The Plastic Diet: Day 12
Tuesday, August 17th, 2010 by Nigel
Gyre/Chris Jordan: Chris Jordan’s (US) work “Gyre” depicts 2.4 million pieces of plastic, equal to the estimated number of pounds of plastic pollution that enter the world’s oceans every hour. All of the plastic in his image was collected from the Pacific Ocean.
I’ve become pretty used to my plastic diet, and enjoy the challenge of really scrutinising my shopping basket, and using eco alternatives to plastic packaging, bags and bottles. I’m doing more shopping at my local bakers, greengrocers, fishmongers and butchers, where it’s easier to request paper bags and wrapping, or explain that I’ve brought my own. I’ve also been perfecting my home made hummus recipe, become a whizz at juicing, and have actually enjoyed preparing more of my food at home, made by me in my kitchen, and not in a factory and transported across the country (or even further) in a refrigerated lorry. But I’ve really started to realise what plastic means to us: convenience and affordability. However, with a few small adjustments and a slight change of attitude, it’s not so hard to give it up.
The earliest forms of plastic date back to 1855, when they were made from naturally occurring substances such as cellulose and intended to resemble ivory or wood. The first synthetic plastics where introduced in 1907, with the invention of Bakelite, intended for insulation. Followed by polystyrene, PVC, nylon and synthetic rubber in the 1930s and 1940s, these materials are still used to make cheap essential items like tooth brushes, and luxury items like stockings, affordable and available to all.
Plastic by itself is pretty harmless but use of toxic chemicals used its production, and those released as it degrades are what damages both the environment and humans. Plastic breaks down extremely slowly. A staggering one billion tonnes of plastic has been chucked away since the 1950s, and much of this will still be around in thousands of years time.
Recycling plastic can be tricky because sorting it into the various different types is often done by hand, item by item. Also, an awful lot of what we have around our homes is made from lots of little bits of different types of plastic. Some types of plastic, like polystyrene, are expensive to recycle, and all too often end up in landfill, incinerators, or worse, create huge islands of discarded plastic in the seas formed by ocean currents or gyres.
When companies choose to use recycled plastic for their packaging, it’s a great way for them to show how responsible they are; in other words, fantastic PR! By using more recycled packaging we’re reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, which are getting scarcer and more expensive all the time, and saving an awful lot of CO2 - 2 tonnes of the stuff for every tonne of recycled plastic used instead of new.
Companies like Innocent Smoothies are leading the way in this respect. Innocent introduced a 100% recycled plastic bottle back in 2007, and have lots of information to help you close the loop by recycling their packaging. But they are by no means in the majority. I found this great advice for making greener packaging choices on Directgov, including advice on how to complain about excess packaging. Or, why not vote with your wallets - put yourself on a plastic diet and do without non-recycled plastic altogether - when we stop spending, companies start listening.
Sources: www.wrap.org.uk, wikipedia.org
Five fun eco alternatives to plastic
- A fruit bowl made from an old LP - stylish and quirky
- Coasters made from recycled yoghurt pots - although you wouldn’t think it to look at them!
- Biodegradable picnic plates - plant them when you’ve finished eating, and sunflowers will grow.
- Eco ceramic coffee cup - for the serious coffee lover, don’t ruin your favourite blend with a plastic coated cup
- Wrap n Mat - say bye bye to cling film and sandwich bags - folds out into a mini table cloth
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