C'mon, It's Just 7 Days

We Went Plastic-Free for One Week—Here Are 6 Surprising Things We Learned

It was both easier and harder than we thought.

January  3, 2019

In C'mon, It's Just 7 Days, members of the Food52 team share what it was like to take on a personal challenge for one week: skipping caffeine, going plastic-free, and more. (Spoiler alert: We all survived.)


Why ditch plastic? Let us count the reasons. Roughly one million plastic bottles are sold in the world per minute, and by 2050, it’s estimated that there could be more plastic in the ocean than fish. Those are just two in a veritable sea of urgent statistics—study after study shows we’re basically drowning the planet in plastic, whether you’re talking bottles, bags, or straws.

And yet.

Giving it up completely is harder than you may think. Plastic is lightweight, convenient, and everywhere: in our takeout containers and our shampoo bottles, our children’s toys and our pets’ gear, not to mention sneakier places, like the insides of paper coffee cups and the microbeads in some face soaps and body washes.

Join The Conversation

Top Comment:
“Forgive the stream of consciousness style here: Don't sweat the aluminum cans for your seltzer water - aluminum is a sustainable metal that can be recycled over and over again (scrap metal places will even pay you for the cans). With regard to yogurt, if it's something you simply can't give up, look into making your own; it's not difficult. My friend makes it in her instant-pot, but there are easy, low tech ways to make it too. I recently had a debate with a Williams Sonoma clerk about whether parchment paper is biodegradable - it is always coated with silicone and is NOT biodegradable or recyclable - but it can be reused. I have a roll that claims it is biodegradable, but that is simply not true - silicone does not break down (the paper might if there is a spot that is not coated). My biggest problem is that ALL the organic food in my supermarket is always wrapped in plastic. Even though peppers are in the "dirty dozen" for pesticide residue, many times I just can't bring myself to buy plastic wrapped organic peppers. Another problem is that some states' health departments won't let you use your own container for bin items. At the Whole Foods in my state, it is frowned upon, but that doesn't mean you cannot reuse the same Whole Foods plastic containers many times. So dump your nuts, seeds, etc. into glass jars at home, hand wash the plastic containers and bring them back to the store and sneak your bin food into them. I brought my own container to a fish market yesterday, and the clerk did not know how to "tare" the scale to accommodate it (i.e., place the container on the scale and press the zero or tare button, otherwise you are paying for the weight of your container.) - all commercial scales have this feature, so you may have to educate some people along the way. I have a loooong way to go, but I haven't purchased plastic wrap in over a year - I reuse many plastic bags and also use the waxed cloth & silicone covers. Still, it's very disheartening to see the vast majority of shoppers continuing to use singe-use plastic bags, often for a single item...and don't even get me started on those shoppers who put their bananas in a plastic produce bag!! Kudos to all of you who are making an effort, and thanks for the article!!”
— Kate
Comment

Still, a bunch of us at Food52 had been talking about ways to waste less in everyday life, and plastic seemed like a good place to start. Our experiment: Cut out single-use plastics for 7 days. According to registered dietician and sustainability advocate Abby K. Cannon, single-use plastic reduction focuses on not purchasing anything that includes plastic, and not taking any free items that include plastic. “Disposability is the real problem,” she noted.

So, one week—easy, right? Well...let’s just say we were in for some surprises.

Here are some of the things we learned:

1. Using less plastic is easy. Sort of.

We kicked things off, full of determination, can-do spirit, and not a little magical thinking. I hit up the grocery store, then toted home a canvas bag brimming with loose produce.

Kaitlin Bray, our social media director, brewed coffee at home and brought it to work in a new reusable tumbler...which didn’t go exactly as she’d planned.

Photo by Kaitlin Bray

But she also started carrying a reusable, foldable shopping bag with her at all times. “It’s so easy to do—and starting my day with the coffee tumbler makes me feel inexplicably put-together,” she said.

So far, so good. But eliminating single-use plastic sometimes meant we wasted other things. My grocery-store shelves stocked only bagged-up, sliced loaves of bread, so I turned to fresh baguettes in paper bags. For the purposes of this challenge, I was checking the right box, but really, I was just subbing one type of waste (plastic) for another (paper).

