basilbias.com

June 21-June 27, 2009

Plastic Sticker
Discovered when I went to use my new cast-iron pot to make vegetable stock.

Three Produce Stickers
One from a lemon, two from nectarines.

Plastic-Windowed Box
I ordered lasagna noodles from Planet Organics because I needed another item to complete my order. They were very good, but I will try to find them in bulk next time.

Plastic-lined Jar Lid
From Muir Glen organic tomato sauce, which I bought rather than a plastic-lined can of tomatoes. The sauce was so innocent-looking in its glass jar and metal lid, who knew there was plastic lurking just inside? In the summer, I usually make tomato sauce from scratch, but tomatoes aren’t quite in season yet and a lasagna was in order, due to the tofu ricotta I made way too much of last week.

Cap
From a tamari bottle that ran out.

Seal
From the new tamari bottle I subsequently opened.

Piece of Tape
I forget what this came off of.

Expired Credit Card
Shown cut-up in the photo for obvious reasons.

Stencil Cut-Outs
We stenciled old t-shirts to wear to the Dyke March.

Plastic Cup
From the March. Inexcusable, I know. I was very thirsty and I forgot my water bottle. (I did my penance though, carrying a sticky cup around for the rest of the day…)

Total Number of Items: 12
Total Weight: 1 ¼ Ounces

This week, besides the plastic cup, I refused to buy anything I knew contained plastic. Between avoiding all animal products and all plastic, I have to say this made my grocery shopping incredibly difficult. For instance, I wanted to make burritos, but all the tortillas and vegan cheeses came in plastic. So I didn’t get them, thinking I could do without the cheese and make the tortillas from scratch. When the time came, however, I was rushed and so ended up making a sort of cheese-and-tortilla-less Mexicanesque stir-fry. Not one of my culinary masterpieces, to be sure. (My friends, though, were very sweet and ate it anyway.)
How long will I be able to keep this up? Although I’ve always been pretty good at doing without things, in combination with my old ones,[1] my new purchasing restriction (nothing packaged in plastic) seems a little extreme even for me.
But I think the difficulty lies in the planning,[2] since in most cases it’s the convenience and not the taste of plastic-wrapped foods that their homemade counterparts lack.

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[1] (Nothing new [besides food and undergarments,] nothing grown with pesticides, nothing produced where workers were likely to have been paid unfair wages, nothing sold at large chain stores, and nothing containing animal products.)

[2] Case in point: I went to the grocery store this week without a list. If I had taken the trouble to look up a recipe beforehand, my stir-fry would most likely have taken a more palatable form, with or without the tortillas.

This is decidedly off-topic, having nothing to do with climate change. But when I heard that thousands of people all over the world are reading my favorite novel of all time together this summer, how could I resist? And where better to post my thoughts on the subject than my own blog?

Infinite Summer (also to be found on Facebook and Twitter) bills itself as a guided ‘challenge’ to complete David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest in one summer. I couldn’t help but join in, upset as I was over David Foster Wallace’s recent death. (And as luck would have it, I’d recently come across a copy at a thrift store for $2.)[1]

I first encountered Infinite Jest in the spring of 2002 at a library when I was going through the typical high school Kurt Vonnegut phase. I’d already read most of his books and was getting a little sick of them. Not far from ‘Vonnegut, K.’ alphabetically (and hence physically, on the shelf) was ‘Wallace, D.F.’ and a 1000-page-thick bright orange spine[2] does nothing if not effectively catch the eye of the restless library patron. I picked it up and read the back. I don’t recall being intimidated by, or even taking note of, its size at this point.[3] I just knew immediately that I would love this book.

However, the logistics of getting it home by bicycle without a proper bag prevented me from checking it out that day, and I opted instead for Girl with Curious Hair (which I devoured and even remember reading parts of out loud to my somewhat-perplexed mother as she was cooking dinner one night.)

As soon as I finished Girl, I returned to the library better-equipped and checked out Infinite Jest.[4] I spent the summer reading it.

Why do I love Infinite Jest so much? I really can’t explain it. I detest sports, I’ve never been addicted (or even really recreationally used much of) anything, I generally gravitate towards the small and concise rather than the huge and expansive, etc. And yet there is something about Infinite Jest, something about almost every sentence contained therein, that I adore.

One of the Infinite Summer guest posters was saying how he relates to this or that character, and it struck me that I couldn’t pick a character I relate to more than others. I identify with them all, despite that I’ve never been in situations even remotely similar to most of the ones they find themselves in.

Maybe it’s that they’re all riddled with insecurities. Maybe it’s their so-self-aware-they’re-oblivious verbosity. Maybe it’s that they know they’re stuck in narratives too complex and disjointed to fully grasp. Maybe it’s just that they’re human.

When I read Infinite Jest the first time, I had no idea what was going on (I had only just graduated high school after all.) Like its characters, though, I instinctively knew that even if I could understand all the references and sub-sub-plots and allusions and so forth, I still wouldn’t know definitively what was going on. I believe that that is the point.

And but so. To a summer of low-carbon entertainment!

