Stranded Without Plastics: Jenn Domenech, Section 309

After deciding that I would attempt this challenge, I quickly realized one thing: I had to try it on a day without classes. At college, there is so much plastic everyday that it would have been an automatic fail to attempt it. You can't go a day without using your ID for food or to get in the dorms; my laptop, which I use to take notes at least once a day, has plastic keys; the keys I use to get into my room have plastic tops; and my wallet is made of plastic, so that eliminates any alternatives to my ID card. Fortunately, I went home this past weekend. I decided that it would be the most opportune time to try to manage a day without plastics since I would easily be able to avoid the plastics associated with school.

Friday night I took time to print out reading homework for classes, so I could spend as much of the day as possible doing homework and studying. I also took a shower, so I could avoid the whole situation of plastic bottles in the shower, at which point I realized that the actual floor of my shower was made of plastic. That was a sad realization. I also opened the blinds for the four windows in my room, so natural light would help me avoid the plastic light switch.

Saturday morning I woke up, and went to the bathroom. I was confronted with the toothbrush/toothpaste dilemma. I realized that not brushing my teeth just wasn't something that I was willing to compromise on. I guiltily brushed my teeth, aware the entire time of the plastic in my hand. When I turned to the toilet, I was again faced with an uncompromisable situation. My handle and seat were made from materials that incorporated plastic polymers. It was unavoidable. I returned to my room to dig for 100% cotton clothes, and dressed from the natural light streaming into room. Deodorant was another thing I wasn't willing to concede. I'm not sure how I would have managed to get through the day without the abundance of windows in my room.

Breakfast consisted of some fruit from the bowl on my kitchen table since my fridge has plastic handles. I also realized that later meals would be a problem. I gathered my papers and a wooden pencil and turned to go to the basement to work. Unfortunately, the staircase was gated to keep my 3-year-old brother from going in the basement unsupervised. Surprise, surprise: the gate was made entirely of plastic. I turned back to my room and set about my homework on my bed. It was at this point that my brother decided to come running into my room with an array of plastic toys: I was literally forced to run away from him. I really wanted to play with him, but all of his toys are plastic: trains, cars, costumes, play tools, and an assortment of others. It was somewhat disconcerting to realize how much of a role plastic plays in children's toys.

Around lunch, I begged my mom to throw together a PBJ sandwich for me. There was noway to fend for myself, as everything in the pantry was wrapped in plastic or had a plastic liner and I was still unable to make my way into the fridge. Not that being able to get into the fridge would have helped much, as most of the food in there was leftovers, put in plastic containers or wrapped in plastic wrap. I got some water and put it in a glass and ate off of a glass plate. I know that I indirectly had incorporated plastic, but I needed to eat. I heard my phone ring and saw it was my dad, and, again, was forced to concede to plastic. My phone, as well as the case, is plastic. It was fail number three, and it was only around 1 o'clock.

I spent the rest of my day working on homework and sitting on the carpet, watching my brother play with his plastic. I would have liked to run some errands, but most of them required a distant travel. Cars are loaded with plastic: the steering wheel, dashboard, parts of the seat, and mirrors. I felt like I was almost stranded inside my house. Dinner came, and fortunately, my mother had cooked. Silverware, glass plates, and glasses for drinks were brought out. I couldn't sit at our dining table because it had a plastic table cloth, so I elected to sit on the metal chair on the living room's wooden table. It was the best I could do. The evening was spent sitting on my brothers completely fabric chair and watching movies with my family. Mind you, I know the TV was made of plastic, but it was a small compromise because I made sure I had no physical contact with it.

Overall, I felt like I had to spend most of the day in a kind of hyper-aware state. I never realized that so much of my life had plastic in it, and making myself aware of this required all of my attention. Every time I wanted to move to do anything, I had to wonder if there was some obscure form of plastic involved. Granted, I think the day would have been a lot harder if I had chosen to leave my house and go anywhere. Stores consist of shelves lined with things wrapped entirely in plastic, which is why I didn't even risk walking to one to shop. I'm not sure that it's possible to live a completely normal day without plastics because showering is a necessity. Computers and cell phones are essential to being able to maintain communication with distant friends, and would be difficult to eliminate. In all honesty, I walked away surprised and feeling a little dismal.