2. Prep is everything.

Basically, you need to know before you go—to the grocery store, to the airport, to a restaurant...pretty much anywhere outside of your own house. Does your grocery store have bulk bins? (If so, do you know how much your glass jars weigh?) Will you eat your full restaurant meal? (If not, better bring your own non-plastic to-go container.) And does your restaurant of choice plop a plastic straw in every drink?

Abby helpfully shared five things she carries with her to game a variety of situations: bamboo silverware, a water bottle, a tote bag, a tea towel (to sub in for a napkin), and “some kind of container: a coffee cup or a glass jar so I can fill it up with coffee, tea, or leftover food.”

Some of us also wondered about impromptu snacks (which are very important!).

Photo by Kaitlin Bray

As for flying, “forget it. There is so much waste,” said Sarah Yaffa, our data analyst, who happened to be traveling for part of the challenge. “I was on a long flight and two meals were offered. I think there was more plastic than food.” Sarah did bring her own water bottle, though: “The flight attendants happily let me fill it over and over again instead of taking the cups.”

Some plastic-free fans get into more unusual prep experiments. Would you ever make your own shampoo or toothpaste? There are resources online if you’re game to try it, but projects like these were a little too advanced for our group.

3. Going plastic-free helped us save money.

No surprise here: Toting your own coffee, water, and lunches is a smart way to spend less. We spent a lot of time in the produce aisle, but even the fancy organic stuff ended up costing way less than meats, cheeses, and packaged snacks—not to mention takeout. Still, “takeout was a big one I missed,” senior editor Eric Kim admitted. “I don’t think it comes in anything other than plastic.” Eric stayed up late one night to work on an ambitious cooking experiment (turning butternut squash risotto into arancini—the kind of project most Food52ers love). But as he remembered it, “all I wanted was to have takeout and go to bed.”

4. But we ended up spending more, too.

Let’s take a single example: yogurt. We love it on its own, in soups, and as a sour cream understudy—but how many brands can you think of that don't use plastic? "I miss yogurt and fruits that come in plastic," Victoria Maynard, our director of finance, lamented.

Kaitlin bought a tub that she thought was plastic-free, until she realized it wasn’t (the top was plastic). It also cost $10 and had the names of the cows printed on the glass jar.

Kaitlin and Eric sharing updates in our #plastic-free Slack channel.

Anna Billingskog, our test kitchen stylist, noted that she was “struggling a little with the idea of buying another thing to replace something (i.e. reusable mug vs. paper cup) in order to be more eco-conscious.”

Sarah agreed. “Going plastic-free can be expensive,” she said. “Start slow and make goals for yourself based on your budget. You can start with the small things first, while saving to replace those pricier items later down the road.”

Is it worth it, if you’re budget-minded? “I think in the end, you end up on top,” Anna said.

5. We sometimes got hungry.

It was surprising for many of us to realize just how much food comes wrapped in plastic (looking at you, cheese, meat, and snacks—but even cardboard boxes of pasta have see-through plastic windows).

Photo by Suzanne D'Amato

For my part, I sometimes felt like I was on a diet I hadn’t signed up for: broccoli, peppers, bulk-bin grains, and so many apples. Kaitlin’s sunnier take: “It turns out it's an accidental health/environment win-win.”

6. Still, we’d do it again—and in fact, we are.

While we’re not ready to declare ourselves eco-warriors quite yet, we’ve managed to keep up with the challenge in different ways.

Most of us have stopped using plastic bags, whether that means packing reusable canvas totes or just not bagging greens when we buy them (we’re going to wash that spinach when we get home anyway, so what’s the point?). And we’re keeping reusable water bottles and coffee tumblers at the ready in our bags, so we’re always prepared.

Eric took the idea of cutting down on consumption beyond plastic. “I made an effort, while going plastic-free, to kick my daily 2-3 seltzer can habit, too,” he said. “I mean, how good could all those cans be for the environment?”

Nevertheless, perfection is not the goal here. “With the environment we live in, you could try your hardest, and some plastic will still end up with your fingerprints on it,” Abby said. Or, as video editor Dave Katz put it: “We all do what we can in a plastic-dominated world.”

