Lauren Haska: Section 303 (Emma)

I awoke to the sound of my alarm precisely at 8:15 am. As a rolled over and touched my phone (my alarm clock of course), I realized right away that I already failed. Oops? “Its ok,” I thought to myself. With a reboost of self-confidence I was ready to live a day without using plastics. I was convinced that it was going to be both exciting and challenging (in the best of ways of course). As I sat in bed, I realized I had failed once again. Though my sheets were made of 100% cotton the elastic of the fitted sheet underneath was composed to plastics. Hm… strike 2 and I have only been awake for 2 minutes. Not a good sign. Par usual of my typical day, I was tempted to go straight to my computer and check my email, but due to the day’s challenge I decided against it. Sorry professors, you if you want to reach me today you will have to come find me personally. Wait…. No Facebook today? What a shame. So I got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. What did I see- Plastic. Yep, this was going to be tricky. I thought long and hard about whether or not to take a shower. If I did there was no way of avoiding plastics: the base of the tub, shampoo and conditioner bottles, soap container, that nylon lufa thing. All of them were plastic. So with my fellow classmates in mind, I decided to take strike 3 and shower.

After I showered, I attempted to get ready for the rest of the day. I looked at my brush- plastic. So I decided not to use it. Saw my blow dryer- plastic. I had enough time, so I let my hair air dry. Then it was time to get dressed. Ok so everyone knows that there is plastic in clothing. To avoid any “public indecency” charges and spare my friends years potential therapy sessions, I decided to put on some clothes (my drawers are made of plastic though so I used my cotton towel as a protective barrier to open them….does that count?) I picked out items that were most representative of 100% cotton. I couldn’t put on any makeup, couldn’t brush my teeth, and couldn’t tie my hair back because all my headbands, ponytail holders and bobby pins were composed of plastic. YIKES… I was looking um “beautiful” and was in desperate need of some caffeine ASAP.

So I walked into the kitchen. My coffee machine and the actually coffee container were both make of plastic. Though my thermal mug is mostly made of stainless steel of course it has a plastic top. OK, I am getting desperate here… I abruptly open the fridge in hopes to find a caffeinated beverage and realize the handle to the fridge is plastic. So I skip the caffeine and grab a banana off my the wooden kitchen table. Shoot… all this concentrating on plastic is going make me late for class so I throw on my boots and rush out the door.

Knowing that I was going to do the plastics challenge the night before, instead of using my typical backpack I packed a canvas bag. Instead of using a pen I grabbed a wooden pencil. I usually use a computer during class, but today I would be taking notes on notebook paper. I did, however, bring along with me my cell phone and my binders fully aware that they are made of plastic, but well I consider those items essential. On my walk up Bascom Hill I WISH I could use my iPod, but resisted temptation. However, I did feel a little chilled so I zipped up my jacket- plastic. Oops? Ugh.

Feeling ugly and unmotivated I finally got to class. Upon walking into the room I realized there was NO WAY I was going to be able to avoid plastic. I weighed out my options. I could get in a chair like a normal person, but that was plastic. I could sit on the floor, but I am pretty sure the linoleum tiles are also made of plastic. So to avoid drawing attention to myself and be a bit more comfortable, I decide to go with option #1- desk and chair it is. I have to admit, I couldn’t really pay attention in class because I was playing the “I Spy with My Little Eye Everything Plastics” game…. Seriously it was everywhere. I was sitting on it, writing on it, and also learning from it. The professor’s computer, the projector, the projection screen, and the laser pointer are all items made from plastic. So after making it through my first class, I walked to my next class; faced with the same decisions much like the last situation.

Leaving my last class, I realized it was now around 12 pm (yes, I read the time off a plastic clock) and I was hungry. At the same time, however, my cell phone rang and it was work. I had no other choice. I had to pick up in order to avoid getting in trouble. EMERGENCY! I had to fill in at the hospital…. No plastic there right? WRONG! So realizing there was absolutely NO WAY of avoiding plastics at work (duty calls) I had no other choice, but reluctantly had to give up on the plastic challenge. Not to mention, my stomach felt like it was eating itself so I stopped in at Starbucks for a coffee and a quick snack, in which I used my plastic credit card to pay for J

The truth is, even after my brief period of trying to avoid plastics, I realized it’s pretty much impossible. I couldn’t go through my typical daily tasks without using plastics. Working at the hospital also made me realize the value of plastics. People’s lives are dependent on it. Though some uses of plastic can be justified as “life or death” situations, I do think that our society can cut back on its use. So to those that are curious I say try it! Oh and GOOD LUCK!