Anti Plastic Rant Christmas 2010
As you know, you've got to communicate your message, or no one ever gets it.
I remember having a garden party years ago, and someone there called someone coming over to stop by the dollar store for plastic cutlery, cups, plates and "real" ketchup and mustard. I refused to use them, and *OMG* did the dishes as needed. I had the horrors around here for years before I free-cycled the plates, cups and cutlery, along with those annoying disposable chopsticks and soy sauce packets that sneak over here behind my back.. I bought a set of stainless steel cups, side plates, bowls and main plates after that fiasco - 10 of each!!! - at the dollar store. I stock piled week by week, and they all fit snugly in a drawer and are indestructible and very portable. Do the offending parties hate me? Well, the buyer was embarrassed and the requester still thinks I'm a freak, but they still come to my garden parties.
I say "Sorry, I realize I'm hard core" a lot.
And you do have to drive your point home, I find.
I told all of my relatives, in several different ways, over the past 6 months, that we don't want more crayons and markers for Xana (4 years old) because she has tons, and uses markers on non paper things, and they're plastic and we just donate them to her school anyhow. So Xana opens her first gift from my mother: A SET OF 8 PERMANENT MARKERS IN PLASTIC. True to my mother, they are second hand; she used one and put it back. (Poverty is a monster that etches stupid ideas into you, but that's a tangent.) Since being emphatic about no plastic, I seem to have inspired a demon encouraging my relatives to break the rule in novel, creative ways, such as by giving:
~ a bath tub colouring book *I kid you not* with a set of plastic "bath safe" markers... Satan's excuse = The book is God themed, and about gratitude.
~ a set of "bath crayons" with toxic everything: plastic, colour, sodium lauryl sulphate, petroleum fragrance - plus the plastic bath crayon holders and stand. This was sold on Craig's list prior to opening.
~ A set of colourful foam blocks that smelled awesomely toxic, it's amazing anyone would bring them home, let alone give them to the children to play with. This was sold on Craig's list prior to opening in 3 hours. The buyer was about to buy the exact item on her way home from work.
Christmas and birthday conversations go like this:
"Oh thanks, we brought the set you bought us before."
"Oh, we don't actually need more, do you mind if we return it/donate it? (If they still give it to us, and I can get away with keeping it out of my children's hands, I sell it.)"
"Oh, we are collecting money to add to Xana's wooden blocks/train set. Do you mind if we trade this in?"
After years of this, some people still don't get it, some of the time. But some do, and I feel we've made a dent in the consumption of plastic in this family. My kids got a (reused from our food coop) cardboard box each of 4 kinds of home made, vegan cookies, plus second hand books from our housemate.
I'm obnoxious by my own admission, and people still hang out with me. I'm sure a sweet, gracious and articulate person like Beth Terry of Fake Plastic Fish http://fakeplasticfish.com/2010/12/wanna-hang-out-with-me/comment-page-1/#comment-31153 attracts the awe and admiration of 10 people to every one who gets ruffled.
Blessings to you and yours this coming year.
Love & RRRevolution, Tracey
I remember having a garden party years ago, and someone there called someone coming over to stop by the dollar store for plastic cutlery, cups, plates and "real" ketchup and mustard. I refused to use them, and *OMG* did the dishes as needed. I had the horrors around here for years before I free-cycled the plates, cups and cutlery, along with those annoying disposable chopsticks and soy sauce packets that sneak over here behind my back.. I bought a set of stainless steel cups, side plates, bowls and main plates after that fiasco - 10 of each!!! - at the dollar store. I stock piled week by week, and they all fit snugly in a drawer and are indestructible and very portable. Do the offending parties hate me? Well, the buyer was embarrassed and the requester still thinks I'm a freak, but they still come to my garden parties.
I say "Sorry, I realize I'm hard core" a lot.
And you do have to drive your point home, I find.
I told all of my relatives, in several different ways, over the past 6 months, that we don't want more crayons and markers for Xana (4 years old) because she has tons, and uses markers on non paper things, and they're plastic and we just donate them to her school anyhow. So Xana opens her first gift from my mother: A SET OF 8 PERMANENT MARKERS IN PLASTIC. True to my mother, they are second hand; she used one and put it back. (Poverty is a monster that etches stupid ideas into you, but that's a tangent.) Since being emphatic about no plastic, I seem to have inspired a demon encouraging my relatives to break the rule in novel, creative ways, such as by giving:
~ a bath tub colouring book *I kid you not* with a set of plastic "bath safe" markers... Satan's excuse = The book is God themed, and about gratitude.
~ a set of "bath crayons" with toxic everything: plastic, colour, sodium lauryl sulphate, petroleum fragrance - plus the plastic bath crayon holders and stand. This was sold on Craig's list prior to opening.
~ A set of colourful foam blocks that smelled awesomely toxic, it's amazing anyone would bring them home, let alone give them to the children to play with. This was sold on Craig's list prior to opening in 3 hours. The buyer was about to buy the exact item on her way home from work.
Christmas and birthday conversations go like this:
"Oh thanks, we brought the set you bought us before."
"Oh, we don't actually need more, do you mind if we return it/donate it? (If they still give it to us, and I can get away with keeping it out of my children's hands, I sell it.)"
"Oh, we are collecting money to add to Xana's wooden blocks/train set. Do you mind if we trade this in?"
After years of this, some people still don't get it, some of the time. But some do, and I feel we've made a dent in the consumption of plastic in this family. My kids got a (reused from our food coop) cardboard box each of 4 kinds of home made, vegan cookies, plus second hand books from our housemate.
I'm obnoxious by my own admission, and people still hang out with me. I'm sure a sweet, gracious and articulate person like Beth Terry of Fake Plastic Fish http://fakeplasticfish.com/2010/12/wanna-hang-out-with-me/comment-page-1/#comment-31153 attracts the awe and admiration of 10 people to every one who gets ruffled.
Blessings to you and yours this coming year.
Love & RRRevolution, Tracey