Any tips or tricks for cutting back on waste? Please share them in the comments below.

See what other Food52 readers are saying.

  • Woodsprite5
    Woodsprite5
  • cisco
    cisco
  • Miriam
    Miriam
  • KimberT
    KimberT
  • Janee’
    Janee’
Suzanne D'Amato

Written by: Suzanne D'Amato

72 Comments

Woodsprite5 April 4, 2020
When this pandemic is over, visit the farmers’ market. I am blessed to live in Madison, Wisconsin, home of one of the most robust farmers’ markets in the country (and a lot of cheese). Wherever you are, see if you can find cheese vendors who will cut you a hunk of cheese and put it into a waxy paper cheese bag* you can buy (at my local natural-foods coop, or online). Meat vendors may be able to wrap their goods in butcher paper. (The meat section or cheese section at your supermarket MIGHT be able to similarly oblige you.) And bakers can sell you a loaf of bread into your own paper or cloth bag.


*Semi-reusable cheese bags: distributor in Brooklyn! Formaticum LLC/165 Court St., No. 104/Brooklyn NY 11201/[email protected]/800-830-0317.
 
cisco January 8, 2020
I’m curious what others have used to pick up prepared foods like a bbq chicken? (You know for those nights when you’re just too tired to think straight)

Btw I love this particular article and everyone’s involvement and contribution.
 
Suzanne D. January 8, 2020
I love it too! So many amazing ideas here.
 
KimberT January 8, 2020
I’ve waited for fresh chicken to come out and had the person put it in my takeaway container. Otherwise, sadly, I don’t get quick food as often as I like.
 
homejames94114 February 24, 2020
have you tried to spathcock your chicken, it takes no time to make one that way, or even a turkey.
 
Miriam January 8, 2020
We had dinner at a nice restaurant the other day and I was kicking myself because I forgot to bring glass-lock containers for the leftovers. And no I didn't leave them behind (I guess I could have but what about food waste?). I sometimes forget to put the shopping bags back in the car and end up having to pay 5 cents for a plastic bag. I use an insulated coffee mug all the time - at home and on the road - and have a re-usable water bottle I always have with me. All my leftovers and next-overs are put in glasslock containers which I know have plastic lids but at least they last a long long time (i've had them for more than 5 years now). They are definitely not one-time use. My goal this year is to either remember my bags or take the food home loose (in order to train me to have the bags with me).
 
KimberT January 8, 2020
Miriam - I had a difficult time remembering mine too. Then I put a few on my seat and the passenger seat. While I don’t like sitting on them, they do remind me to take them and/or get some more from the trunk. It works for me because they are in the way!
 
Miriam January 8, 2020
Great idea. Thanks.
 
homejames94114 February 24, 2020
You can also use those SS food / soup jugs for your leftovers, think Stanley makes some good ones. Might try a sporting goods store for the larger sizes. Remember we had those little thermos we used as kids in our school lunch boxes, same idea.
 
KimberT January 8, 2020
Here’s another thought...what about the prescription bottles? Most throw them away. Very few reuse, and how many times can one find a repurpose for them? I asked my pharmacist and he said that they have a business that recycles the bottles, but he’s never checked in to see if it’s really happening. The pharmacist agreed to reuse and label my bottles until they couldn’t be used anymore. He also agreed to label glass jars for me. Now that’s a good pharmacist!
 
Janee’ January 8, 2020
Even laundry soap and dishwashing soap is in plastic!!! Bring back cardboard!! At least it will decompose. What about all the tooth brushes people throw away ? I’ve used glass containers and mason jars for years. It’s better for health !! Plastic water bottles should be banned!!
 
Kay February 28, 2021
There is a company (Tru Earth) that makes laundry soap strips that come in a cardboard envelope. I've been using them for over a month now. Work great and no more plastic jugs.
 
laura January 7, 2020
To me this would mean shopping daily--else how would I store the produce? I've purchased glass refrigerator containers and they're great but they have plastic lids. The vintage ones have glass lids. I have decided to get every bit of use that I can from the plastic I already own and to be more conscious of my purchases going forward. But I won't be making my own cheese.
 
homejames94114 February 24, 2020
If you go to the cheese counter to have your cheese cut, they normally weigh and price it for you, take one of your glaslock containers and put the cheese inside, attach a paper label on a string for them to put your sticker on and use the same container/ label all the time. Yes you are using a pc of cotton string and paper, but think how much plastic / wax paper you are not using.
 
