Book #39
How to Give Up Plastic
By Will McCallum
A Fortuitous Find
I had never heard of How to Give Up Plastic by Will McCallum until I came upon it 40% off in a bookshop. The arresting title and cover caught my attention, so I decided to give it a read. I am really happy that I did. It was full of information that I did not know.
In the early chapters of this book, I was already brainstorming the structure of this blog post. I had fantastical ideas of going through my cupboards and declaring all the changes I would make to rid my life of plastic. But by the end of the book, I realized how complicated and pervasive this issue is. Reading this book isn’t an endpoint, it’s a starting point to a life-long journey that I am committed to undertaking.
Starting Point: Plastic In My Own Life
As I went through this book, the plastic in my own life started to jump out at me. Like a horror movie villain that was always on screen, but now suddenly appeared in focus. It is in every room of my house, as well as in the forests and beaches that I frequent.
That being said, I am fortunate to live in a place with some existing infrastructure and policies aimed at reducing unnecessary plastic. For example, I have not seen a plastic straw in years. And I was taught in school why it is important to recycle and protect our planet. But much more information is available on this subject now than during my school days.
At one point in the book, McCallum writes:
“In 2015 a group of Australian scientists published a groundbreaking study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences which estimated that over 90 percent of seabirds were likely to have plastic in their guts.”
When I read that, an image flashed in my mind.
His very next sentence was:
“It’s possible on reading this statistic that the famous image taken by the photographer Chris Jordan comes to mind.”
Yes, that was exactly the one I had thought of.
So I had some previous awareness of this problem and I had already made some personal changes to decrease my plastic footprint. These include:
- using reusable shopping bags
- buying in bulk when I can
- rarely using single-use coffee cups
- recycling when I can
- using a reusable water bottle
But now I realize that these changes are not enough.
Plastic Isn’t a Problem That We Can Outrun
Giving up plastic entirely is nearly impossible. And plastic can serve some great purposes, such as for medical uses. The issue is with the quantity of plastic out there. Especially with single-use plastics: the type of goods we use for a matter of minutes and that take centuries to break down.
The plastic problem that we find ourselves in can only be solved by addressing the production of plastic, not merely recycling or cleanup. Even if we produce substantial recycling facilities to cope with our pace of plastic, those would likely have significant environmental consequences, such as carbon emissions. And not all plastic gets recycled. This isn’t a problem that we can outrun, especially not at our current pace.
The Solution is Not Simple
Collective Solutions
It is also not an issue that can be solved by one person, group, government, or organization. We must all cooperate and share responsibility.
That being said, our paths to solutions will not be one-size-fits-all. For example, getting rid of single-use plastics for liquids might be one thing for countries with reliable access to clean drinking water, but potentially very different for countries without this.
And even if those countries with clean water systems were to just switch back to glass bottles instead of plastic ones, then carbon emissions from transport would increase due to the increased weight.
We will need modern solutions to this modern problem.
One way to do this is through taxing producers of throwaway plastics. Plastic producers need to be incentivized to move away from their previous model of use once, then throw away.
Individual Solutions
When I picked up this book, I was leery that it would focus solely on individual choices and not on holding governments and corporations responsible for their contributions. However, I was pleased with the perspective that McCallum shared. He even said:
“…to place the full responsibility on individuals to deal with (plastic) cannot be fair.”
Especially if there are not adequate recycling facilities in their area.
But as individuals, we certainly play a part.
In order to understand the scope of plastic, I recommend looking around your own home. For me, I could hardly find a view in my home that didn’t contain at least some plastic.
After a bit of research, I found eco-friendly alternatives to some of my most-used products. It was a great start. However, some changes may be more challenging than others.
McCallum suggests that if you really like a product that uses plastic- I love a good winged eyeliner pen, for example- then write to the manufacturer and express this. We don’t necessarily have to do away with the products we enjoy, we just need to develop more sustainable packaging and product design.
So I plan to write to a few companies and tell them my conundrum. I am a fan of their product, but not their plastic. Companies would be interested to hear this feedback, especially from a long-time customer. I am not sure if I will get a response, but it is a good first step to getting my voice and my consumer preferences heard.
How To Communicate Effectively
If you choose to communicate with businesses, politicians, local shops, etc. about their use of plastic, it is important to be civil and build long-term relationships with them. Doing away with plastic will need cooperative, on-going solutions. And in many cases, the solutions do not currently exist or are not immediately attainable.
Even the authour admitted that they could not find a non-plastic glue strong enough to bind the book. It simply doesn’t exist yet.
So focus on the long-game and incremental positive change in your communication.
My Plan Moving Forward
Amidst all of this new information and prospective changes, I began to feel overwhelmed. So I designed a rough plan for moving forward to ensure this journey isn’t a sprint, but rather a marathon:
Decreasing Plastic in My Own Life
- Admit There is a Problem
- Understand the Scope of the Problem
- I will do more research and go through my own cupboards to start
- Identify Easy & Hard Ways to Reduce Plastic in Your Own Life
- Take Action
- I will either switch to eco-friendly alternatives or write to the product manufacturers
- Consider writing to companies and sending pictures of any of their plastic litter that you find throughout your day
- Consider Sustainability
- Be gentle on yourself and others- some changes will take longer than others
- Forgive yourself when you feel discouraged or overwhelmed, improvement can be slow but it is worthwhile
- Communicate With Others
- I am hoping to make this an on-going topic on my blog, where I talk about my own journey- what is working and what isn’t
- Consider creating a space to organize, and share experiences and solutions
I Am Optimistic, Yet Overwhelmed
I want to be part of the solution, but first I need to take some time to wrap my head around the extent of the problem. I already have several blog posts swirling in my head.
It is sad to think that so much of the legacy we leave to future generations will be our plastic consumption. It is a burden that we are passing on to them.
In many ways, I am privileged to even have (some) choices- because for many people, there isn’t an alternative. Often, the only option available is single-use plastic. I think many people would choose eco-friendly options if they were widely available.
It makes me optimistic to see how much people care about this issue globally. So, when I do have the opportunity to choose a better option, I want to take it. And I want to lend my voice to the solution.
What about you? Do you have any strategies for tackling plastic in your own life? I’d love to hear them.
Messy Bun Book Lover
You may also like: Paying For the Box Instead of the Chocolate
How to Give Up Plastic by Will McCallum is available here.
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