My Month Without Plastic: I Survived

 

The plastic waste generated during my month without plastics.

I made it! I survived a month "without" plastic. I managed to mostly avoid purchasing new plastic but still left a small trail of plastic waste behind (see the photo to the right).

It’s less than I expected, which is somewhat of a relief, but I still cringe when I think about this waste still being around for decades after this challenge is over.

We forget about our trash rather quickly when we throw something “away,” but “away” is still somewhere. One of the walls in the Burke's Plastics Unwrapped exhibit is covered with 3,000 plastic bags–the number used every single second by people like me, who hadn’t thought about the consequences of common consumption. I believe as people who can make choices for ourselves, we have a duty to become more aware of our impact and to make a change.

My Month Without Plastic: Wrapped Up

By Samantha Porter


Not only have I had to rethink how and what types of foods I purchase during this month without plastics challenge, but it's also made me rethink other aspects of my life. Have you ever noticed how many everyday items you use are either made of plastic or wrapped up in it?

Plastics are literally everywhere! They're surrounding my shampoo, kitchen sponges and laundry detergent. They're in my clothes, face wash (what do you think those little microbeads are?) chewing gum, and dental floss. Even the little plastic aglet on the end of my shoe laces. It's a fact: plastics exist in my life and in my home.

I certainly can't avoid all plastics and there are some that I don't want to avoid. Can you imagine having a glass shampoo bottle in the shower? That's a lawsuit waiting to happen. Even though there are some plastics I can't easily avoid, I've found ways to lessen the collateral damage of my overall consumption.

My Month Without Plastic: Unexpected Nutrition Overhaul



By Samantha Porter

In last week's post, I was just starting to realize how much effort and planning it would require for me to avoid plastic waste while shopping for groceries. This process is a bit clumsy at first, but I'm slowly getting the hang of it.

What will I eat??
Before leaving for the store, I think through exactly what I'm going to purchase so I make sure to bring the right jars and reusable bags with me to carry my groceries. Though it is a relative hassle, it's given me the opportunity to be more mindful about what I eat.

My Month Without Plastic: Starting at the Store

By Samantha Porter

Plastic, plastic, plastic!

In my last post, I vowed to rethink my relationship with plastics by taking a look at what plastic products are in my life and trying to not purchase or use any new plastic for one month. But first, let's set some realistic ground rules...

There are some plastics in my life that I won't be able to avoid. For example, look down, see they keyboard in front of you? Plastic. What about the phone to your left? Plastic. Or the amputated T-Rex figurine to your right (am I the only one that has that?)? It's plastic (with paperclip prosthesis, of course).

I won't be discarding the lid to my reusable water bottle (because it's plastic) or getting rid of my computer mouse or the plastic case for my cell phone. This challenge isn't about deprivation, it's about conscious living. But, I do publicly vow, Burke Blog readers, that I will not repurchase my favorite (as of late) modern invention: press and seal wrap (mmmmmm…so brilliant).

My Month Without Plastic: The Challenge

By Samantha Porter

The Burke recently opened a new exhibit, Plastics Unwrapped, that explores how material culture was changed–rapidly and significantly–by plastics. Plastics are everywhere and they'll stay in landfills and in our oceans for hundreds, if not thousands of years.

That got me thinking about the plastics in my life. I consider myself to have a fairly small ecological footprint overall: I don’t own a car, I buy locally when I can, and I'm above average in my knowledge of recycling protocol *dust off shoulders.* But when it comes to plastics, I realized that so much of what I purchase comes wrapped in plastic packaging. Even if it is recyclable – it never entirely disappears. We can't simply recycle things into non-existence.

Introducing "Green Museum"

This post is part of a Burke Museum Blog series called "Green Museum" that explores what sustainability means to the Burke Museum.

Why is sustainability important to the Burke?

As a museum charged to preserve, study, and educate on issues relevant to the natural and cultural world, we have an opportunity and obligation to educate by example. Our mission is to create a better understanding of the world and our place in it. Therefore we are an institution where shared values of conservation, stewardship, and sustainability are showcased, not only in the exhibits we display, but also in the actions and everyday operations inside our walls.

From planning a LEED Platinum building, to shifting our newsletter online, to facilitating cultural collaborations between native peoples across the Pacific, the Burke Museum is making choices to positively and proactively impact the future of our world.

The “Green Museum” segment of this Blog is another such choice. Please share with us your ideas for insuring the future of the biosphere.


Posted by: Julie K. Stein, Executive Director

Earth Day!

