Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Change the World Wednesday


The challenge this week from Reduce Footprints is:

For the entire week (yep, the whole week), refuse plastic bags at the store or anywhere else where they are offered. One whole week ... 7 days ... no plastic bags.

OR ... If you're already "plastic bag free" ... then, within the next 7 days write a detailed post (or email, letter, etc.) on why plastic bags are bad for the environment.


If you have a blog and you are posting about the challenge, be sure to stop in to ReduceFootprints.blogspot and let us know where you're posting the challenge ... she'll drive some traffic your way!

So, I was supposed to post this on Wednesday morning, but couldn't get to it until now. I am already plastic bag free, but I violated this challenge yesterday before I even know this was the challenge this week. Yesterday, I took my cat to the vet and the DVM there told me to get some soft cat food to offer for the next 7-10 days.

It was hot. I was in a hurry. I left my husband in the car with the cat and I ran into the store to pick up the food. I did not even think to grab my reusable bags from the trunk UNTIL I WAS AT THE REGISTER with armloads full of precariously stacked cat food cans. (I keep 12 bags in the trunk and usually one in my purse.) At the register, I saw an option to purchase a store branded reusable bag, but I don't want to own one with the store's logo, so I confess, I let the cashier give me not one, but TWO plastic bags.

When I got home, I had the email in my inbox about this week's challenge. OOOOOHHH!! I know none of us are perfect, but I am really good these days about not taking the plastic bags. Usually, if I forget my bag, I will just carry the merchandise out with no bag at all. But I didn't want to chase 18 rolling cans of cat food around the parking lot, and knowing me, that is what I would have been doing.

So, I hope you are better at it than I am this week. Starting today UNTIL next Wednesday and beyond into perpetuity...I am back on the wagon!

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1 comment:

Unknown said...

We all slip up once in awhile. In fact, the day before the challenge started, I was in the store and ... chatting away with the cashier as always. I typically tell them, right up front, not to bag anything ... even if I don't have my reusable with me (which I typically forget in the car), I ask them to just put everything back in the basket and I'll "bag" it myself at the car. But on this day ... the conversation was lively and fun ... and I didn't even notice that my purchases had been deposited into a plastic bag. I felt bad to ask them to take everything out ... and I also know, from previous experience at this store, that had I asked them to do so, they would have tossed the now used bags into the garbage ... so I came home with a dreaded plastic bag. I'll use it and reuse it until it's totally used up ... but still ... I was disappointed in myself.

The great thing about living a green life is that we can always do better ... I like having goals. :)

Thanks for participating in this week's challenge!

Small Footprints