Well I have continued my plastic waste free year here in Victoria, BC. Some things have been very easy! My favourite place to get veggies is the Root Cellar. Not only is it easy to get everything with no plastic, they are also the cheapest in town and try very hard to be local! Win^3 :D. The have expanded since the last time I lived here and now have a deli section so we can get meat with out plastic waste. I have also been able to get milk in glass bottles! As a side bonus, the milk is delicious :).
Right near where I am living there is Thrifty's and Planet Organic. While the products at PO are pretty expensive, they are the only place I have been able to find coffee entirely free of plastic packaging. Walmart (boo) is the only place so far that I have been able to find filters that are not in plastic. Hurrah for coffee!
I have been pretty disappointed with the selection of pasta that is plastic free (aka not much...). The only pasta I have been able to by is the 1.8 kg box of spaghetti. Pretty small pickings but at least I get to buy it still.
I have had some disappointments though. I purchased some couscous in a box, assuming I was rocking my goal, and it came with a plastic bag inside. The same thing happened with the rice that we bought :(. The same straw problem is happening in Canada as well. So I need to be extra conscious about asking for no straw. The Old Spaghetti Factory was pretty good about taking the water back though, so the straw wouldn't be wasted.
A really big disappointment is the inability to purchase toilet paper that is wrapped in paper. I am sad that it is available in Australia but not Canada. Let's get on it! I will keep on looking. So far I haven't purchased the tp, but I have been using it, so that is the same. :(.
A bulk barn has opened in Victoria which is super exciting! I haven't actually been yet but I am very excited to go. Just have to do some planning and organizing.
It is also just about the last month of this adventure so I should probably think about what I have learned. I certainly feel like I am more aware of the issue at the very least. I will have a more thorough debrief at the end of the year :D.
