As a part of our plastics week we’ve been in touch with Beth from Fake Plastic Fish who’s been striving for 2 years to live without disposable plastic, here’s her story:

A Plastic-Free Adventure
“There are all kinds of adventures. I’d love to be out exploring the Pacific Garbage Patch like David and the Plastiki crew or travelling to Midway Island where thousands of albatross carcasses have been found full of plastic pieces. I’d love to have taken a bike ride down the entire West Coast educating people about the dangers of ocean plastic pollution with the JunkRide team or sailed out to research plastic in the other oceans of the world with 5Gyres. But for the past three years, I’ve had an adventure of a different kind – an adventure into learning how to stop plastic pollution at the source, starting with myself.

“Three years ago, I saw a photo of one of those dead albatross chicks…and it changed my life. Inside that chick, I saw disposable objects that I myself used on a daily basis – bottle caps, plastic utensils, even a toothbrush – and I committed to finding ways to live with as little disposable plastic as possible. I created the blog, Fake Plastic Fish, to track my progress and report on ways to reduce our plastic footprint as much as possible. It’s been a challenge, for sure. And challenges can be fun. In addition to learning about plastic, I learned a lot about myself.

“Plastic-free doesn’t mean using no plastic at all. My computer, cell phone, television, bike helmet, and a whole host of objects that make my life better are made from plastic. But there were also a lot of unnecessary plastics junking it up. Like single-use disposable packaging and containers. Plastic food containers that could leach toxic chemicals into my food. And plastic gadgets and appliances that I actually didn’t need. To me, plastic-free means doing all I can to avoid acquiring new plastic unless it’s absolutely necessary. Here are a few of the steps I took and what they taught me.

“First, I decided to collect all my plastic waste each week, photographing it, tallying it up, and posting the results to my blog. How could I know what my plastic footprint actually was unless I could see it right in front of me? And how could I know what areas needed work? The average American generates around 88 pounds of plastic trash per year. And in 2007, I was surely an average American. But in 2009, I generated only 3.7 pounds, half of that due to my rascally cats. How about collecting your own plastic? Many Fake Plastic Fish readers are taking the Show Your Plastic Trash Challenge to collect their plastic for a minimum of one week and post it to the site. I invite you to join us!

“For me, the easiest things to give up were plastic bottles and plastic shopping bags. Perhaps remembering to bring my own stainless steel water bottle and reusable bags was a challenge in the beginning, but after leaving the store a few times carrying my purchases in my hands or allowing myself to get a little thirsty when I forgot my bottle, remembering became second nature. One thing I learned about myself: I don’t always have to have exactly what I want when I want it. What is the real price of convenience when we consider what it’s doing to our planet?

“Next, as I looked at my collected plastic waste, I would attempt to find plastic-free alternatives. Some things were easy to replace, like buying milk in a glass bottle instead of plastic, using cloth produce bags instead of plastic, buying as many foods from bulk bins as possible in order to skip disposable packaging, and carrying reusable containers and utensils with me in order to avoid carry-out restaurant waste. Some things were harder to replace. I learned that all frozen food packaging contains some plastic, as does packaging for energy bars and other convenience foods. I had to learn to make some things from scratch, or ask myself if I really needed it in the first place. Looking for ways to live with less plastic forced me to get creative, which is actually a fun way to live!

“Finally, I had to ask myself what things really made me happy and what was just extra stuff. I learned that experiences with friends are more fulfilling than upgrading to the newest iPhone or accumulating DVDs. Opening my mouth to refuse disposable plastics – in stores, restaurants, and even when ordering online – gives me a confidence that what I have to say matters. And working to end the plague of plastic pollution gives me a purpose greater than simply existing on the consumer treadmill of making and spending money. Buying a bunch of stuff might make us happy in the short term. But questioning those values, and valuing the stuff we already have can bring a greater joy in the long run.

“Want to learn to live with less plastic? Please visit me at FakePlasticFish.com and check out the Plastic-Free Guide, which I constantly update as I learn about more and more plastic-free alternatives. Please leave your questions about plastic-free living or ideas about solutions you have found. Living with less plastic is not about deprivation. It’s about changing the way we see ourselves and the world. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch will never get cleaned up as long as there is a constant influx of new plastic waste every day. And how can we stop the flow of new plastic waste if we don’t first change ourselves? We must be the change we want to see in the world. And so, the adventure continues!”