While I have made a valiant attempt, it seems the more try to I avoid plastics, the more I see.  I continually run into situations that seem impossible, but as always, I remain steadfast.

Styrofoam – Plastic #6.  While I have been avoiding this environmental menace for years, I still have to remain vigilant especially while eating out or attending a community event.

Single-Use Plastic Water bottles – After too many thirsty outings, I now generally remember to bring along my stainless-steel water bottle while out and about.

Single-Use Plastic Grocery Bags – I easily avoid these urban tumbleweeds with my large stash of reusable cloth grocery bags and more frequently avoid produce plastic bags.

Storage Containers – I love my Pyrex glass storage containers!  No more tomato-stained, oil soaked plastics that refuse to come clean without going through the dishwasher, further destabilize the plastic.

Coffee – We have a stainless steel carafe and replaced our plastic filter. We heat our water on the stove, and pour it through a ceramic cone (Mellita), that fits in where the plastic filter used to be.  Maybe I’m biased, but it seems our coffee tastes better.  We start our day out right!

Product Bottles – Plastics are obviously industries favorite, but sometimes I can find a similar product in glass.  Compromises come into play – a more nutritious product in plastic usually trumps an alternative in glass.

Entertaining – While on rare occasions we resort to paper plates for larger gatherings, we generally stick with regular dishware and flatware.  It’s healthier for our guests so we don’t mind a little more clean-up effort.

House wares – I am continually replace plastics such as bowls, pitchers, spoons, spatulas, butter dish, measuring cups, canisters, and more. Given my “reduce/reuse” practices, it is taking some time to replace all these plastics with second-hand store purchases.

While in the grocery store, I notice almost every product is encapsulated with plastic.  Even products in boxes still have a plastic lining inside. Paper carton milk products have round plastic spouts and we place bulk items into plastic bags. As hard as I try, each week I still generate a small bag of trash mainly consisting of plastics.  Like I always say, it’s a work in progress.

BTW, to learn more about all things plastic as it relates to the environment, check out my friend’s extensive blog – “Plastic Soup News”.  Melanie has been working with Missouri River Relief for years hosting clean-ups along our riverbanks across 7 states, now in it’s 15th year!  Thank goodness we have many water stewards intercepting plastics headed to the huge, horific swirling ocean gyres!  Many sources now say by 2050, the world’s oceans will hold more plastic than fish by weight.  Sadly, all on our watch.