Dare to Take the Plastic Challenge?

Water bottles, plastic bags, lids and containers, how much disposable plastic are we consuming and throwing away every week? According to the Clean Air Council Americans throw away 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour. As we prepare for our next episode of See Jane Do, Leave the Planet Less Trashy with Less Plastic, Jesse and I are finally ready to cover our eyes and take the plastic challenge.

See Jane Do guest, Beth Terry initiated her own plastic challenge three years ago. Following, she began a life style shift of living with less plastic (she even convinced Brita to recycle their filters). Anyone, (I’m talking to you) can participate in the plastic challenge. Beth encourages all of us to save and tally up our plastic for one week. Sounds doable, but I have put off doing this for months now. I’ve considered taking the challenge earlier but then I’d buy a plastic toy for my girls or I’d use a plastic water bottle. I continued to say, “I’ll start the challenge tomorrow instead.”

But now it’s time to face the truth and discover the true impact that my family’s lifestyle has on the planet. The challenge seems simple enough and includes several basic steps.

1. Save your throw-away plastic for one week.
2. Lay the plastic out on the floor and take a photo (send the photo to Beth’s blog www.FakePlasticFish.com to share with and encourage others to do the same).
3. Answer the following questions: What is it about your lifestyle that’s causing you to use so much plastic? Is there anything you could substitute as a plastic free alternative or give up? What might you give up for a week?

Beth says by doing the plastic challenge “we look at our own plastic and take responsibility for it. It’s not about guilt it’s about seeing that our consumer society is set to make it hard for us to live without plastic.”

How much plastic are you disposing of in a week?
Join Jesse and I in the plastic challenge and share your findings at www.fakeplasticfish.com and seejanedo@kvmr.org. We just might share your stories over the air. I’ll keep you posted on my progress.