The Plastics Challenge

After we got this assignment I thought it would not be so difficult, but once I really started to think about it, it seemed it would be almost impossible. There is absolutely no way I could survive an entire day without using any plastic.

I tried to do this assignment on a weekend thinking it would be easier to avoid plastics, but unfortunately it was not. I woke up and realized I could not shower, brush my teeth, or my hair. I could not open the refridgerator, use the microwave, or even the faucet(we have a brita). I could not flush the toilet or turn on the bathroom sink. All electronics were out of the question. No television, computer, cell phone, or iPod.

I inevitably failed this challenge, and quite quickly. There is only so much time you can spend sitting on the couch reading a paperback novel, which is about the only activity I could think of doing that did not involve using plastic.

This assignment has been quite eye-opening. Plastics are everywhere and we use them in about every task we complete throughout the day. When I first thought about it I got the obvious ones, the electronics, but then i realized that many of the items in my kitchen are plastic, as well as the bathroom. It is true we could find ways to use less plastic, but how to do this is a big question. Before I failed and started to use plastic I was quite bored and kind of lost without my computer, cell phone, and the television.

I imagine it will be a very difficult task to wean the human population off plastic even slightly. It is quite shocking to think of all the things that are made of plastic in the 21st century. If there is any chance at reducing our use in plastic we are going to have to do it quite gradually, one product at a time. If we do not, the entire population will be lost, quite like I was when I attempted the plastics challenge.

-Rachel Behling, Section #308