It Starts With Us: A Letter to Tom's of Maine

Back in June, I jumped in excitement and gave a virtual high 5 to Harry when I read his open letter to Tom's of Maine regarding their switch from aluminum toothpaste tubes to plastic tubes.  I, like Ellen, had hoped that their inbox would be flooded with emails questioning and challenging their decision.  I said, "I'm going to write a letter, too."  Most often twitter illiterate... my excitement even got me to bust out some tweets:

@FlotsamDiaries OMG! Was just thinking about this today!! U ROCK!! I absolutely LOVE it!! Need to start a campaign w/ @PlasticfreeBeth ;)

RT @FlotsamDiaries Open letter to Tom's of Maine.http://t.co/QAgbZPX U switched to plastic tubes b/c u thought it was better. U were misled

@PlasticfreeBeth check it out! @FlotsamDiaries wrote an awesome letter to Tom's of Maine about their switch to #plastic bit.ly/kynpiF

@FlotsamDiaries I just thought about something. Tom's used to b a small (and awesome) company... aren't they owned by colgate? Hmm..$$$

Yup... I was excited.  I felt motivated.  Then I forgot... until today when I was reading "The House Behind the Other Houses."  Thank you Ellen for the reminder.  This time, I didn't give myself the opportunity to forget.  Today, I followed through because Tom's will never know what I think or why I do what I do unless I tell them... the same goes for you ;) So here it is... my letter to Tom's of Maine:

"Over the past several years, I have been making a concentrated effort to make decisions that positively impact our environment.  Part of this continued effort was started by doing beach clean ups and seeing the negative impact that plastics have on our environment... through production all the way to disposal.  The knowledge I've gained about plastic pollution has led me to strive to reduce the amount of plastics that I do use.  

Years ago, one of the first changes I made was to start buying Tom's of Maine toothpastes for our family of five.  The decision to make the switch to Tom's over other "environmentally friendly" toothpastes was the metal tube.  I appreciated the fact that I could recycle the tube and that the only plastic was the one single plastic lid.  But, recently, that changed.  I read that Tom's thinks it's more environmentally friendly to use the new plastic laminate in lieu of aluminum.  I appreciate that Tom's invested in a study to determine the environmental impact of your toothpaste tubes.  One thing that may have been disregarded in the study is the end life of the product.  As a #7 plastic, the new toothpaste tube can't be recycled and certainly can't be reused... and even if it could be reused, it will eventually end up in a landfill or worse yet our oceans as new virgin plastic will continue being made...a completely unsustainable cycle... plastic is forever.  In my opinion, it's time to rethink the packaging again.

  

As we're finishing up our last tubes of Tom's toothpastes, I can honestly say that I don't know where to go from here.  I view my role as a consumer to be very important.  I vote with my dollars.  Sustainability is a top priority for our family.  As of now I have yet to make a decision about whether or not our family of five will continue to use Tom's.  My hope is that Tom's realizes this switch to plastic was a horrible mistake and as a forward thinking company is able to come up with a better solution.

Thank you for being a leader in sustainability for over 40 years.  I look forward to Tom's getting back to their roots by dumping the unsustainable plastic trend.

Sincerely,

Danielle Richardet

http://itstartswithme-danielle.blogspot.com"

Ok... I've shared mine.  Now it's your turn.  If you use Tom's of Maine toothpaste, take a couple of minutes and write them.  Let them know what you think about the switch from aluminum tubes to plastic.  Tom's of Maine: Contact Us

***********************UPDATE: July 29, 2011**************************

I received the following email from Tom's of Maine.  While I don't agree with everything that was said in the response (ummm... #7 plastic is not recyclable... it's only downcyclable and will eventually end up in a landfill.), I do appreciate the fact that I didn't receive a "form letter" and that they are (or at least seem to be) trying.  So... after receiving their response, I made the decision to go ahead and purchase Tom's of Maine toothpaste.  Over then next several months I'm going to attempt to figure out an alternative solution to plastic packaged toothpastes. :)  My first stop will be trying out homemade toothpaste... I mean toothpaste is really just a recipe put in a tube, right???

"Hi Danielle,

Thank you for your email. I am very sorry to hear of your recent disappointment upon discovering our new laminate tube material. As you can probably imagine, switching to our new tube was a really big decision for our company. The aluminum tubes have been a part of our company for over 40 years.

I do want to assure you that our #7 plastic is recyclable, and we have identified a partner who will recycle and reuse the material as pallet corner protectors and other shipping materials. You can read more about the kinds of materials our tubes will be used to make, here:

http://www.angleboard.com/Sustainability.aspx

We understand that we are very lucky here in Kennebunk to have every code of plastic accepted for recycling in our municipality. If that is not the case where you live, we encourage you to save up any used tubes of ours and send them back to us for recycling. We will gladly reimburse your postage with new product.

Our tubes are also BPA-free, as well as phthalate-free, two considerations we took very seriously in choosing a tube that could withstand our strong natural flavor oils. 

That said, we still recognize that plastic is not the perfect option. Like you, we are committed to sustainability and a clean world. Just today here at our plant in Sanford, Maine, we all took the lunch hour to pick up litter in the neighborhood surrounding our facility.

We are going to continue to look for ways to improve the sustainability of our packaging, and really hope that consumers like you will keep us aware of new options that arise. We appreciate that you do have an opportunity to vote with your dollar, and that you've used that vote to support us all these years. I hope that you will continue to support our company as we look for more sustainable packaging options.

I hope you find this information helpful. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do for you.

