Day 23: In My Battle Against A Plastic-Free Life, I Am Failing More Than I Thought I Would

I have asked you to recommend ways to ditch plastics over and over throughout this month. Many of you have even suggested some amazing options which I could have never thought of on my own.

But I am afraid to accept and admit that I am losing my battle against plastic use.

More than I thought I would.

#worldenvironmentday #saynotosingleuseplastic #travel #travelislife #travelresponsibly #travelplasticfree #protectenvironment #recycle #reuse #motherearth #bambootoothbrush #areca #saynotostraws #saynotoplastic #saynotoplasticbottles . . . I live to travel... but it struck me hard last year in Thailand, the amount of garbage I was generating while travelling!!! I love Thai street food and each time I stepped out for a meal, I would be given 2 small plastic bags for a skewer of meat and a styrofoam container for the main course with two more plastic bags - one to cover n another to carry and one plastic fork and the drink came in a plastic glass with a plastic holder and a straw!! . . All this for just one meal for one person!!! Multiply this by 1 plus billion travellers each year and multiple points of waste!!! We generate more waste when we travel than when we live our ordinary lives!. . . Me and my family did a few things to do our bit to reduce single use plastic in our recent vacation to Japan . 1) CARRY YOUR OWN BOTTLE - if it is not possible to get drinkable water, buy a large water can and keep refilling your bottle and avoid buying single use plastic bottles. Every year close to 500 billion of them are being used!! . 2) SAY NO TO PLASTIC STRAWS & CUTLERY - Every drink bought from a store abroad comes with a straw!! Americans use 500 million straws a year!! This is huge as straws are used for a few minutes and thrown - and then each one takes upto 200 years to decompose!! Say no to plastic cutlery and carry plant based disposable cutlery by makers like @astu.eco . . 3) CARRY YOUR BRUSH OR SWITCH TO BAMBOO BRUSH - very tempting to use the dental kits hotels give. Pls resist the temptation of using these disposable brushes for a short period! . . All these seem like a chore but imagine all the trash washing up on our favourite beaches and killing the marine life that we travel to see and most importantly, contaminate the food and water we consume... guess then it¡¯s worth the effort!!. . Pic courtesy: @exotic_voyages

A post shared by Haritha Reddy (@stay_my_way) on Jun 5, 2018 at 4:14am PDT

Almost in the last leg of my crusade against plastic, as I look back, I have learned an enormous amount and made big changes to my lifestyle, about how plastic toxicity is the last thing we care about in our day-to-day life.

I've observed how all of us are masters of convenience and experts at leading a comfortable life -- as much as we can, with no regard for the consequence of our choices. In my last post, I mentioned that I was going to travel on the weekend and that I chalked out a plastic-free plan for myself, but there are only so many things I could follow.

I realize how our plastic dependence has grown inexorably from humble beginnings to a position where humanity now produces roughly its own weight in plastic every year. How instead of making some tough choices, we are settling for short-term ease.

Plastic Free Traveling???? . There¡¯s no doubt that traveling and convenience go hand in hand ? Traveling really puts my commitment to the test. These tips have helped me #travelplasticfree: ?Take your own reusable drink container (even on a plane) . ?Refuse single use plastic items such as straws, cups and utensils. . ? Take your own snacks or, if you have time, rather sit down to have a meal - this one¡¯s tough . ? Bring your own headphones if you¡¯re lucky enough to fly overseas . ? Think twice before wrapping your bag in plastic. Switch to #REUSABLE bag wraps or locks if possible ? What helps you to travel plastic free?? . #switch2green #maketheswitch #greenliving #plasticfreejuly #beatplasticpollution #plasticfree #travel #reuserevolution #reducereuserecycle

A post shared by Switch??Green (@switch2green) on Jun 15, 2018 at 6:02am PDT

Anyhow, I am just concerned if there is a turning point for anyone of us? During my travel, I consumed everything basis my plan - from toothbrush to utensils, but there were plenty of things that weren't in my control.

For instance, I did not plan in advance for the takeaway juice that I took from a local shop. I was loaded with water in my steel bottle. Which meant, I had to settle for a plastic bag -- as bad as it seemed.

Another time I failed was when it rained heavily and I had to buy a cheap plastic raincoat for Rs 50. This is bothering me because this was a one-time use coat and had to be discarded. Then I went on to buy a couple of things and was quite fed up with unwrapping items which were already individually wrapped in plastic.

?I¡¯ll be travelling to Europe soon and want to know of anyways to reduce my plastic use while traveling any tips would be great ?? #travel #travelplasticfree #sustainableliving #plasticfree #reduceplastic #zerowaste #zerowasteliving #liveplasticfree

A post shared by Zero Waste Living (@zerowasteliving__) on Jun 10, 2018 at 3:48am PDT

This abandonment of plastic shouldn't be this hard, inconvenient or time-consuming, which is why we need more contribution and awakening than ever.

The battle is less about me or any individual out there who is wanting to quit and more about the people, the masses, the organization and the government. We all, together, need to understand the grave reality of this situation and what will happen if we don't quit now.

Starting my last week tomorrow, I hope that I devise more and more plans, ideas and ways to quit this plastic toxicity of my life.