Originally published in And Beauty for All’s Summer 2020 Newsletter and revised for this blog.
Photo by Kyle Bosch. A green sea turtle pictured in the waters of Maui, Hawaii. Sea turtles are one of the animals most harmed by our consumption of plastic.
HOW MY JOURNEY TO BECOMING PLASTIC FREE BEGAN
During my time as an undergraduate student at the University of Washington one unconventional assignment stood out. So unconventional, in fact, that I heard about it from multiple peers without ever signing up for class it was a part of. Basically, the professor instructed students to collect the trash they generated for a week and then bring it with them to class on Friday. I don’t know about you, but the idea of keeping my garbage (especially my food waste) close to me is just the right balance of repulsive and intriguing for me to try it at home.
I began looking in places like my bathroom and kitchen for items that were either not recyclable or made of plastic. To my dismay, I discovered a great number of plastic bottles and plastic food packaging. Thus, these rooms became my first targets. I’ve read that these household areas are common magnets for avoidable waste.
IT’S YOUR TURN TO LEARN: RESOURCES ABOUT PLASTIC
There are countless online resources to learn about the global issues with plastic. In particular, problems caused by the high consumption rates of the United States. One that burns in my memory is the film Albatross. This powerfully illustrates how our plastic waste hurts wildlife using quite graphic, but telling, images of seabirds in the Pacific Ocean.
A few others are PBS’s The Plastic Problem and the documentary A Plastic Ocean. The latter is available on Netflix. Or, you can read about the movement’s history in this book by its founder, Rebecca Prince-Ruiz.
2020 marks the 10th year of the Plastic Free Foundation’s campaign. This event challenges people all over the world to be aware of and reduce their use of single use plastics. Last year, 250 million people took the pledge to participate in Plastic Free July. Consequently, approximately 825 kg less plastic waste was generated. Beyond this, these conscious consumers are predicted to reduce their consumption of plastic by nearly 5% per year moving forward.
Photo courtesy of the Plastic Free Foundation, see the full 2019 report here
Reducing our plastic consumption is important to protecting natural beauty. For starters, plastic litters our oceans. Take the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, for instance, which is a densely polluted part of the ocean between Hawaii and California that is double the size of Texas. Besides the clear ugly ramifications of plastic infiltrating our waters, plastic pollution also harms sea life such as fish, turtles, and seals.
Another consideration is the fossil-fuel intensive processes that produce plastic and transport it. These connect plastic to the much broader reality of climate change. So, plastic is problematic not only in its disposal but also at its very creation.
TAKE ACTION TO LIVE WITH LESS PLASTIC
Popular alternatives to plastic include bringing our own reusable cups, straws, and bags. Leaving these in your bag or car is very helpful, so that when you need it you have it.
Although these are key to beginning the transition away from plastic, the low and zero waste movements stretch the thinking even further. Often, this looks like making your own products. For example, cleaning supplies or toothpaste. Or you can shop at stores that sell sustainability-made items with little to no packaging. Lauren Singer, who collects her trash in a glass mason jar, is the first person I heard about this lifestyle from. Watch her share her zero-waste journey in her TEDTalk here.
This month pushes us to reflect on what we consume, how we consume, and why we consume. But, looking into our trash cans is not only part of an effort to locally and globally protect natural beauty through the reduced use of single use plastic. Instead, it is an opportunity to realize the far-reaching effects of our individual habits of consumption. Beyond our homes, our local trash cans and landfills, to the shores of other countries and the wildlife who bear the harms of our plastic use. In this process, I hope we develop a deeper consciousness of our innate connectivity to the environment, to other creatures that call Earth home, and to the billions of people we will never meet but with whom we share this planet’s beauty.
Love always,