Friday, April 22, 2011

earth day



I've been busy this week and haven't been very active in blogland. It seems the only thing on my mind lately is work or the gardens and I imagine everyone is tired of hearing about both. Or maybe I'm tired of writing about both. Since I quit watching TV, more or less, I have even less exposure to the outside world and to other things that might set me off on a blog post. And I've followed so may blogs now that I just can't get to every one every day, write my own and still get any kind of work done.

I was going to do an Earth Day post since this planet is near and dear to my heart, but here it is, Earth Day, and I have written nothing. So I thought I would just re-post my little rant from last year only I couldn't figure out how to do it without removing it from it's original spot in the line up. So here is a link to it:


Instead of a new post about saving the only home we've got and our disposable mentality, I have a challenge for you, a plastic awareness challenge. You can do this one or two ways (or both).

Make a list of every plastic thing you touch in just one day, any day. You can pick the day.

This is my list so far today and all I've done is get dressed and sit here with my coffee:

  1. the frames of my reading glasses
  2. my pill caddy
  3. the filtered water container
  4. my computer/keyboard/mouse
  5. the handle of the coffee maker carafe
  6. the laminate that covers my cabinet doors and drawing table
  7. the floor tiles in kitchen and bath

This is the other challenge. Save all the plastic you would throw away for one week and then make a list of that. Don't include the plastic that you recycle (assuming, of course, that you do recycle), only the things that would go in the landfill.

I'm going to do both and will publish my results next Friday.

And remember...refuse, reuse, recycle!



10 comments:

  1. How cool to recycle your post on Earth Day. I love that.

    Personally I never tire of your posts - just offering some feedback here.

    I, too, follow too many blogs. I get around when I can, when I can't I let go of feeling like I'm missing out on something. It's the only way it works.

    Happy Earth Day!

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  2. ugh, plastic.

    I did see something interesting today on GMA - they are now recycling plastic water/soda bottles and making it into "bionic" yarn [whatever the hell that means] but then they can weave it into all types of different textured fabrics and makes clothes, shoes, backpacks etc out of it.

    Bet the stuff is wickedly waterproof. :)

    Happy Earth day to you!

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  3. I loved it last year.....and I love it this year. refuse, reuse, recycle......and when you can upcycle and make something beautiful. Thanks and happy, happy earth day. TO"B

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  4. I was about to type my response & thought "that sounds familiar" - and it was - it's the same thing I said last year. And sadly I'm not any better than I was then:

    We definitely recycle - but we're not good about buying things that come with less packaging. Just yesterday I was cooking my lunch from a Healthy Choice kit - and it had a bowl for the pasta with a strainer lid & a separate bowl for the sauce. It was all recyclable - but what a waste! I was really excited that our local recycler started accepting ALL plastics - but again, there's no need to buy plastic just because it can be recycled!

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  5. This is pretty terrifying stuff Ellen!

    I'll make my list tomorow ... we have to re-cycle here - it's been a hot issue for a long time. but anything I cna't re-cylce I'll put on my list.

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  6. Toothbrush? Glass in bathroom? Measuring cup?

    I suppose the floor tile would be vinyl, so is vinyl a kind of plastic?

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  7. A great idea for awareness.. and quite fitting that even your post is recycled. ;)

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  8. I'll choose one day this week and see how I get on.
    It will surely be interesting.

    I recycle all the plastic that's recyclable but that is not as much as I'd like. In Germany bottled water now comes in glass bottles and you pay extra for many plastic containers.

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  9. This is a wise post for I handle a lot of plastic in a day. To document its use and to try to recycle or save rather than dispose....an ambitious exercise!

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I opened my big mouth, now it's your turn.