Kay February 28, 2021
BeesWax wraps would work.
 
KimberT December 1, 2019
I think Food52 should put the word out, pick a day, and challenge EVERYONE to cut out plastic for a week. Then encourage readers to share what worked, what needs changing, and how we can start a “no plastics for a day” campaign for the world. Just a thought.
 
Joy W. May 20, 2019
Well done! To allay your concerns, waxed paper contains no plastic-- just look at the word 'waxed'. Secondly, most of those little windows in pasta boxes are cellophane, not plastic either. Dairy is tough. Opaque plastic is more protective of milk from light degradation than clear glass bottles. We should probably make our own yogurt, and I really want to, but so it has not become a habit. i do reuse the quart containers several times before pitching in the recycler. And if I must buy single serve, it's the brand in the cute little glass cups, which are endlessly useful, besides which glass is endlessly recyclable. I've switched to a cake of shampoo and Bite toothcleaner, also in a glass jar. Produce like one red onion or one pepper or squash or bunches of herbs don't need to be bagged at all; just slap that price sticker right on the beauty. We can do this!
 
kaui May 11, 2019
Bravo on your efforts! I felt much of your pain and joy. I live in the Bay Area of CA and try my best to avoid plastics and other disposable items. Your "paper" towels and a pile of linen towels from Etsy keep paper towel consumption list in my kitchen, which feeds a family if five.

I also LOVE la Croix but make myself use our Soda Stream which is also made of plastic and uses plastic bottles (sigh) but all is reusable. BTW anyone know of glass bottles that will work with Soda Streams? Or how to infuse grapefruit into my fizzy to truly replace la Croix?

I always take a glass water bottle filled with bubbly and a stainless thermos filled with tea or coffee when I leave the house. Also did you know Philz will fill any size container you bring for the price of a small coffee?

Produce is never bagged at the store or farmers market but I have a pile of clothes and compostable bags at home which I put my perishables in. I keep a bag of bags in each car for ahopping.
Salami, lunch meat and cheese I have sliced and put into my own containers at the deli counter.

And I make my own yogurt in a clay pot.

When I order things that come in plastic bags, I save them for dog poop bags, or car garbage bags (on road trips) or packing shoes in a suitcase. I try to give each disposable packing bag I receive at least one more use.

And: I don't buy any virgin disposable bags. So no ziplocs - that is the toughest thing.

I love to read about others' efforts, discoveries and adventures. Thank you for sharing!
 
Rachel E. May 16, 2019
I was actually just looking at Soda stream and they've started doing glass bottle for it :) they're on the website with one of the starter packs but I'm sure they sell them separately as well!
 
Laura July 14, 2019
Soda Stream has always made glass bottles (we use them at home) but they have a different top-thread pattern than the plastic bottles... so they ONLY work on the machines specially designed for them. (i.e. you can't use the plastic bottles in the glass machines nor the glass bottles in the plastic)
 
Darice D. July 19, 2019
Grapefruit Perrier comes in large glass containers :)
 
Snow January 7, 2020
I use DoTerra grapefruit or pink grapefruit essential oil in fizzy water (as well as Wild Orange). I like being able to turn up the flavor. They come in glass bottles, they do have a recycled plastic cap but the bottle has about 250 drops and can tolerate years long storage. I started using essential oils in cooking/baking when natural disasters affected the availability and cost of citrus. I chose this company's essential oils because of their mindfulness in business and how they go more than the extra mile to help make the world a better place. They even have recycling centers for their containers! How a business chooses to operate is just as important to me as what packaging they choose to use for their products.
The cheese counter at my local big chain grocery store will cut and wrap your cheese order in paper while you shop and sell reusable 'cheese bags' to store your cheese at home.
I reuse reuse reuse yogurt containers. I've used them as more than containers (cut them up-they make awesome scrapers.... and lids are perfect pet frisbees)
I've washed and refolded takeout containers and used them for gifting plants or the flat ones with lids are great for stacking storage for art supplies.
It's all about each of us paying attention, being creative and taking a little bit more time. Even one person making an effort one day makes a difference.
Has Food52 made any commitments/changes in how they or their vendors wrap/ship?
 
