Functioning day to day with little to no plastic in my life is almost impossible. Plastic has become such a predominant part of all our lives. To limit plastic consumption and pollutants in the ocean, New Providence High School has decided to go plastic free from June 6th to the 10th. 

To test this out, I decided to go plastic free for just one day, and to say I struggled is an understatement. 

To start off my plastic free day I got ready like I usually do by first brushing my teeth. I then went to eat breakfast and although I usually drink my orange juice in a plastic cup, I switched it to a glass. I obviously don’t deliberately try to hurt the environment, I’m just lazy and would rather throw a plastic cup away as opposed to washing a glass. 

I then finished my morning routine plastic free until I grabbed a Poland Spring water bottle. I immediately remembered and turned around, put the water back and searched for my hydro flask.

After filling it up, I had to carry the water bottle with me for the entire day. With a plastic water bottle it’s much easier to carry, doesn’t make a loud clanking noise, and I don’t have to worry about losing it. 

After getting home from school, I was able to avoid plastic by recycling everything that needed to be recycled inside of my house. I replaced my plastic straws with reusable straws and stored all of my fruits and vegetables in glass containers instead of plastic bags. 

As the night closed, I took some time to reflect on my plastic free day and although it was challenging and slightly inconvenient, it was very relieving and refreshing. Giving back to the environment felt rewarding despite the fact I was only one person. 

Nonetheless, laziness and ignorance are killing the planet we live in. I fall guilty to these accusations, however as a society it’s important for us to lean on and help each other in order to save our dying world.