Tag Archives: plastic

It’s a Plastic-Sucks Summer For Sure

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It feels like everyone wants to rename summer these days: if it isn’t Hot Girl Summer its must be Rat Boy Summer or Brat Summer…

Can I formally suggest we make it the Plastic Sucks Summer?

Because it really does seem like that is already happening. Hardly a day goes by without another article or study or film coming out to explain to everyone just how very bad plastic is for humans AND the environment. Here are just a few examples:

FIRST, have you been hearing the euphemisms “Waste to Energy” or “Gasification” or “Advanced Recycling” lately? These terms all mean burning plastic. Everyone needs to know that burning plastic is bad for everyone, it is not recycling, and it should definitely not be subsidized by the government. Watch this compelling 15 minute film (below) by The Story of Stuff Project, about Latino activists battling to shut down a garbage incinerator in California.

Watch it free on YouTube

IN OTHER NEWS, The Washington Post did a very thorough article on microplastics and why we need to consider them a health threat in this article, which has excellent explanatory graphics. If you missed it definitely, definitely check it out.

The Washington Post article with lots of nifty graphics

THERE’S A LOT plastic news these days but I’d like to be sure to celebrate the fact that more and more hotels are switching from tiny disposable shampoo and conditioner bottles to refillable large bottles- have you seen them?

Even better, soon New York hotels soon will no longer be able to distribute tiny plastic shampoo bottles.

IN CASE you were wondering if Plastic Sucks Summer is limited to the United States- not so! I was recently interviewed for Russian television on the subject of microplastics. Although I definitely don’t speak Russian, I could get the gist enough to be impressed with the thoroughness of the piece. Here is the link the the program. (The segment about plastic begins at 56:20 and I show up at 1:02:31)

Yes, this is the best screen shot I could get

HERE’S ANOTHER great article which details the lawsuit going on against water bottlers who claim their product is “natural” even though 93 % of bottled water has been found to contain microplastics. Since tap water reliably contains far fewer microplastics, it’s even been suggested that bottled water come with a microplastic warning.

A SIMILAR question I’ve been wondering about lately is: can compost truly be considered “organic” if it contains bioplastics, or so-called “compostable plastics”? Unfortunately, in a compost these items behave very much like regular plastics, and contain many of the same toxic chemicals. This article details the discussion.

AND FINALLY I’d like to plug my next UPCOMING TALK! On August 8th at 6PM I’ll be featured at MassMOCA in North Adams MA in conversation with Research and Development Store Manager Chris Conti on the topic of my Year of No Garbage. Come by and be part of this lively conversation and celebration afterwards— I promise to draw tiny weird pictures of trash cans on everyone’s books.

Happy Plastic Sucks Summer!

Earth Day is Coming- and Not a Moment Too Soon

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I learn more every day about the magical murderous material we call plastic. And I’m delighted to report that I’ve been hearing from folks all over as we gear up for Earth Day in April, for which the theme will be— are you ready?— Planet vs. Plastics!!

This message arrives not a moment too soon. Perhaps you’ve noticed that new studies seem to be coming out every day telling us all the terrible places plastic is showing up, and what it costs us: 

  • Did you know that a new study estimates that exposure to plastic chemicals was responsible for $250 billion in health care costs in 2018 alone?
  • Or that another study showed that 90% of food proteins- including chicken, fish, pork and plant-based meat alternatives- contain microplastics? 
  • Or that yet another study found that recycled plastic contains “an unknown number of chemical substances in unknown concentrations”?
  • Did you know that the plastics industry has started lobbying your kids?

The bad news keeps coming. I think the temptation is to see bad news as a bad thing, as in: “Ugh! Can it get any worse?” but honestly I think this information is JUST WHAT WE NEED. We need to know the shocking information in order to motivate people towards change.

My mantra has become: not by bamboo toothbrushes alone will we stop the Plastic Waste Crisis. Yes, personal responsibility is important, but AT THE SAME TIME so is legislation. And speaking of legislation, Greenpeace is asking folks to tell the Biden Administration that they care about the Global Plastics Treaty being negotiated at the United Nations right now, in the form of an online petition you can sign. Here is what it looks like:

I’ve done it and it literally takes two minutes, so I’m asking everyone to take a moment and weigh in here.

Finally, here is a link to an awesome and very fun podcast interview I did with Jeffrey Treistman and Matthew Schmidt of Impolitic. We cover A LOT of ground, including Darth Vader, adult diapers, some very bad Dad jokes, and the argument against recycling plastic. I hope you’ll check it out- you can listen here.