Some cool Ink Cartridge Refill images:
Plastic challenge
Image by DebbieC
For the Fake Plastic Fish Challenge
The idea was to basically just keep your plastic items for a week (or longer), tally it up, photograph it, and answer the following questions.
My tally:
* Five big bags that merchandise was shipped in (some wool pillow covers and some clothing)
* Two ink cartridges and plastic wrapper and orange thingies from the replacement cartridges
* Fork
* Spoon
* Soda bottle cap (which is a stand in for about six others that I managed to lose track of over the week) — the bottles themselves were put in recycling bins.
* Plastic lid to a foil container that some curry came in.
* a piece of saran-type wrap that some bread came wrapped in.
Besides the missing bottle caps, not pictured is a foam plate that some noodles came on (too messy to keep and bring home for photo — I asked for a bowl but they forgot) and two bandaid-like bandages (which I’m still wearing).
The questions:
* What items could I easily replace with plastic-free or less plastic alternatives? — The plastic utensils. I actually own bamboo utensils, but had misplaced them. I found them and am now carrying them with me.
* What items would I be willing to give up if a plastic-free alternative doesn’t exist? — Hmm. I’m going to try and go cold turkey on the sodas. That may be it.
* How many of these items are from "convenience" foods that could be made from scratch with less packaging but might take more time to prepare? — None, really. I bought the curry at a restaurant, which I’m sure would cost less to make at home and certainly be more work.
* What items are essential and seem to have no plastic-free alternative? — If I have stuffed shipped to me I have little to no control over the amount of plastic. I can ask for plastic-reduced shipping, but individual items are probably still going to be in plastic. Are they essential? Some are, a lot aren’t. I don’t really see any plastic-free alternatives to the ink cartridge situation. I’m a bit leery of having them refilled, I killed a print head (and consequently the printer) that way.
* What lifestyle change(s) might be necessary to reduce my plastic consumption? — I’ve already started carrying reusable utensils. While not represented in this tally so much, I do eat out a lot usually, and could ask that take-out stuff be put in my own containers. Or, of course, I could actually cook at home. And it’s probably time to put a moratorium on buying stuff.
* What one plastic item am I willing to give up or replace this week? — The utensils are definitely out this week, and the soda (to cut down on plastic, but mainly at this point because it’s crap and I don’t need it).
* What other conclusions, if any, can I draw? — I lucked out this week, this is a relatively light plastic use week. Often I have a lot more.
disassembled
Image by Yannic Meyer
After using a roller-ball-pen for some time I got tired of changing ink-cartridge all the time. Now I am using my old Lamy Al-Star again. Due to the fact that it had some rough times I had to buy a new nib and furthermore got myself a converter and an inkwell.
I refilled the converter the evening before; isn’t it scary how much ink is left after some usual writing, a test and assambling information for learning?
The words you see below are actually from the information-assambly for my religion-test. Topic is Christology with a special focus on the resurrection of Jesus and with that a special focus on Rudolf Bultmanns and Marxens model of demythologization.
It is somewhat funny that the words "[...]Leben ohne Maß bliebe ohne Konsequenzen[...]" / "Life without responsibility for ones own acting wouldn’t take any consequences". Looking at financial crysis this seems to be sad reality..
Stainless Steel Sharpie Refillable Permanent Marker: Disassembed
Image by Note Booker, Esq.
Unlike the Platinum refillable highlighters, in which you simply change ink cartridges without changing the felt tip, here the ink and tip are part of a self-contained refill unit, making it very easy to change when the ink is exhausted.
