Reflecting on our 2011 Joint Resolution

Truman at Point Defiance Beack on New Year's Day

I wanted to take a quick moment to reflect on our 2011 resolution:

Our joint resolution for 2011 is to use less plastic in our kitchen. We are the people that forget their reusable bags at the grocery store . . . every time. And since we are adding to the landfills by massive amounts by having a child, we are going to try to do our part.

This is an ongoing goal for us, with me dragging my husband along. Here is how we did:

What worked: For the most part, we started making different decisions at the grocery store. For example, buying milk and eggs with cardboard packaging. We stopped using plastic produce bags almost entirely. If I forget my reusable bags, I just let all my veggies and fruit frolic together in the cart. We totally eliminated ziplock bags and plastic wrap from the kitchen, which is super easy and I encourage everyone to give it a try. While it is unrelated to the kitchen, we refused to buy any new plastic toys for Truman.

What is still a challenge: There is no getting away from plastic in the dairy section! Yogurt, sour cream, cream cheese. The Shutt family likes dairy and there are few alternatives. Our garbage can is lined with a plastic bag and I am not ready to give up that convenience. We still bring a lot of plastic into the house in the form of diapers and personal care products . . . .

We did okay. It is a start. I was inspired by this site: http://myplasticfreelife.com/ and if you need inspiration, just youtube "largest garbage dump." It is floating in the ocean and it is larger than the state of Texas.