Kanjal Rivichandran ~ Plastic-Free Sunday FAILED

So, the night before:

Yes…finally, tomorrow…I can actually carry out the plastics challenge! Sunday and home alone! No need to dress to go out. No need to necessarily shower since I’ll be home all day. I get to skip many encounters with plastics in the bathroom (Body shampoo in a plastic bottle, toothpaste in a plastic container, toothbrush and shower curtain made out of plastic).
No alarm needed as well. It’s a Sunday.

Today (Sunday):

Woke up early afternoon, surprisingly by myself. Could not use the phone neither my laptop since they have tones of plastic components. I don’t use a watch, so I had no idea what time it was. I thought to myself,” it’s definitely not 4.30pm because it is still bright outside”. Before I could realize, I failed the challenge within 3 minutes (probably) after waking up. Why? Because I reached out for my glasses and wore them without realizing that they’re made out of plastic. I can’t see without them.

Oh well, I decided to move on without my glasses, which was a big BIG mistake. I went to the kitchen; thankfully the door is a wooden door with a metal knob. I reached for my non-plastic cup from a wooden cabinet and filled it with tap water to make coffee. I walked over to the microwave, as usual which I always use to heat up water. Then I stopped. “Microwave is made out of plastic. What was I even thinking?” So, I decided to boil some water in a metal pot on the stove. But, that would make me fail the challenge because the metal pot has a plastic holder and the knobs on the stove are plastic.

So I ended up drinking the cold plain water from my cup. I realized I can’t fix any sandwiches neither cook any food on the stove or in the microwave because 1) every type of food was in some sort of plastic containers 2) the fridge is made out of plastic. GREAT.

After rattling through the kitchen, I found some food. FINALLY.
Yay, cereal in a cardboard box.
A few seconds later, I knew. I can’t eat that. It is in a plastic bag.

Dismally, I ate no cereal for my lunch and drank only plain water. Having nothing else to do, I wanted to read a novel. Only to realize, I can’t read without my glasses on and it was too dark. The light switches and my blinds (which were closed) were made out of plastic.

Finally, I had a headache trying to read in the dark and gave up. I can’t believe I failed within (probably 30-40) minutes after waking up. This challenge made me realize how much we depend on plastics and how much plastics control our lives. Every part of my life is filled with plastics. Now I am more aware and determined to make better choices when it comes to using plastics in my life. It’s about time we make the world a better place.