a day in touch with plastic

one day I tracked every time my hand actually touched plastic...here's the overview of what I make contact with on an ordinary day around home...and some personal reflections that came to mind along the way. how close does it compare with your own daily experience?

• turn alarm off on plastic clock. always awake before it goes off actually...babies make great alarm clocks ;)
• turn on a light or two if needed, flipping plastic switches (depends on how much earlier we rise before the sun for our preferred natural light)
  
• brush teeth with plastic tooth brush...do they make toothbrushes that aren't plastic? and lid to the toothpaste is plastic.
  
• wash hands with soap that is in plastic shell dish and turn taps which have plastic handles
• the toilet has a plastic seat
• warm Sasha's formula for her plastic bottle (1st of 4 in the day). still contemplating the worth of replacing these with glass
• make coffee in our plastic coffee maker. we became fair-trade only consumers a few years back...and thankfully there are fair trade brand options with no plastic packaging :)
• toss out yesterdays coffee remnants (we have temporarily fallen off the compost bandwagon...when we're diligent this goes in the compost...having now written this am REALLY feeling compelled to restart the better habit again!) in our plastic garbage can...lined with - you guessed it!- a plastic bag
  we're using up what's left of our plastic bags for garbage bags. since we use cloth for all the shopping now we haven't acquired new ones for a while...but when these run out...then what? hopefully we can get our waste output to zero one day...this has become my new challenge for the long-term. i'm sure it is possible...and it will be a great adventure!
  
• change Sasha's diaper - wipes are in plastic container...touch touch touch throughout the day. and diapers have plastic tabs. alternative may be the diaper free movement...not sure I have patience for this...we'll go back to cloth after she's off anti-biotics in June
• after Sasha has her bottle we play for a while...with her plastic toys (some exceptions...like the really nice wooden block set and bear puzzle...and books of course!)
• Sasha's breakfast, in a plastic bowl with a plastic spoon. I know there are alternatives to this...gettin' on it. My own breakfast, nature's path cereal, comes in a box with plastic inside.
  
• during morning nap time I try to read or write...pen (elements of plastic) & paper version...or on the computer - full of plastic components such as the very keyboard i'm typing on...
  technology is one of those elements in life that simply doesn't come without plastic
• avid lovers of music (and a dose of tv every day) we touch plastic every time we: change the cd or dvd; touch the components to power on/off or other function buttons; use remotes for volume, etc...every piece (except the sturdy 70's amp all our components are connected to!) is made with some degree of plastic
• make some fresh fruit and veg for Sasha's lunch and dinner...using knife, peeler and other utensils with plastic handles
• every in/out of fridge and oven we touch the plastic handles
• out for a walk...if with the stroller we again come in contact with plastic (most of it covered by some fabric so don't always notice) and if it's raining there is the plastic 'bubble' which keeps Sasha warm and dry
• happen to chat on the phone...plastic to the ear baby
• a board game involves using plastic die and player pieces
• bath time for Sasha - open the plastic shower curtain; put the plastic plug in the drain; sit on the plastic no-slip mat; play with the plastic tub toys; working our way through the plastic bottles of baby shampoo we received for Sasha in her 1st year
• showers for us big kids involve the plastic curtain and the left over remnants of shampoo bottles not done yet. I have begun regularly using a shampoo bar from soapworks, and we are experimenting with all the varieties of soap they have too...all with no packaging (therefore no plastic - yeah!) I also have one of those meshy poofs which are made with some kind of plastic fiber
• before bedtime Sasha also has to have her anti-biotics which come in a plastic bottle with a plastic syringe
  

there are lots of other examples I've not listed 'cuz I didn't touch them this day, and this doesn't include Mark and Che's experience in our home either (which of course includes using plastic game controls)

not only our hands come in touch with plastic every day...we touch it with our mouths and bottoms too. (whole new meaning to foot & mouth dis-ease - heh) we touch it, see it, smell it, taste it, and even listen with it.

with good and bad influence - for instance I'm happy to have that clear bubble to keep her dry on long walks but very annoyed at all the litter I see which is plastic (though litter is not really plastics' fault...that is lazy human behaviour) - I'm happy to be using my other 2 senses when it comes to plastic now...thinking about how I really feel about living in such a plastic world...