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[1] My other copy never making the trip out to California, since I refused to lug books out that I’d already read, no matter how well loved they were…

[2] Or the hardcover’s spine might actually have been blue, I don’t remember.

[3] After all, as with women, the bigger the book, the more there is to love, right?

[4] The impracticality of getting through a 1000-page book by the time one has to return it to the library didn’t occur to me at the time, and so after I had renewed IJ the maximum amount of times and still hadn’t even reached the halfway point, I finally broke down and bought a paperback copy. Which I found was not as pleasant to read, as the hardcover version’s pages naturally stayed open when placed on a table or other such surface, whereas the paperback’s spine had to be creased (and then re-creased for the footnotes) pretty hard if you wanted it to stay put.

June 14-June 20, 2009

My efforts at throwing less plastic away were encumbered this week by birthday festivities. My grand total came to about the same as week one: 30 items weighing 7 3/4 ounces.

Recyclable

Silken Tofu Container

Rice Milk Container

Carrot Juice Bottle

I went for a long time without buying carrot juice because of its packaging.[1] It goes bad within a day or two after you open it, so unless you’re feeding a family of four horses, you pretty much have to get it in single serving containers. But somehow when I went vegan I was reminded of its existence (and that it tastes like amazing,)[2] and the proximity of the Odwalla cooler to the pasta section made carrot juice my only (albeit reoccurring) impulse purchase. But no longer. Maybe I’ll get a juicer.

Two Windowed Envelopes

That’s what you get for donating to a good cause, apparently.

Non-Recyclable

Two Nectarine Stickers

Plastic Bag

I used it over and over, but at last it developed a hole.

Produce Tape

Newspaper Bag

Corn Chip Bag

I bought these weeks ago. Out of desperation one night, I finally finished the by-then stale chips sans salsa.

Tempeh Bag

Although I’ve been eating tempeh since I was a toddler, I just found out last week that it’s Indonesian. I’ve also read that it’s not too hard to make your own, so perhaps this bag can be eliminated in the future.

Two Tofu Bags

Vegan birthday brunch ₌ copious amounts of tofu consumption.

Mayonnaise Jar Lid

I believe this dates from a year ago (I cleaned out the fridge.)

Frozen Spinach Bag

I would have bought fresh spinach, but it didn’t look so good, and to get this kind of quantity I would have needed about 7 bunches anyway (those suckers cook down!) So I went with the cardboard box of frozen organic spinach, but lo and behold, it had plastic inside.

Three Fresh Herb Labels

I hate nothing more than those horrendously overpriced fresh herbs carried by most supermarkets that come two leaves to a blister pack. Some herbs at the Berkeley Bowl come with just a twist tie, which is awesome, but others have these plastic labels.

Lid from Breadcrumb Container

I bought these a long time ago and finally used them up. Of course, the recipe I was using them in called for more than I had left, so I went out and bought another box. It didn’t even occur to me that breadcrumbs wouldn’t be vegan, so I didn’t check. Turns out they have eggs, milk and buttermilk in them. Anyone want some breadcrumbs? From now on I’m making my own (which I would have done in the first place if I’d had some old bread.)

Scotch Tape Ball

Yes, I saved all the tape (and wrapping paper) from my birthday presents. I have become one of those people who takes ten minutes to unwrap a gift.

Blister Pack

From this device my dad got me for my birthday, oh-so-cleverly-named The Kill-a-Watt (I think that might be why he bought it) which measures the amount of power drawn by whatever you plug into it. Marketed towards penny-pinchers with too much time on their hands, but perfect for calculating your appliances’ individual carbon footprints!

Seven Tea Bag Wrappers

We made iced tea for the picnic from some old tea I found at the back of the cabinet.

Packaging From Cast-Iron Pot

A gift from my super thoughtful friends (it can go in the oven!) Packaging comprised of some little rubbery things to keep the lid from clanking around in the box and a little plastic bag on the knob.

Packaging From Paring Knife

Also a present. Two little zip ties to keep it in place and a plastic sheath to protect the blade.

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[1] And I actually bought this one last week, but didn’t finish it til Sunday.

[2] I honestly cannot understand how it was that carbonated soda took over the world, when carrot juice is clearly so much better. And not only did carrot juice fail to conquer the global market’s taste buds, but it’s at the bottom of the list even among other juices.

Our bikes caught their breath as we picnicked in the sun…

Our yard made strawberries! (Berries picked and photo taken by Fig.)

June 12, 2009: Day 6

Cereal Bag

From Bob’s Red Mill ten grain hot cereal. Yum.

Three Spice Bags

I was cleaning out my spice cabinet and found some jars to put the contents of these in. I’ve been trying to buy my spices in bulk lately to minimize packaging (and of course it’s way cheaper than even jarless individually packed ones…)

June 13, 2009: Day 7

Salad Container

I woke up too late this morning to pack a lunch before work, so my friend and I split a soup, salad and smoothie. Smart Alec’s vegetarian options are almost all vegan, which is great (and very rare, even in Berkeley) but their salads do come in these big plastic tubs.

