Thanks, but No Thanks
Good intentions often fail. One for me is forgetting to bring my own bag when I shop. It’s rare, but when it happens it’s a real kick in the pants. This is eco-friendly 101; it should be easy! And if I forget the easy one how will I ever reshape my whole day-to-day routine to exile plastic from my life, which is something I’d love to do if not completely, significantly.
Before getting into it I do think plastic has its place. I understand the appeal, and how this material came to dominance over the latter half of the 20th century. It can be purposed into life-saving parts, provide protection, introduce efficiencies, and cut expenses. But man if this isn’t one of the best examples of too much of a good thing, especially when you learn the facts (aka Earth’s trash heap by the numbers).
Annually, approximately 500 billion plastic bags are used worldwide. More than one million bags are used every minute. Millions of tons of plastic are produced every year. Plastic takes hundreds of years to break down, and even then it just becomes really really really small. Animals eat the plastic. We eat the plastic. It blankets the oceans, fills the ground, and becomes clunky dust in the wind. And exposure to some can lead to significant health issues. Very little gets recycled or can be (depending on the kind or where you live). On and on. And it’s everywhere. All this for something we often use for MINUTES before discarding.
Knowing this it’s hard to feel ok with the status quo — making purchases without care or research, having a disposable attitude about the disposable. I’ve been taking inventory of what we have, what we use, how we use it, where it goes when we’re done. While any behavior change can be hard to fully adopt, finding and swapping out products (i.e. packaging) thus outright removing the risk of setbacks, have been small victories. The reality of expanding to a full-fledged plastic-free home, not knowing if you’re alone in the world with this endeavor, and wondering if it’s too little too late make the long game feel daunting though.
I’d like to believe the effort, no matter its measure, leads to something better. In trying to architect some magical convergence of being a do-gooder and the doable, here’s what I’ve come up with: buy in bulk, get produce from an online grocery (they don’t wrap in plastic), get products with compostable packaging or parts, use reusable containers, look for zero-waste labels, find local services that support or facilitate total recycling. It probably sounds super basic and doesn’t address many personal care products and general items/parts. I’m really curious about what other people do, what has worked. And that only feels like a gap in the community. Tell me how you’ve reduced your plastic use and if there are places to get constant feedback on tips and tricks.
POLYMERS:
The ultimate roadmap to plastic-free living is here (she literally wrote the book)
The struggle is real as detailed by this New York Times article
Make your own tote with an old t-shirt (don’t forget to wash it)
I can always get behind The Cure’s Plastic Passion
From the archives, an artist that repurposed plastic
Plastic bag typography
The most beautiful plastic bag (you know the one)
I love these embroidered a-likes by Lauren DiCioccio, some of which you can buy here
Riffin on the classic thank you bag