I’m Dr. Plastic Picker, and it’s Plastic-Free July! – Dr. Plastic Picker
 

I’m Dr. Plastic Picker, and it’s Plastic-Free July!

| Posted in Reduce/Reuse/Recycle

Day #1 of plastic-free July!!!

July 1, 2020

by drplasticpicker

There is always a bright side in life!!! We may be in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. I may have been fielding irate phone calls from frustrated front-line providers who feel they do not have adequate PPE. As parents we are all worried about whether school commences in September, and even if it does- will it fuel the spread of COVID-19? But it is the first day of July 2020 and it’s designated Plastic-Free July!!! Did you even know that such a wonderful month existed? Well I am Dr. Plastic Picker and this is going to be a fun month for me, filled with moments of trying to move my life to less plastic. I’m telling you, when I attended a talk on the Science of Happiness and Gratitude at one of our HMO Regional meetings and they said 50% of happiness is genetic, I know they were speaking to me! And Dr. Plastic Picker is so happy that it’s Plastic Free July!

Above is the first day of Plastic Free July! I already pick up plastic, 220 bags now. Definitely picking up litter has dramatically dropped our overall consumption of meaningless things. I walked into CVS yesterday (with #maskon) as I needed to buy my mother-in-law some probiotics, and the amount of plastic things that I did not need made me a bit nauseated. I hardly go into stores these days unless it’s the local organic grocer. But I had to go to CVS and I walked by the cleaning aisle, just wondering if there is toilet paper and antiseptic spray. And there were, but I resisted the urge to buy more as we have plenty at home. I walked by the dishwash soap and remembered that our lunch room was running low. A bottle of Dawn is less than $2. We have a glass dispenser in the clinic lunch room/kitchenette. And then I thought, do I really need to buy that plastic? We have bulk dishwash soap at home and I can decant some into a repurposed jar and fill the lunchroom soap dispenser. It saves me money and the world an additional bit of plastic.

Above is my first day of Plastic-Free July where we all try to reduce our plastic use by a little bit. I also exfoliate my skin with old fashion baking soda and stopped buying those microbeads years ago. I chose the baking soda that is in carboard. And I still drink instant coffee, but rather than the single serving instant coffee packets – I’m going to try to start bringing my instant coffee mix with creamer and sugar in a reusable small container that I already own.

So thus begins Plastic Free July 2020! This is going to be so much fun. Are you planning on participating in Plastic Free 2020? Even once a week is better than nothing. Please share in the comments if you are! We find inspiration from the people we care about. And your local plastic-picking pediatrician cares about you and our earth an awful lot!

Selections of my trash art! I’m getting better! Plastic saved from the landfill , and upcycled into laughter.
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