk to class because the bus and my bike both have plastic components. While in class, I made sure to use a wooden pencil to take notes in my notebook.
After class, I walked to work. This is when I majorly broke the challenge. Since, restaurants are required to use plastics for convince and safety sake I was not really allowed to make improvises. I was forced to wear my non-slip rubber soled shoes. However, still trying to avoid plastics I started out my shift only touching the metal pans. Nevertheless, when the restaurant had become busy for the lunch rush, I had to fulfill my job. The plastics challenge had become a second priority at this moment.
After work, I noticed the apple did not hold me over for very long and I was lost without my phone. I finally gave up the plastics challenge shortly after this. I knew I needed to eat something when my stomach was grumbling and I could not buy food because the only source of money I had was my plastic credit card. This day was anything but simple; plastics are an everyday component of my life, that from this day I found out I cannot live without.