An Environmentalists' Diary; Part 4: Going Plastic Free A Lifestyle Challenge
How much plastic are we really using in day to day life? Every time I enter a store, I am amazed at how much plastic there is. It is nearly impossible to find something that does not contain some sort of plastic whether it be in packaging, or produce bags, or tag holders on clothes. This is a shorter post about a challenge to change your lifestyle to stop consuming plastic.
Studying marine debris has presented a new lifestyle challenge for me:
NO PLASTIC ALLOWED!
Seeing all of the trash that has accumulated on Maui's beaches on the windward sides of the island disgusts me. I want to take myself out of the demand, hence my attempt to change my lifestyle. I have mentioned that at some point, the amount of plastic will actually outnumber marine life in the oceans. Ratios vary, as there is not a clear answer as to how much plastic there actually is in our oceans. Our oceans are just too big and too broad to calculate a specific number.
So here's a question...
How do we stop plastic pollution into our oceans?
The answer is simple:
Stop giving corporations a reason to produce plastic.
Our dollar is our voice. The more often we use plastic and show a demand for it, corporations will continue to produce it.
Here is my challenge to you.
GO ONE WEEK WITHOUT CONSUMING/BUYING ANYTHING CONTAINING PLASTIC.
Sounds easy, right? I've been trying to do this for almost a month now, and it's not as easy as you may think. Try going one week and your awareness increases as to how much plastic there really is in our stores.
STOP THE DEMAND FOR PLASTIC AND CHANGE YOUR LIFESTYLE. Reuse bags you already have, store food in glass containers, buy more produce and bring baskets to hold everything.
Good luck, and let me know how it goes for you!
~Jill
Very great blog, I love your mindset! Best regards from Berlin, Jonas
Great initiative. We try to go as plastic-free as possible in Cambodia, SE-Asia, which is not easy as everything comes in a plastic bag packed in another plastic bag! However, future is looking bright as some wonderfull souls are setting up some great campaigns to recycle plastic and make people aware of their plastic habits (especially the throwing rubbish on the street habit).
I am an ecologist so will be following you, I have done some work testing soil and water around landfill sites where there's jut meters and meters of plastic deep down into the Earth, the chemical run off and gases are aweful, so I fully support you.