Category: Sustainable life Diary

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Seven ways to stop plastic in the food court

Shopping without acquiring plastic in the food court isn’t easy! The object of the game is to figure out how to stop it from flowing past you. For all those 1970’s and 1980’s babies out there it’s kinda like the game of Pong!

This game was pretty much Tennis for those who have no idea what I’m talking about! I went to the mall with my son and we decided to eat at the food court. It’s near impossible to do this without throwing anything away. But, eating in the mall is a popular place for families to go!

My goal was to be mindful and turn away plastic containers. I ordered the KFC take away bucket for kids and it came in a paper container with a plastic lid. Then I bought a salad from Chachi’s which came in a paper container with a plastic lid.

I popped the lid off both containers and asked each company to keep it. When we do this we’re sending a message to them that we don’t want it anymore. Don’t offer it. Styrofoam is also a seriously nasty solution for containers! It will last a million years!!! If more of us are mindful they will see the trend and will adjust packaging accordingly. #onegooddeedaday

Ways to stop the flow of plastic packaging in the food court

  • Bring own sports bottle or coffee cup
  • Buy only fountain drinks
  • Ask for a paper plate
  • Keep a Fork, Spoon, and Knife in the car (keep them in the car wash in the bathroom accordingly)
  • Bring a water bottle or mug from home
  • Give back napkins you think you won’t use

Did I miss anything? If so please leave a comment and I’ll add it to the list. If each person does one of these deeds a day then the way people conduct their business will also change. We have to complain and give back when it’s necessary!

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Arts and Crafts

So my preschooler has finally “graduated”… yep! the word is slightly ambiguous but the thought and the community around it was quite touching! I like to think of it as a preschool participation party. A farewell to the kids that spent the last two years together. Very sweet!! One of the events that led up to the dinner was a pizza and poster night! My husband and I showed up armed with a few photos not really knowing what to expect. When we arrived I realized that each family received their own poster paper. They provided all the materials; glitter felt, stickers, glue, and metallic paper. I’m a creative person so quickly took charge! After about an hour I had successfully completed the poster. A proud mama moment. At that moment I felt accomplished and thought it looked pretty good! I looked at it again when we got home and thought…all this glitter, all this plastic. How long would it last? Well, I guess it depends. When Jacob has grown up the glitter will be. Once his children are born the stickers will also be… Yet, this poster will be long gone.

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How To Plan A Great Shoreline Cleanup

Today our town held a great shoreline cleanup! Originally postponed by high winds we finally held it on a calm and sunny morning.

A junk collection company who I hadn’t heard of previously was on demand to collect litter from multiple locations.

They handed out gloves, extended picker claws, along with burlap sacks, which will be reused next year. Furthermore, Starbucks and a local grocer pitched in with free coffee and muffins!!

The junk company went from location to location and delivered the trash to the designated drop off in a park next to the Ocean. Where they sorted the trash so they could easily recycle. Likewise, the City picked up this trash that had been collected by the over forty volunteers.

This is the way a well-run Shoreline Cleanup should operate! Personally, I found it frustrating to get a four-year-old battling a cold to be punctual. No one was cooperating! Neither my son or husband wanted to go.

I pushed through it and won! Nothing a little Advil and time out couldn’t help! Once we arrived my son did great! He and I found ourselves on a little adventure weaving in and out of driftwood.

The plastic was mostly small, bits and pieces, lighters, bottle caps, cigarette butts, and rope. There also may have been a few used condoms.

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Jake’s Traveling Pants

To be honest it’s difficult to travel with a four-year-old and be environmentally friendly at the same time! It’s not surprising how the waste naturally accumulates. Stickers, bottles of juice, and fast food containers!! My car becomes an environmental disaster in no time! Upon a quick clean-up, I found a ray of hope. One large company is beginning to change their ways… Mcdonald’s has begun to make their happy meal boxes from 100% post-consumer materials! I had no idea! This struck a curious chord in me. So, I’ve decided to investigate the matter! Therefore, what’s the scoop in the world of post-consumer packaging is coming soon!

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Priceless conversation and cheap shoes

I sat outside on a warm sunny day while the neighborhood children were playing. I carried my bucket of soap and two pairs of shoes and began to scrub them. It didn’t take long for them to become curious. A little girl asked, “what are you doing?” I replied, “Well I’m cleaning my shoes because they’re dirty!” She answered “oh! Why?” I continued, “well when you get older your feet will stop growing and you won’t buy as many new shoes. Do You know how many one billion is? She shook her head. I continued, well neither do I! But that’s how many pieces of garbage are floating in the ocean right now! You see I’m washing these shoes because I don’t want them to get lost in the Ocean. That’s how Whales get sick and die. She looked at me with a smile and said yes I know Whales! Turtles too!!

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Diary for sustainable living.

After my husband and I shop Costco we separate the meat with plastic bags. We do this because the bulk packages come in 10-20 pieces! Every family loves Costco! I was in the middle of defrosting the meat when my thoughts wondered… This really isn’t an environmentally friendly process at all! I removed the thawed meat from the bag and realized cleaning the bag and recycling it was secondary to throwing it into the trash. Reason: Goey slime guts flowing its contents splashing said bacteria into the sink!! Gross. Hmmm Well, I guess I still have a long ways to go in the process.