Year of No Garbage Now Available!
It’s a Plastic-Sucks Summer For Sure
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.
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.
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)
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!
Are We Finally Doing Earth Day Right?
As the United Nations’ Global Plastics Treaty talks in Ottawa conclude this week, I am wondering if we are finally beginning to heed the admonition that “every day is Earth Day.”
In some ways, it seems so. This Earth Day’s theme was “Planet vs. Plastics,” and indeed, there does seem a new sense of urgency on the question of the Plastic Waste Crisis. And justifiably so. It seems like every other week a new scientific study is appearing to tell us more places microplastics are showing up in the human body (absolutely everywhere, including every placenta of newborn babies tested) AND adding to the list of health consequences that can be linked to those microplastics and their related toxic chemicals (most recently: heart disease, stroke and premature death.)
On the other hand, by all accounts the United States is a less-than-enthusiastic participant in the UN’s plastic talks. Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised. After all, Big Plastic, is synonymous with Big Oil and wildly powerful.
On the OTHER, other hand, this is the fourth of five sessions of talks on the Global Plastics Treaty scheduled, and the number of lobbyists from the oil/plastic industry has jumped since the previous by 40 percent.
Which makes me think Big Plastic is worried.
Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme, had this to say:
“We will continue to need plastic for specific uses… But there is growing agreement that short-lived and single use (plastics) can go.”
Amen.
Meanwhile, in the interest of doing Earth Day right, I have been running around talking everyone’s ear off. I’ve met so many engaged, passionate folks who want to know the truth about plastic.
This excitingly included having my OpEd published in the Washington Post on Earth Day entitled “Don’t Waste Your Time Recycling Plastic.” (You may have also seen it under the title “How to Celebrate Earth Day This Year? Just Dump This Toxic Stuff.”) It’s a quick read that it summarizes the argument that plastic is not recyclable and that we should stop focusing on this false solution. I hope you’ll take a few minutes to read and share it with friends.
ALSO exciting!: Here is a link to a six minute interview I did for the CBC /NPR explaining why plastic is not recyclable.
And I’m not done! Tomorrow I’ll be at the Cary Library in Lexington MA for a talk that is free and open to the public, and includes special guests. You can register for it here.
Finally, here are a few pictures of me, mostly refusing to stop talking about plastic. The last picture is with Chris Conti who runs the amazing R and D space at MassMOCA in North Adams, MA (the most incredible books they have! Swoon!). I’ll be speaking there in August so stay tuned!
Washington Post Op Ed and Weather Channel Interview This Earth Day
Readers, I am delighted to celebrate a meaningful Earth Day with you this year. Attention to the issue of the Plastic Waste Crisis is gaining momentum with every passing day, many of which bring new studies and reports that detail just how incredibly pervasive and harmful disposable plastic is- not just for the environment, but for our very own bodies.
One way I’m celebrating Earth Day is by telling everyone to stop recycling plastic. I hope you’ll take a minute to read my Op Ed that appeared today in the Washington Post.
Another way I got to celebrate was with a wonderful interview for the Weather Channel’s environmental show Pattrn. It’s about three minutes long and they did a beautiful job on production and I hope you’ll take a moment to watch it and let me know your thoughts. Here is the link.
The more people talking about the problem with single use plastic, the closer we are to solving the problem- so share these links, tell a friend, and share my sense of optimism and hope! Humans are ingenious creatures and can solve seemingly insurmountable problems, once they understand the urgency to do so. Wishing you a happy, happy Earth Day!
Eve O. Schaub