Posted by: Sarah Tollefson, Operations Manager (and Burke Sustainability Action Committee chairwoman)

Every day is earth day, but the official 39th annual Earth Day is coming soon on Wednesday April 22nd, 2009. The Burke Museum challenges you to do one green thing and make it part of your daily life.

There are many fabulous happenings all over town this weekend as well as on the day proper. You can get out and active with a work party in the Arboretum and Climate Day for Kids at the Olympic Sculpture Park. Or, enrich yourself sedentarily with all-day environmental programming on UWTV.

On the UW campus, the Earth Day Melange is on Wednesday the 22nd. The UW Green Coalition, a network of environmental student groups at the UW, is organizing the main celebration on campus.

• 10am-2pm – Fair on the Hub Lawn: Free food, music, booths, green art gallery, electric car.

• 10am-2pm – Electric Car Show in Red Square: Display provided by Seattle Electric Vehicle Association.

• 3-5pm – Social at the Waterfront Activities Center: Connect with fellow environmentally-minded people and enjoy free food.

• 6pm – Guest Speaker & Film in Odegaard 220: Jerry Heinlen CEO of Yakima Products, Inc., followed by a screening of The 11th Hour.

More Earth Day happenings:

• via Grist magazine: http://www.grist.org/article/2009-03-15-celebrate-earth-week-seattle/

• via WA Dept of Ecology: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/earthday/2009events.htm

• via Earth Share: http://www.esw.org/event/2009/04/18/day/all/all/1

Happy Earth Everybody!

What are citizen scientists?

Posted by: Karin Hoffman, Communications

For over 50 years, citizen scientists from around the Northwest have been contributing a wealth of information that may help scientists better understand global climate change, and some of that information has been stored at the Burke Museum. In addition to housing over 70,000 bird specimens, the Burke is also a repository for 12,000 file cards gathered by staff and volunteers over many years that document ecological data of over 100 bird species. The study of plant and animal life cycle events in relation to climate change is known as phenology. Increasingly scientists are turning to volunteers to help identify and understand changing environmental trends, and the Burke Museum has a long history of working with such volunteers.

What can you do to help? Become a citizen scientist! Check out the National Phenology Network to volunteer. While they currently only monitor plants, they will soon expand their efforts to include animals and physical phenomena.

For more information about citizen scientists and the Burke’s role in recording their findings, read these recent articles: The Tacoma News Tribune, Seattle Times

Photo: Robert Faucett, Burke ornithology collections manager, with part of the museum's egg collection. Photograph by Ken Lambert, courtesy Seattle Times.

Coffee talk

Posted by: Karin Hoffman, Communications

This weekend the Burke welcomes Pangaea Organica, an employee owned cooperative coffee roaster located right here in Seattle. While sipping on their organic, fair trade, single origin coffees from around the world, you can learn about fair trade and how their cooperative company is committed to their customers, product, suppliers, environment and each other. Stop by Sunday from 11 am to 2 pm to sample their coffee.

In the meantime, check out this video on fair trade produced by EQ.TV, a network of people committed to sustainability. The video features local vendors committed to supporting fair trade as well as the UW’s Fair Trade Coalition and Parnassus Café.

UW Remains a Leader in Sustainability

Posted by Karin Hoffman

The College Sustainability Report Card, published by the Sustainable Endowments Institute, awarded the UW an A- for the second year in a row, recognizing it as one of the top 15 universities in the nation committed to sustainability practices. The Princeton Review also recognized the UW for its efforts, naming it as one of ten universities on its’ Green Rating Honor Roll.

Below are some of the ways in which the UW was successful in devising sustainable practices:

- The UW purchases electricity from 100% renewable resources and has teamed up with Seattle City Light by installing solar arrays on Merrill Hall and the Mechanical Engineering Building. By employing energy conservation projects, the UW saves over 43 million kilowatt-hours per year.

- The UW has declared that all state-funded new building and major renovations will be, at a minimum, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver-certified. This approach focuses on sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.

- In addition to supporting the UPASS program, which encourages students, staff, and faculty to use alternative transportation, the UW maintains a fleet of over 300 alternative-fuel, hybrid, and electric vehicles.

- 26 percent of the 2007 food services budget was spent on locally produced, organic, and natural foods. By installing receptacles for the composting of postconsumer food waste and offering compostable dishware, the UW is working towards a goal of zero waste.

Thanks to the students, faculty and staff in continuing to help the UW reach these sustainability goals. Check out the Environmental Sustainability Web site for more information about the UW’s commitment to sustainability.

Photos: (Left) Merrill Hall, which houses the Center for Urban Horticulture, is one of the first buildings in Seattle to be considered “green.”