I feel I’ve gone mad — one woman’s record of life for a week on Planet Plastic

ON a brief touring holiday in Galway recently — just me and the dog — I was amazed at the amount of rubbish I accumulated. I was particularly alarmed at the volume of plastic waste I had gathered. This prompted me to keep a ‘plastic diary’ for a week.

I wanted to gauge the amount a single woman could accumulate in that period and thus get a vague idea of the amount in Ireland if every adult collected some of what I did.

Tuesday, August 26

Shopping.

Lid from punnet strawberries.

Outer wrapper from four-pack chewing gum.

Plastic bag used to buy single piece broccoli.

Plastic bag used to buy one carrot.

Lids used to seal two handwash bottles.

Outer wrap from 12-pack toilet rolls.

Outer wrap from bag of apples.

Plastic sticker from dog’s rawhide bone

Wednesday, August 27

Ordinary day.

Outer wrap from a bag of pumpkin seeds.

Inner wrap from frozen pizza I had for tea.

Thursday, August 28

Morning trip to hospital. Evening train journey to Cobh.

Three plastic lids from takeaway teas.

Three plastic spoons.

Friday, August 29

Cleaned two kitchens — my own and that of an elderly neighbour.

Plastic tray from punnet strawberries.

Whole tray from my dad’s daily take-out hot meal.

Old chewed shoe with large plastic heel belonging to dog.

Old plastic pen found on floor.

Two empty sunscreen bottles.

Plastic wrap and base used to hold a single sliced currant loaf.

Empty Dettol bottle.

Empty bleach bottle.

Empty milk container.

Broken mop-wringer (thick dyed plastic).

Inner wrap from frozen evening meal.

Two old ice-cream tub lids found while tidying up.

One ice-cream tub lid.

One strawberry punnet lid.

Saturday, August 30

Working and cleaning around the house.

Wrap from a single slice of cheese. Plastic bit from box of tissues and the two-for-one plastic sticker on the box.

Under the bed — one sweet wrapper, one bottle top, two tampon wraps, sticky plastic sweet wrap, broken plastic keyring.

Putting out clothes — three broken plastic pegs.

One plastic tray and wrap from a pork pie given to dog next door.

More cleaning upstairs — old folic acid tablet tube.

Outer wrap from pack envelopes.

Outer wrap from pack pens.

One squashed water bottle.

One large plastic kid’s piano (used to compose a love song for a man who didn’t love me!).

Broken plastic laundry basket cover.

From my bathroom bin (after several weeks):

Empty handwash bottle

Another outer wrap of toilet roll pack.

Empty Dettol bottle.

Pair plastic cleaning gloves.

Large squirty bottle filled with vinegar from my organic cleaning days.

Sunday, August 31

Gardening day.

Old cake wrapper.

Seal from fresh milk bottle top.

Wrap from Sunday papers’ magazines.

Cut top from bag of soil for planting bulbs.

Eight seals from milk bottle tops.

On the road out front, two bottle tops.

Break pair of cheap plastic sunglasses while mowing grass.

Cheese wrap from single slice.

Outer wrap from pack biscuits.

Milk container.

Monday, September 1

Another wrap and holder from single currant loaf.

Squashed water bottle.

To bank with neighbour — amazed at big pile of thick plastic paying-in bags.

Two plastic carrier bags as neighbour forgot reusable bag.

Little plastic tray sold to me with my jambon.

Plastic bag used to buy a single cake.

Another empty tray from dad’s daily take-out hot lunch.

Empty biscuit packet

Outer wrap beetroot.

Tuesday, September 2.

Take neighbour to dentist and do weekly shopping.

Lid from takeaway tea while waiting at dentist’s.

Another single cheese wrap.

Outer wrap from finished cheese slices.

Plastic lid found on floor.

Another plastic sticker from rawhide dog bone.

Outer wrap from bag of lovely chewy toffees.

Shopping. Another lid from punnet strawberries.

Empty outer wrap from baby leaf spinach.

Another pig’s ear outer wrap.

Outer wrap apples.

Outer wrap bananas.

Outer wrap (thick plastic) from dust mask.

I feel I’ve gone mad. There is plastic everywhere.

I don’t know how we coped before it was invented or what we will do when the oil from which it is derived runs out.

My week’s collection fills two large bags under the stairs. And that’s just one week in the life of a low-key, single person. We must act or it will choke our planet.

I can make small changes to cut my use of plastic, such as buying vegetables loose and take flasks of tea on long journeys to avoid buying plastic cups.

Shops must also start to do their bit to reduce plastic waste and they could start by introducing facilities where certain products are sold using reusable bottles.

Handwash, for example, could be sold this way.

It’s time for action.

Jacqueline Cotter

Gortnaclohy Heights

Skibbereen

Co Cork