Life in Plastic: Not Fantastic
In the critically-acclaimed 2004 film “Mean Girls”, The Plastics ruled… and also destroyed… the climate of the school. No, this article isn’t an in-depth argument about how “Mean Girls” was really a discussion of the environmental issues we have created for ourselves. But I want you to know that it could be.
Change is difficult. Scary, even. Change requires a lot of work, and more often than not, a lot of trust. Trust that the work will pay off in the end, even if you can’t see the end. Humans have spent decades discovering and developing different tools and technologies to make our day-to-day lives easier. More efficient, perhaps. Plastic bottles for our favorite drinks on-the-go. Plastic dishes and utensils for an easy clean-up. Plastic materials subbed into production lines within many different industries to make products more affordable.
Key Word: Plastic.
By the 1990s, plastic waste had tripled from that of the ’70s. In the following decade alone, our output rose more than it had in the 40 years before. We are addicted to single-use plastic. Addicted to disposables, addicted to instantly gratifying shortcuts. We are in so deep that most of us can’t even comprehend the long-term destruction. Sure, we read articles like this one and we see the news and the images of our overflowing landfills, but until the pollution directly affects our daily lives, our health or our children, it might as well be fiction. Besides, instant gratification is way more fun.
But Plastic Doesn’t Go Away.
We produce 300 tons of plastic waste each year. To add some perspective on that, 300 tons is the approximate weight of the entire human population. Since the 1950s, we’ve added over 8 billion tons of plastic to our landfills (if it even makes it to the landfills). Meanwhile, the plastic produced is becoming more and more flimsy. More disposable. Cheaper. And now, we keep needing more. The trajectory of our habits predicts that by 2050, 20% of all oil consumption will be used for the production of plastics. Also by 2050, we could end up seeing more plastic than fish in our oceans. Gross!
Change Is Good!
Now is when we circle back to the discomfort of change. The essential challenge here is to refuse all one-time-use plastic. Yes, you’ll have to do more dishes. Yes, being conscientious takes time and discipline. And yes, you are strong and powerful and willful enough to do it. Use your trendy canvas bags for all your shopping needs. Order less takeout. When you do order takeout, ask them not to add utensils. Support restaurants that use cardboard and recycled materials for their to-go containers. Stop using straws, or invest in a metal one. Take that adorable reusable water bottle from your graveyard of reusable water bottles, and use it. Keep them on a cute rotation, while you’re at it. Use glass tupperware (besides, it’s more aesthetically pleasing, and easier to clean). Collect matchbooks instead of lighters. Purchase food in bulk when possible. Make produce bags a thing of the past (why can’t your produce touch your cart? You’re going to wash them before you eat them anyway and you know it).
Comment below with your own ideas. Let’s tackle it together. Love you.
