Leanna Murphy

For Lent/Earth Day 2011, I went on a plastics diet -- trying to avoid using any plastics in any form. That was quite a provocative challenge and shifted many of our family's purchases. I plan to use the 2011 EcoChallenge to jump re-ignite my use of re-usables (shopping bags, water bottles) and explore how to even further re-think, re-use, recycle and reduce consumption. I am asking sponsors to pledge for every time I use a cloth bag in 14 days.

My EcoChallenge Blog

October 9th, 2011

EcoChallenge in Milan, Italy -- my husband and I traveled to Italy this weekend for the start of a 2-week business and anniversary trip . We were doing fine until we went to the Ferrari store today. I bought a few Christmas gifts for the nephews and could not resist the genuine Ferrari paper bags (which they will cherish as much as the cars themselves). Advertising has definitely got it's lure on me. Oh, and I ran out of room in my cloth bag and had to accept a small plastic bag to carry our drinks back to the hotel. But I did bring 2 cloth bags with us that we're using.

October 7th, 2011

A nice side benefit of trying to remember my bags: EXERCISE. While out buying mini-bags of potato chips today for a project, I forgot my bags (again). The guy tries to give me a bag....but I ran back out to the car and retrieved my cloth bag to gather them up. At least I'm getting my exercise running in and out of the store!

October 7th, 2011

Thursday I successfully managed several bag situations with ease: a trip to the butcher where the kind counter guy kept insisting that I would need a bag (and I explained it was 6 steps to my car and it was a small set of packages.) Funny story about Harris Teeter: I shopped in my cloth bag for the few items I needed, then set it on the check-out area. I asked to pay separately for 2 items and the clerk ran those, then moved the entire bag of other items to the bagging area and wished me a good day. I gently reminded her that I needed to pay for ALL the items in my bag! We shared a laugh and talked about bringing your own bags....a funny moment.

October 5th, 2011

Two days without shopping for "stuff" meant no bag temptations lurked. Then today, Frank and I found ourselves in a Kroger picking up just 3 items....and the bags were in the car (again!) But these were three tiny items so we easily hand carried them out. I am also starting to notice all of the times that we receive disposables when in restaurants. Today I stopped for a quick sandwich that came wrapped in paper, with a napkin, a drink cup and a single serving bag of chips. Imagine if if the sandwich and chips had come on a real plate (that could be washed), I could have filled my own drink bottle and the napkin was cloth. Hmmmmm....something to consider making visible to my sandwich shop.

October 3rd, 2011

Saturday, Frank (my husband) and I joined 12 community volunteers & several members of South Durham Green Neighbors to participate in the Durham "Big Sweep" litter pick-up along Third Fork Creek (which flows into the highly polluted Jordan Lake that an entire NC county drinks from). We had 12 volunteers and we picked up 300 lbs. of trash in 1 hour: 5 tires 100 lbs 4 bags recycled 80 lbs 3 bags waste 60 lbs Plus (one) 5 gall. paint bucket, drainage pipe, 2 meter covers It was a GREAT waste reduction day (especially since 2/3rds of the materials were recyclable.)

October 2nd, 2011

Report from Challenge Day 1: 1-1-1. Win #1: Was grocery shopping and remembered just 5 minutes into the trip that I'd forgotten the bags in the car; left Frank to shop and went out & retrieved! We used 4 large bags -- and eliminated using 8 plastic bags. Loss #1: Went out to brunch and cheerfully accepted our leftovers in plastic containers & a brown BAG....didn't even think about until 10 p.m. Draw #1: Went out to dinner to celebrate Frank's promotion (!) and did bring home leftovers, but cheerfully left the bag behind. LESSON LEARNED: Put a cloth bag with BPA-free leftover containers in both cars -- and carry them into restaurants.

September 30th, 2011

9/30 -- It's the day before the EcoChallenge starts, and I have been "practicing" my new habit this week to see how tough this will be. My goal is to use a cloth/re-usable bag for all purchases (or not make the purchase/carry the item(s) without taking a plastic or paper bag. It's going to be tough: I put the bags in the car, dropped into a local supermarket for a last-minute purchase and promptly forgot the bag that was riding along with me on co-pilot. I remembered just as I unlocked the doors!

Comments

From: Denise Patton

You are inspiring me to do better! I especially need to take my reusable sacks into grocery stores! Keep up the good work! Dennie

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My EcoChallenge(s)

Trash Reduction

My Fundraising Goal

$50

My Pledge Tally

$50

My Pledgers

• Denise Patton