Plastic, the environment, and MY disabilities.

I have a number of "disabilities".  Hearing impairment...my god, the batteries, and the STUPID little plastic tabs and the plastic casings.  I try to recycle the batteries, but can't do anything about the tabs or the casings...I'm basically battery-operated.

I have endometriosis.  Its a disease you can get if you have a uterus.  It is chronic, it is fatigue inducing, and can cause enormous pain.  I've known women who say giving birth is less pain than an endo period.

Endometriosis has been linked to the hormone disruptors in plastic.   These hormone disruptors are in the plasticizers, so soft, flexible plastic is more dangerous to me than the hard-sided kind.  But all plastics have some degree of these in them.  (And the "substitute" is really just as dangerous as the original)

But have you ever tried to avoid plastic?  It isn't easy.  I do have glass and ceramic containers for the fridge, and for storing sugars and flours.  But all of these come in some kind of nice plastic bag.  So you have to decant them from the plastic.

Dried fruit? plastic.  Salads? plastic, usually bags, but you can find hard-sided, which at least is hypothetically recyclable.   Even cans now have a nice plastic liner.  *sigh* And "waxed paper" is apparently now waxed with plastic.  Those paper ice cream containers and milk cartons? plastic liners. Teabags are often wrapped in plastic.  And then you get to prepared fruits and veggies which are all in plastic.  ARGH.  Or the dairy products that have the plastic sheet that you have to stab to get open...  *sigh*

Its discouraging, when you try to avoid plastic.  Everything has plastic.  And most of it gets thrown away, and not recycled.  Because it can't be.

And you know that the plastic is leaching into your food.

There was a time, in the thirties and forties, that we did not have so MUCH plastic.  There was refrigerator glass.   (Like tupperware, but glass)  Even in the seventies, there were non-plastic options.  And then....

KABOOM.

And I hate it.

That being said, in the summers, I do a CSA.   and I'm figuring out ways of transporting the veg/fruit without using so much plastic.   I have a couple of mesh bags, and a couple of cloth ones.  I have cloth grocery bags.

I try to buy things that use recycled plastic.   Post consumer recycled plastic.   I have a number of ceramic bowls that I use to store produce in the fridge.

But even as someone who tries to use less, I'm still amazed at HOW MUCH is out there.

Here is what i wish stores would do.  No more plastic bottles.  None, zip, nada.   Sell us fruit juice concentrates rather than big plastic bottles of juice.   Have a fruit salad bar where people can bring in their own containers, or buy an eco friendly container.

Your plastic habit contributes to my endometriosis.

My lying in bed, unable to function, because of the pain.   My losing at least one week every month.

And yet, plastic is immensely helpful to others with different disabilities.   To people who cannot swallow, plastic straws are a godsend.   Plastic tubing, light syringes for people who need to inject themselves...   We need a happy medium.   And yes, we need to cut down on everyday/unnecessary  plastic so people who really need it can use it. And we need alternatives for people like me.