Before 2007, Beth was addicted to plastic (well, not knowingly anyway)... then that one day when she read "Our Oceans Are Turning to Plastic, Are We?" and saw a picture of decomposed Laysan albatross chick.... the reality of her plastic filled lifestyle and the consequences it had began to set in...
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| Photo Credit: Chris Jordan |
By letting others see our personal changes, we set an example of a different way to be.
It's true. By going out into the world and doing what we do-- whether it's picking up litter, taking our own bags to the store, carrying a reusable water bottle, saying "no thank you" to single-use items like straws or having the courage to use our voices for change-- we share with others what's possible.
But back to the details. Sure we know there are problems with plastic...and when we start reusing, reducing and refusing it... others want to know why. No, I'm not allergic to plastic. But the reasons I choose to refuse and reduce the amount of plastic our family uses is summed up quite nicely in Plastic-Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You can Too. Of course, Beth goes into really great detail in her book Plastic-Free, but here's the gist of why we should start and/or continue efforts to reduce the amount of plastic we all use:
1. Plastic is Made from Fossil Sources
2. Plastic Contains Toxic Chemicals (cough BPA, Lead & Cadmium, Toxic Flame Retardants)
3. Plastic Manufacturing Plants Harm Workers and Pollute Communities
4. Plastic is NOT Biodegradable
5. Plastic Pollutes the Ocean, Harming Both Wildlife and Humans
6. Plastic Pollution Doesn't Just Come from "Litter Bugs" (nope, sure doesn't)
7. Plastic Recycling Doesn't Close the Loop (it's actually downcycling)
But back to the details. Sure we know there are problems with plastic...and when we start reusing, reducing and refusing it... others want to know why. No, I'm not allergic to plastic. But the reasons I choose to refuse and reduce the amount of plastic our family uses is summed up quite nicely in Plastic-Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You can Too. Of course, Beth goes into really great detail in her book Plastic-Free, but here's the gist of why we should start and/or continue efforts to reduce the amount of plastic we all use:
1. Plastic is Made from Fossil Sources
2. Plastic Contains Toxic Chemicals (cough BPA, Lead & Cadmium, Toxic Flame Retardants)
3. Plastic Manufacturing Plants Harm Workers and Pollute Communities
4. Plastic is NOT Biodegradable
5. Plastic Pollutes the Ocean, Harming Both Wildlife and Humans
6. Plastic Pollution Doesn't Just Come from "Litter Bugs" (nope, sure doesn't)
7. Plastic Recycling Doesn't Close the Loop (it's actually downcycling)
So what are we waiting for? Let's start a plastic-free revolution. Let's imagine a world free of plastic pollution and create that world. We can do it.
...and Plastic-Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too by Beth Terry is the perfect tool to start your journey to a life with less plastic. To learn more about Beth's book, the praise it has received and how to buy her book, please go here.
...and Plastic-Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too by Beth Terry is the perfect tool to start your journey to a life with less plastic. To learn more about Beth's book, the praise it has received and how to buy her book, please go here.
"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or if we wait for some other time. We are the change that we seek."
~Barack Obama
Follow the Plastic-Free Virtual Book Tour as it travels around the web spreading the joy of living with less plastic!
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Thank you for being willing to make the difference tha one can make. Be the change you want to see. I love the work you are sharing,and on behalf of the world, THANK YOU!
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