I've been living at the Eco Centre on Eigg, and my first plastic diary is set here. This is a quick run through of what my day looks like and how much I use plastic things just going about everyday business.
8.00 - 8.30 - get up and ready for the day (15 plastic items)
- My alarm on my cellphone wakes me up (1)
- A bit of basic morning hygiene - my toothbrush, toothpaste, eye lenses container, and a quick-drying towel (4)
- I have a drink of water from my thermos (1)
- I prepare for the day with beauty products that are kept in plastic - aqueous calamine cream, antiperspirants, my makeup (3)
- I put up my hair in a hair tie (1)
8:30 - 9:30 - breakfast time! (8 plastic items)
- I make tea from the hot water machine and pour soy milk from the soya milk box (2)
- For my toast, the bread knife has a plastic handle, and so does the toaster; then I butter my toast using a knife and the margarine box (4)
- Tidying up, I put the milk back in the fridge and then wash my plate in a plastic wash box (2)
9:00 - 11:00 - the daily morning chores and gardening (7 plastic items)
- I put bread mix into the bread machine (1)
- My sports shoes have got plastic on them, and so do my wellington boots (2)
- I take out our compost - which is stored in a small plastic compost box and goes out to a big plastic compost barrell (2)
- Doing gardening, I have two plastic buckets with me for weeding (2)
11:00 - 12.00 - tea break then out to the garden again (7 plastic items)
- We have a tea break - which means using the hot water machine, the fridge, soya milk box, margarine box and knife (5)
- I clean up and use the wash box & brush (2)
- Then it's back outside in my wellington boots, and this time I take secateurs, and a saw in its plastic container (4)
12:00 - 16:00 - lunch and gardening (8 plastic items)
- I make some more bread - which uses a plastic bag for the dough and a measuring cup for flour, a plastic jug for measuring water and another plastic cup for ingredients (4)
- I like spicy food, and the chilli sauce packet is plastic (1)
- Cleaning up, it's the wash box, brush and sponge again (3)
- Heading back out to the garden, my wellingtons and the wheel barrow are both plastic (2)
16:00 - 19:00 - free time! (11 plastic items)
- Snacking time - I store my cookie packet and crisp packet in a food container, and use a plastic clip to seal them (4)
- A drink from my thermos (1)
- I tidy up a little using a dustpan and broom (2)
- I charge my phone, using the wall socket, plug adapter, and a cellphone charge line (4)
19:00 - 20:00 - dinner time (10 plastic items)
- I have to pop outside and put on my sport shoes (1)
- I use the detergent soap box and dish brush (2)
- We drink water from the plastic jug and a plastic cup (2)
- We have rice for dinner, and I serve myself from the rice cooker with a plastic rice spoon (2)
- Cleaning up, I use the plastic wash box, the brush and a sponge (3)
After 20:00 - bedtime! (11 plastic items)
- Evening cleaning rituals - my toothbrush, toothpaste, eye lenses container, contact lens solution bottle (4)
- My lip balm and aqueous calamine cream also come in plastic packaging (2)
- I fill up my thermos (1)
- My glasses and glasses box both have plastic in them (2)
- I use a pen to write in the evening (1)
- Finally, lights out - the light switch is plastic (1)