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the long and short of it is that i really hate single-use plastics with all of my heart
I have recently been informed that I have "poor person habits." Considering that I grew up very middle class (and surrounded by upper-middle and upper-class people--I know a lot of rich people), this surprised me very much.
The topic came up when I mentioned that I wash out Ziploc bags and reuse them. I mean, I was aware that this wasn't super common, but I didn't think it was that shocking? I have an unholy fear of throwing plastic in the garbage to sit in landfills for the next three thousand years or whatever.* I do end up throwing them away when they aren't any good anymore, but I rewash and use them many times before that point.
I also save plastic food containers--mostly sour cream containers, but also for things like salsa, cottage cheese, etc.--and reuse them. I don't own any fancy Tupperware or anything--I just use my old sour cream cartons to store my leftovers in the fridge. This is what my mama always did as we were growing up: you just put a piece of masking tape on the top and write with Sharpie what's in the container.
And while I use reusable bags at the grocery store and as many other places as I can, I do still end up accumulating more plastic shopping bags than I'd like. These I keep and either a) return to the recycle place at the grocery store, b) use them as trash bags for my little trashcan in my bathroom so I don't have to buy garbage liners, or c) use them to wrap up my shoes before I put them in my suitcase when I travel.
Anyway, apparently these are very uncommon(?) things to do, and I'm curious about how many people have these habits as well.
*Obviously, I do throw away plastic, but I really, really try to minimize it if at all possible. See: me searching frantically at the store for tampons with cardboard applicators instead of plastic ones. Why are they becoming harder and harder to find?
The topic came up when I mentioned that I wash out Ziploc bags and reuse them. I mean, I was aware that this wasn't super common, but I didn't think it was that shocking? I have an unholy fear of throwing plastic in the garbage to sit in landfills for the next three thousand years or whatever.* I do end up throwing them away when they aren't any good anymore, but I rewash and use them many times before that point.
I also save plastic food containers--mostly sour cream containers, but also for things like salsa, cottage cheese, etc.--and reuse them. I don't own any fancy Tupperware or anything--I just use my old sour cream cartons to store my leftovers in the fridge. This is what my mama always did as we were growing up: you just put a piece of masking tape on the top and write with Sharpie what's in the container.
And while I use reusable bags at the grocery store and as many other places as I can, I do still end up accumulating more plastic shopping bags than I'd like. These I keep and either a) return to the recycle place at the grocery store, b) use them as trash bags for my little trashcan in my bathroom so I don't have to buy garbage liners, or c) use them to wrap up my shoes before I put them in my suitcase when I travel.
Anyway, apparently these are very uncommon(?) things to do, and I'm curious about how many people have these habits as well.
*Obviously, I do throw away plastic, but I really, really try to minimize it if at all possible. See: me searching frantically at the store for tampons with cardboard applicators instead of plastic ones. Why are they becoming harder and harder to find?
Poll #25450 Do You Do These Things?
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 38
Wash out and reuse Ziploc bags?
Wash out and reuse plastic food containers?
Reuse plastic shopping bags instead of throwing them away?