West Coast Wins: Going Green

Well, folks. No surprise here: the Boston sucks when it comes to being smart about the environment. 

Bold statement, yes I know. But look what I've encountered in one week in Boston. 

These are the salad containers at Shaw's market. Recognize that? 

Yea... That's plastic. And a lot of it. 

I can't tell you how many plastic bags I've refused at bodegas, stores and cafes in just twelve days. A lot. There's almost always a moment of pause from the cashier when I (politely, I hope) decline to place one bottle of wine or sandwich into a giant plastic bag. 

I know that the places I've lived, some East Coasters might think are a bit hippie (San Francisco, Boulder, Oregon... OK, I get it), but to me, it's just a way of living. Being smart and conscious about what you need and what you don't need. And how long that plastic fork will be around for. Is it worth it? It's breaking my heart to not have another container option to throw my greens in at the salad bar. I think I wouldn't be welcomed back if I just started eating spinach straight from the bin.

All this increased sensitive might be in large part due to the documentary I helped create last year about single use plastic. One Beach, a film about inspiring people doing creative things to reuse, repurpose and educate people about single use plastic has made it so that eating a salad with a plastic fork from a plastic container has got me wanting to jump off the side of a building. It sucks, people, to not have better options to better the world around you.  

So, I trekked to Whole Foods in hopes of finding strength in numbers, (hippie-minded) people like me AND compostable utensils. When... gasp! what's a girl to find?

Straight up plastic utensils individually wrapped in plastic bags. Heart. Sunk. 

Lame, Whole Foods, lame. I had hoped that you would be fighting the good fight out here. 

Well, here's to me fighting my own fight against my use of plastic. Let's go, Boston! Join me! I'm not just some crazy from SF (I kinda promise), it feels good to help the planet. Keep on recycling from your home. Carry that tote with you to the market. Put that spork in ya purse and carry it around! 

If Lilly Pulitzer designed a spork would ya use it? I'll call her tomorrow...

xo, 

eb