Plastic.
A word that sends shivers down my spine. What a double-edged sword. Convenient and inconvenient all bagged up in one toxic package. I never gave it much thought before. I perceived it as cheap and not much beyond that. Now I know that it is a problem of monumental proportion.
It is washing up on our beaches.
A word that sends shivers down my spine. What a double-edged sword. Convenient and inconvenient all bagged up in one toxic package. I never gave it much thought before. I perceived it as cheap and not much beyond that. Now I know that it is a problem of monumental proportion.
It is washing up on our beaches.
Clogging our land.
Killing our wildlife.
And litters our planet.It is everywhere and in everything! But there is something you can do about it. One of my favorite bloggers Beth of Fake Plastic Fish has put out a call to action. She writes tirelessly about the perils of plastic and how to avoid it. Now she is looking for more voices. It is because of blogs like hers that I became aware of the plastic problem. If more of us start talking about it, even more people will learn about it.
I have decided to join the Plastic-free Posse. In doing so, she posed these questions to me:
1) What was it that first inspired you to eliminate plastic from your life? Was it a particular issue? News article? Experience? And when was this?
For me it has been a culmination of things over the past year. Moving to a new home and realizing just how much crap we had. Trying unsuccessfully to conceive and in doing infertility research stumbling upon EWG's Skin Deep Database. Discovering blogs like Fake Plastic Fish. Gradually becoming more aware of the impact I have and realizing I have a choice.
2) What have been the 1-3 easiest changes to make?
1. Reusable bags. So simple it boggles my mind that I accepted plastic shopping bags as normal for so long. 2. Making food from scratch. Avoiding prepackaged convenience meals has cut our weekly garbage load from seven bags to two. 3. The safety razor. Way more economical, comfortable, and so easy a 12 year old can do it.
3) What has been your biggest challenge so far?
Besides getting the family on board? Packaging. The things we do still buy are inevitably packaged in plastic.
4) What one thing would you say to encourage others to lessen their plastic consumption?
I saw a quote left in the comments of a blog once that resonated with me, "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without!"
I have decided to join the Plastic-free Posse. In doing so, she posed these questions to me:
1) What was it that first inspired you to eliminate plastic from your life? Was it a particular issue? News article? Experience? And when was this?
For me it has been a culmination of things over the past year. Moving to a new home and realizing just how much crap we had. Trying unsuccessfully to conceive and in doing infertility research stumbling upon EWG's Skin Deep Database. Discovering blogs like Fake Plastic Fish. Gradually becoming more aware of the impact I have and realizing I have a choice.
2) What have been the 1-3 easiest changes to make?
1. Reusable bags. So simple it boggles my mind that I accepted plastic shopping bags as normal for so long. 2. Making food from scratch. Avoiding prepackaged convenience meals has cut our weekly garbage load from seven bags to two. 3. The safety razor. Way more economical, comfortable, and so easy a 12 year old can do it.
3) What has been your biggest challenge so far?
Besides getting the family on board? Packaging. The things we do still buy are inevitably packaged in plastic.
4) What one thing would you say to encourage others to lessen their plastic consumption?
I saw a quote left in the comments of a blog once that resonated with me, "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without!"
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3 comments:
i like that quote. I'm thinking of plagerising it.
jen - feel free, I did. It stuck with me so much I adopted it as my own. I use for my email signature now. I wish I could remember where and who originally posted it.
Oh my god! You totally made my day. This picture is awesome. It is soooo going on FPF as soon as I do my Plastic-free Posse post this week.
One blogger claims the quote comes from the WWII era, so I don't think anyone's going to cry plagiarism.
Beth
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