Just One Word, Plastics

Most of you probably know that plastic anything is just not my first choice. I try not to buy it, use it or promote its use in my work. Then I met RUST. Three years into owning a beach house, I am beginning to understand the evil forces of rust. Here on the Oregon Coast, everything rusts, quickly and completely.

When I say everything, I mean everything. Doorknobs, cars, outdoor furniture and food containers are all fair game. The metal tins of spices in my cupboards at first just clumped all of the contents into an unusable wad of spice and then proceeded to rust around the edges staining the cabinets.

I thought it was so strange the Tillamook Fred Meyer’s had plastic shopping carts when we first moved here. Now I get it. The realtor who sold us the house told us the type of door locks to buy that wouldn’t rust shut. I get that too. I try to use stainless steel, glass and wood whenever possible (although our stainless steel heater managed to rust indoors, over the winter).

Our recent trip to the local hardware store for a wheel barrow was another reminder. The clerk was extremely excited the best one currently on sale. When she brought it out for us, we saw that it was molded black plastic. The disappointment showing on our faces, Bob questioned her about it. Her response, “Really, sir, it won’t rust!” We shut up and bought it.