homejames94114 February 24, 2020
you can buy silicone zip lock bags to replace "Ziplock" plastic bags, and they are gusseted so they stand up and most have measurements on the side as well. You can cook directly in them in boiling water or freeze them. They are also dishwasher safe. They are great for leftovers at restaurants as well and they take up no more space than a thin bag. This seems like an idea item for Food 52 to be selling. Stasher, Criss Elite sell them as well as Amazon and Target. I bought mine at Meijer in the Midwest and at Amazon.
 
homejames94114 February 24, 2020
you can put a few drops of grapefruit juice in your water. I do the same thing w/ limes. I have tried many substitues but keep coming back to the real fruit and I use the zest from the fruit in my cooking. After using as much as I can I compost. I live in SF, CA so know what you are going through w/ recycling. I also like the cotton bags for my produce. you can wash w/ your clothes. There used to be many bulk stores that sold cleaning supplies like shampoo, lotions, dish and laundry soap, but they have fallen by the wayside. I only know one place in San Francisco and that's Rainbow Grocery.
 
Cindi W. May 2, 2019
My local Denny's restaurant has started giving corrugated cardboard containers instead of styrofoam. They might not be pretty but at least they can be recycled after a quick rinse out at home.
 
Michelle D. April 4, 2019
Glad to see you all addressing this important topic. It'd be great to take a look at your recipes through this lens too--so many of them call for completely unnecessary parchment. I also think it's worth noting that while reducing reliance on disposable items is important, focusing on consumer choices can be a distraction from lobbying for the systemic change we actually need to fight global climate change...
 
Diane N. February 3, 2019
I like the idea of co-op bulk purchasing. I'm thinking about buying rounds of cheese wrapped in wax and sharing among like-minded friends who hate the plastic but love cheese. Many rounds are huge, but not all. (Of course, you'd have to agree on the type of cheese).
 
Mary June 4, 2019
When I was in Italy and buying rounds of parmesan cheese to take home, I was told to keep the cheese wrapped in a towel in the refrigerator even once you cut it. Well this works beautifully! It lasted even longer than if I had wrapped it in plastic. I haven't tried doing it with other types of cheese but I am going to give it a try.
 
Katalin G. February 3, 2019
I just went to a site recommended in one of the comments, called Ziptoppie.com. Turns out this is an illegal knock-off of ZipTop and is proliferating all over the internet. Apparently, these knock-offs do not contain the appropriate eco-saving chemicals, etc. and are worse than using plastic. Please see ZipTop for more info.
 
Jen January 22, 2019
Eliminating all plastic is impossible these days. I try to reuse/repurpose some of the plastic that comes into my house, so that at least it's not single use. One example, the plastic bags that cereal and crackers come in. I cut them open and use the pieces like wax paper to line pans when I'm freezing cut up pieces of fruit. They can then be cleaned and used again and again. I also wash and reuse plastic food storage bags that have only contained dry or vegetable items (not meat). It makes me feel less guilty when I finally toss a well-used piece of plastic.
 
Sabs January 21, 2019
Order from The Wally Shop! It's a zero waste grocery delivery service so you don't have to worry about plastic/ weighing jars at the store/finding the store/etc. Just in BK at the moment but they said they'll be expanding to Manhattan soon!
 
