Lost in a World of Plastic

Danny Baldus-Strauss (Section 306: Wishart)

When I first read the assignment for the plastics challenge, I thought it was pretty feasible to last just 24 hours without using plastics. I could just stay in bed all day to avoid them, right? I soon realized that even in the comfort of my own bed… I was surrounded by plastics. The elastic on my sheets, the coating of my alarm clock, the fan running beside me, my phone, my retainer, my chapstick, the list goes on. So, to start my day without plastics, I decided to sleep on my couch that had a wooden frame and no plastics. My night on the couch was not the best night of sleep I’ve gotten, but because I had no classes during my day without plastics, I was able to sleep in late and avoid using my alarm clock or my phone to wake me up. I woke up to the sunlight for the first time in years. I’d have to say it was one of my more peaceful mornings in Madison… waking up to the sun sure beats having your ears blasted by the piercing sound of an alarm clock. Next, I off my couch, rubbed my eyes, and left my prized possession, plastic-coated cell phone on my windowsill to wait there all alone for the next 24 hours. I walked to the bathroom and stared at my plastic toothbrush and toothpaste. I walked back into my room, opened up a metal tin full of Altoids and popped one in my mouth, smelled my breath, and then reached for another. It was already 1:00 p.m. so I only had to last 11 more hours. I went to my metal sink, filled up my metal water bottle, leaving the plastic cap on my desk, and went back into my room. With bad breath and a water bottle that kept spilling water all over the place, I reached over my surplus of mechanical pencils and grabbed my wooden Ticonderoga Envirosticks pencil made from recycled material and sat on my couch to embark on my loads of homework. I opened my Psychology book and began reading; only to realize that my notebook that I was going to take notes on had plastic rings binding it together. Frustrated already, I got up ad walked to my desk to graph some sheets of loose-leaf paper, pretending that I didn’t see the plastic shrink wrap keeping the stack together. As I went to sit back down, I remembered that my printer was pretty much all plastic. Knowing that my biology professor probably wouldn’t be cool with a hand-written lab report, I figured that I probably couldn’t finish the day without using my printer, not to mention my laptop that I needed to use to write my report on. I sat on my couch studying with my unsharpened eco-friendly pencil wishing that I could use my headphones to listen to some music or maybe take a break to watch some my favorite show on my plastic-encased TV. When I got bored of studying, I glanced at my guitar and checked for any signs of plastic. My dad’s antique, top-of-the-line guitar had no signs of plastic. Wood and metal were the only things I saw. I’d have to play without a pick, and even though I doubt that the guitar was made without any plastics, it was good enough for me. I played for an hour or two to pass some time. Then, I got hungry. I went downstairs and almost opened my plastic fridge to grab some frozen food in plastic containers to place in my plastic microwave. So, I settled on ordering Jimmy John’s instead. I left my apartment in a sweatshirt to avoid using any plastic and I made sure none of my clothes had buttons or other plastic parts. Normally, I order Jimmy John’s for delivery but without a phone or a laptop, I was forced to leave my apartment unshowered, feeling unsatisfied with my unproductive and unfulfilling day. Jimmy John’s probably used plastic to put together my sandwich in some way but at least I wasn’t directly using them. So, I took my #1, walked to Starbucks, had them fill up my ceramic cup, and headed back to my non-plastic world that I had created for myself on this day. After eating, playing guitar, and finishing my homework, I took a nap. With no alarm to wake me up, I woke up around 11:00 p.m…. not that I was looking at my alarm clock or anything. During my last hour, I contemplated what I was going to write for this blog. On a more than unproductive, sleep-filled day, I found myself realizing how important plastics really are in our modern-day lives. Just about everything that makes us productive involves plastics. When the clock hit midnight, I typed up my lab report, printed it out, checked my e-mail, responded to all my texts, and went to sleep even though I basically hibernated all day long. This opportunity to live without plastics gave me some great insight. I’m content with using plastics each day. They are a vital material in our world. I’ll keep the old adage “all things in moderation” in my mind when using plastics, but in this world, plastics are virtually everywhere. I’ll do my part to continue using my ceramic coffee mug, my aluminum water bottle, and avoid using plastic bags… but after this day, my life of plastics will still continue as it always has. When the school year comes to an end, I’ll head up to my job as a camp counselor in Ely, Minnesota and grab my wooden canoe paddle, hop in an Alumacraft canoe and sleep under the stars, the closest version of a plastic-free world that I’ll ever have the opportunity to live in. The harsh reality is that when the mosquitoes wage war, I’ll probably end up waking up to the sun like I did on my day without plastics… in my synthetic sleeping bag…under the sanctuary of my almost-entirely plastic tent…but hey, at least I won’t have to use the plastic bottle of calamine lotion!