Smoothie Cup, Top and Straw

See above.

Three Straws (not pictured)

From a bike pub crawl birthday celebration. And yes, I forgot to take them.

Week One Total: 30 items

Total Weight: about 7 ounces (give or take a few straws…)

This challenge really made me think about the myriad ways in which my values conflict with each other in every stupid little purchase I make. Organic, local, vegan, healthy, energy efficient or sustainably packaged?[1] You can almost never have it all. It is so hard to know what your priority should be in any given situation. But giving up altogether has got to be worse, even if you don’t have all the data on hand and have no way to be sure that you made the absolute right choice every time…

Now that the first week’s over, it’s time to make some changes. I think the first step is to completely cut out things I normally try to avoid: plastic cups, take-out containers and cookie/cracker trays. I’m also working on a design for a reusable bulk foods bag (right now I reuse the plastic bags, but they get holes and end up in the trash sooner or later.) And my new reusable mesh produce bags worked out well when I tried them out the other day.

Stay tuned for next week’s results!

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[1] And in terms of packaging, simply avoiding plastic isn’t always the answer. For example, glass is heavier and bulkier and thus takes more energy to ship…

My new reusable produce bags (made with the rainbow thread that came with my vintage machine…)

June 11, 2009: Day 5

Two Windowed Envelopes[1]

Even though I signed up to ostensibly save paper by getting my statements by email, Wells Fargo still sends me loan and credit card offers like this one through the mail. Envelope number two was from my ‘green’ mutual funds.

Rice Milk Container

This is another example of something I rarely bought before I became vegan that comes in unsustainable packaging.[2] I’ve looked for non-dairy milk in glass containers to no avail. Ultimately, I think that the energy benefits of TetraPaks and not supporting the dairy industry, (and the fact that, at least in Oakland, drink boxes are somewhat recycled) outweigh the small amount of waste in the packaging, but I do go through one of these every week and a half or so.

Seal from Top of Mustard Jar

Don’t worry, no one tampered with my mustard.

Scraps from Produce Bag Sewing

I went to the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse today and bought some netting to make reusable produce bags. I’m hoping it will hold up better than the plastic bags I reuse, which get a little gross after a while. I was actually looking for some type of sheer fabric that would work for storage as well as shopping purposes (apparently wetting it before you put it in the crisper drawer keeps the veggies fresh) but I could only find one small piece. I’m going to try both fabrics out and see how they do.[3]

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[1] Yes, windowed envelopes are recyclable! When I was a senior in high school and I got tons of these things from every college in the country, I didn’t realize this, so my mom and I sat at the dining room table for hours diligently tearing out the window on every single one. I’ve since learned that this is not necessary…

[2] TetraPaks are controversial- they drastically reduce energy use during shipping and storage (because they’re lightweight, don’t require refrigeration, and are more compact) but they are also not truly recyclable, since their layers are laminated together and impossible to separate all the way.

[3] Several companies (such as Ecobags and Reusable Bags) make organic cotton produce bags, but I figure that, if you have the skills, its even better to use materials that already exist and make your own than buy new, albeit organic, ones.

June 10, 2009: Day 4

Tea Bag Wrapper

At home, I drink loose-leaf tea, but we went out to breakfast and this is what they gave me. Thanks for using plastic when paper works just fine, Peet’s!

“Organically-Grown” Tape

The Berkeley Bowl puts this hot pink tape on a lot of their organic produce, even if it already has a sticker or tag.  I guess to make extra sure people don’t try to pass it off as the cheaper stuff.[1] Of course they use way more tape than necessary too, wrapping it around four or five times.

Coconut Sorbet Lid

I bought this last month when it was really hot one weekend, and finally used it up today. Why is coconut so good…

Tomato Sticker

Nectarine Sticker

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[1] Which Whole Foods ironically calls ‘conventional’ produce. Just another reason they get on my nerves…

June 9, 2009: Day 3

Ginger Crème Cookie Package

I wouldn’t have bought these if I weren’t vegan. I try not to buy things that come packaged in these unnecessary plastic trays (heaven forbid a cookie breaks!) But, I was at work, and I wanted something sweet, and so I went to the little market around the corner and reread the ingredient lists of all of their cookies. The week before I had bought the only other vegan cookies (a different brand of organic sandwich cookies,[1] which were vanilla bean and green tea flavored and cost almost seven dollars[2]) but, although they were deceptively packaged in cardboard, inside I found the dreaded tray. Since those ones tasted much like the box they came in, I bought Newman’s Own brand the second time around, even though they came in a plastic bag and I could clearly feel the tray inside. They were delicious, but from now on, I’ll try to bring more sustainably packaged cookies to work.

Nectarine Sticker

It was the plastic kind that rips the skin right off when you try to remove it.

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[1] Is there an unspoken rule that all sandwich cookies, even Oreos, must be vegan?

[2] I eat so little that money is generally no object when I’m hungry and actually attempting to do something about it. Of course, it’s arguable that spending large sums of money on organic cookies is maybe not the most effective way to add calories to my diet.