Kate January 20, 2019
Forgive the stream of consciousness style here: Don't sweat the aluminum cans for your seltzer water - aluminum is a sustainable metal that can be recycled over and over again (scrap metal places will even pay you for the cans). With regard to yogurt, if it's something you simply can't give up, look into making your own; it's not difficult. My friend makes it in her instant-pot, but there are easy, low tech ways to make it too. I recently had a debate with a Williams Sonoma clerk about whether parchment paper is biodegradable - it is always coated with silicone and is NOT biodegradable or recyclable - but it can be reused. I have a roll that claims it is biodegradable, but that is simply not true - silicone does not break down (the paper might if there is a spot that is not coated). My biggest problem is that ALL the organic food in my supermarket is always wrapped in plastic. Even though peppers are in the "dirty dozen" for pesticide residue, many times I just can't bring myself to buy plastic wrapped organic peppers. Another problem is that some states' health departments won't let you use your own container for bin items. At the Whole Foods in my state, it is frowned upon, but that doesn't mean you cannot reuse the same Whole Foods plastic containers many times. So dump your nuts, seeds, etc. into glass jars at home, hand wash the plastic containers and bring them back to the store and sneak your bin food into them. I brought my own container to a fish market yesterday, and the clerk did not know how to "tare" the scale to accommodate it (i.e., place the container on the scale and press the zero or tare button, otherwise you are paying for the weight of your container.) - all commercial scales have this feature, so you may have to educate some people along the way. I have a loooong way to go, but I haven't purchased plastic wrap in over a year - I reuse many plastic bags and also use the waxed cloth & silicone covers. Still, it's very disheartening to see the vast majority of shoppers continuing to use singe-use plastic bags, often for a single item...and don't even get me started on those shoppers who put their bananas in a plastic produce bag!! Kudos to all of you who are making an effort, and thanks for the article!!
 
Monte W. January 19, 2019
Plastic in itself isn't bad. It's petroleum-based plastics. If customers insisted on hemp plastic, well then, it would be a completely different (bio-degradable) situation.
 
lplynch January 19, 2019
Like FrugalCat and Jean B, we also take our own containers for leftovers when we eat out. We also do that for takeout, which most places in our area (Berkeley, CA) are ok with. That makes takeout a little less convenient, b/c you can't just call and then show up, and you do have to think about what container you have that will work for the food you're buying. But I kind of like my minutes at the sushi bar, reading or catching up on email while they put our sushi on a platter. Bonus points, at least for the sushi, is that it's all beautifully arranged and we feel like we're having a party instead of just dinner. Other places have been happy to use any containers we've brought in too.
 
FrugalCat January 19, 2019
I forgot to mention I also use glass baby food jars to hold sauces, etc. along with my food. I tuck a couple of empty jars in one of the boxes I bring along. You don't need to have a baby for baby food- most of my jars are from when I bought pureed peaches to make Bellinis with! Most manufacturers (Gerber, Beeh-nut) have lids that fit 3, 4, or 6 ounce jars. For teeny-tiny portions of sauces, I have a few Bonne Mamman jam jars from room service breakfast wehn we stayed at a fancy hotel.
 
cisco January 13, 2019
Great article... I would love to know what I could place a bbq chicken i am purchasing as I’m afraid that the local grocery stores in my area only use that horrible black plastic that contributes to bad phytoestrogens.
Any thoughts? Anyone?
 
Kate January 23, 2019
Maybe you could talk to the deli manager and ask when the chickens come off the rotisserie so you can be there with your container. I suspect a lot of those chicks are cooked elsewhere these days though, and prepackaged for delivery to the stores. A good letter to the manufacturer never hurts - they'll probably ignore it until consumers' negative responses to irresponsible packaging hits a tipping point, so keep writing.
 
penelope January 13, 2019
I'm kind of amazed (and excited! I get to be first!) that no one has pointed out yet how easy and cheap it is to make your own yogurt, which you can then keep in your own reusable glass containers. Fans of the Instant Pot already know that it has a yogurt setting.
 
ulla January 14, 2019
I was going to say the same thing :-)
 
YUKYUNG January 19, 2019
Even we don't need to have an instant pot to make yogurt! :) I put some yogurt drink like little bottle of probiotic drinks into the 1 liter of soy milk, and I let it in warm place for overnight. I have soy yogurt in the morning then :)) So easy!
 
Kate January 20, 2019
Sorry - I didn't see this, and included homemade yogurt in my comment too. Great minds think alike ;)
 
Margaret January 20, 2019
I have heard so much from Food52 about Instant Pots but have no idea what that is. Can someone please explain this for me? Thank you.
 
Jenny C. November 30, 2019
It’s sort of like a slow-cooker in reverse? Let’s you cook things like hard boiled eggs in a fraction of the “normal” time.