PlasticProject
Contents
August-November 2007 Leave No Plastic Behind
This page is intended to be a pretty straightforward log of my experiences and struggles during a three month period as part of Leave No Plastic Behind. I am participating in LNPB after meeting the founder Cheryl Lorhmann at the Cracked Pots [1] garden art show where I spoke to folks about my yearlong endeavor in which I am weighing all of my: trash, compost, recyclables (paper, plastic, glass, metal). The focus of the Cracked Pots show was to create out of what is typically discarded. I was struck by Cheryl's approach and thought the project was an amazing move in terms not only of Reduce Reuse Record (her words), but also in its ability to permanently alter behavior through, at times, excruciating inconvenience and exponentially increased awareness.
- Apparently, there are a lot of trash obsessed folks out there! Sweet! Kasey
The What
- Participants agree not to use any single use plastic for a three month period. Any plastic that is used is collected- not recycled or discarded, and will be the material base for a show in November. Artists can take plastic from other's recycling, and must use any plastic they have collected for their work.
- The Exceptions
these are my own, maybe the other participants are being more hardcore?
- medication
- sunscreen
- I used a ziptie, Julia said it was ok.
- ahem, doggie bags- these have been seriously repurposed from my pre-LNPB days. No more will be coming into the house, so we'll see how crafty or desperate I get.
Post Project Statement
- Living without single use plastic as part this project was simultaneously enlightening and, at times, physically uncomfortable. I intend to continue with the reforms made to my daily life as a result of the near surgical awareness spawned by LNPB. Having previously considered myself conscious of my environment, this process has made me feel like a collaborationist in denial.
- The first shower I attempted back in August took about twice as long as usual and required more attention and thought than I care to disclose. Everything required consideration.
- Among aspects of daily life, food packaging was consistently a source of violation: organic any-and-everything transported from afar packaged in plastic, plastic bags in the organic produce section, plastic pulls on otherwise recyclable paper cartons, and wispy unrepurposeable food envelopes hidden in boxes.
- The events of the past three months have compelled me to consider my immediate environment and what is required to make significant reductions in my plastic consumption. It has called into question the notion and role of convenience and that of being green.
Oct. 24, 2007
- notes for statement
- Aspects of the project are wrapping up. I am to write a post project statement explaining the work created and, on some level more importantly, the work that went into actually living this project for (nearly) three months- still have three weeks to go...
- Adhereing to the outlined rules has proven to be a challenge far beyond initial expectations, which now seem wholly irrelevent.
Aug. 31, 2007
I got myself a new refillable metal pen- the others I was using were plastic. Note: I also use a lot of pencils. The pen was packaged in plastic, obviously; ugh, one step forward... I took apart the pen and the refill cartridge is entirely metal save for a tiny plastic nub on the end, drats. Avoiding single use plastic is getting absorbed into my daily process though it requires my unrelenting attention and a high level of detail. I am certainly conscious of the plastic around me and am trying hard to not break the rules and when I do accidently use plastic, on one level it feels defeating, while on a macro level it illustrates just how pervasive plastic is. Kasey 14:59, 31 August 2007 (PDT)
Aug. 28, 2007
I've spent some time reading Elizabeth Royte's Garbage Land it's enlightening and ultimately rather depressing. Kasey 15:52, 28 August 2007 (PDT)
Aug. 27, 2007
I am preparing, mentally at least, for the first artist group meeting this Sunday.
- What have I learned from this process?
- Am I living differently?
- How is my project coming along?
- How's the inconvenience thing working for you?
- Perceptions, conditioning...
August 22, 2007
- In the first few days of the project I found myself inadvertently cheating, grabbing whatever was handy (the handy thing being almost always in plastic, no?) so I had pack away all single-use plastic that I might grab in the course of a day. At this stage it is somewhat depressing to have to consider everything that I consume and make notes of all that needs to change.
-I thought the most logical way to approach this would be to start at the top, as in my hair- how will I wash it without shampoo that comes in verboten plastic? I found this: Aveda Shampoo Bar that seems to do the trick. Kasey 17:45, 22 August 2007 (PDT)
Links on Trash, Plastic, Changes and LNPB
- Olympia Dumpster Divers
- Making Babies, Not Trash- Meet Rosie Reuseable
- ...from Sustainable Life
- Master Recycler
- Container Recycling Institute [2]
- Tiny Choices [3]
- New Zealand Zero Waste Ministry for the Environment
- Zero Waste New Zealand [4]
- Ideal Bite
- Swapatorium
Thoughts? Suggestions?
- This is totally awesome! I look forward to following your progress! Ted Ernst | talk 19:46, 22 August 2007 (PDT)
- I agree - this is sweet and I definitely want to learn more, as I'm sure others do. Maybe we could get something like this going on at the AboutUs office? It would certainly jive with the new logo, no? ChrisBabson | talk
- Making the case for physically separated bike lanes in NYC
thanks-
Kasey