Sincerely, 
Bridget M. Burns 
Citizen's Advocacy Representative 
www.tomsofmaine.com"

Write a Letter... Get a Free Glass Straw!!!

Every time I do a 20 minute beach clean up... it's (unfortunately) guaranteed that we're going to find littered straws.  Some days we find so many that I count the straws before I count cigarette butts....On Day 11, we picked up 26 straws in 20 minutes.... and on Day 52, we removed 21 straws in 20 minutes.  :(  

Starting on Day 55, I have begun tallying the number of straws we find during our 20 minute clean ups.  So far the two day tally is at 18.

Before we started doing the 20 minute clean ups... my husband and I were pretty good about REFUSING straws (yes, we even ditched lids on drinks in order to not use a straw).... but after picking up SO many at Wrightsville Beach (and other places around town).... it became obvious to us that we needed to ALWAYS refuse them.... saying "No Thank You" to a straw in our drinks has become second nature to us (yes, even our 3 young children refuse straws!!).  

After doing our 4th 20 minute clean up back in September, it became clear to us that a lot of the litter... including the majority of straws we find at access 36 find their way to the beach from the restaurant's dining pier.  I made the decision to contact the restaurant to make them aware of what we were finding AND to offer suggestions to the problem.  

I shared my letter here.... and encouraged everyone to write a letter to a restaurant.  NOW... I want to encourage you to participate in this GlassDharma restaurant letter writing initiative!! GlassDharma is motivated to make a difference and they are willing to put FREE glass straws where your lips are!

You read right... FREE glass straws!!

All you have to do is write a letter to a restaurant, suggesting ways they might reduce single use plastic straw trash and GlassDharma will send you a FREE glass straw!!  YAY!!!  

Ok... I'm super excited about this because I can't remember the last time I used a straw AND their straws are "kid-friendly"!!  Of course, I will be writing some letters!!  Some suggestions for how restaurants could reduce the use of single use straws are to: Ask customers if they want a straw, instead of automatically giving them one;  Make the switch to paper or reusable straws; and to recommend the restaurant offer GlassDharma drinking straws as an upgrade to their menu. (<--- how cool would that be?!?)

OK... so are you ready?!?  Here are the deets:

1. Write and send a snail mail* letter  to a restaurant -- (up to 5 different restaurants for up to 5 free straws!!)  *NO emails
2. Copy your letter, please include full contact information of the restaurant, into a comment on this blogpost :)
3. Send an email to earthday@glassdharma.com with a copy of your letter, including contact info of the restaurant AND your personal contact info so that a free GlassDharma Glass Straw can be mailed to you.  **Contact information for entrants and restaurants must include, name, mailing address and email address.  Please note: Participants from the US and Canada are only eligible to participate in this contest.

For writing the letter... or hopefully letters!!...and including all of the required contact information, a GlassDharma Simple Elegance Glass Straw (SE9.5NA8) will be mailed to you directly from the GlassDharma manufacturing facility in Fort Bragg, CA!! Yes, each participant gets a free glass straw!  One free straw per entry (multiple entries, up to 5, must include a different restaurant for each entry). 

GlassDharma will award one Grand Prize Winner a $100.00 gift certificate coupon code.  Entries received through 4/30/2011 and all straws will be shipped May 2- 4.  The Grand prize drawing to be held on 5/4/2011.

OK... So are you ready to make a difference?!?  I am... and I know just the 5 restaurants I'll be writing :) 


Here's one:
Oceanic

703 S. Lumina Ave
Wrightsville Beach, NC 28480

 Dear Oceanic:

As a long-time customer, I not only appreciate your food but also the fact that you all use reusable dishes, real flatware, and glasses. I know that when we eat at Oceanic, we’ll have a waste-free meal, that is, as long as we ask for no straws. As a family that participates in regular beach clean ups, we have found that straws are one of the most littered items on our beach (and worldwide). Knowing that so many straws are littered, our family of five makes a conscious effort to not use plastic straws.


In honor of Earth Month, I am writing to ask you to change your plastic straw policy.

1. Why not train your servers to ask customers if they want a straw instead of automatically giving them one? Some people don’t like straws and will appreciate being asked. All others will get a chance to stop and think about whether they actually need this disposable plastic item in the first place.

2. Doing beach clean ups we find a good majority of plastic straws that have flown from the Oceanic dining pier. I would love it if you’d switch to paper straws for those customers who request one. Yes, they are still disposable, but at least they are compostable and will not last in the environment, potentially harming wildlife. One company that offers paper straws is Aardvark (www.aardvarkstraws.com).

3. Please consider participating in an upgrade program, offering customers the opportunity to pay extra for their meal and receive a reusable straw to carry with them. There is a US company called Glass Dharma. On their website they describe the Menu Upgrade program for restaurants, which I think is a great idea. (http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2010/11/whats-on-menu.html)

I would greatly appreciate it if you would please let me know which steps you are willing to take. Besides the amazing selection of seafood, Oceanic is the only restaurant in Wrightsville Beach that overlooks the breathtaking views of the beach and Atlantic Ocean; I’d love for Oceanic to take steps to help preserve that beauty.

Sincerely,

Danielle Richardet
address
email

Plastic Bags: My Letter to Senator Goolsby

Yesterday, I FINALLY sat down and wrote NC Senator Thom Goolsby regarding his recent sponsorship to repeal the plastic bag ban in the NC Outer Banks.  I made the decision to share my letter on my personal Facebook account and now here in hopes that others will also choose to write him.  Please feel free to use my letter, edit it to make it your own or start from scratch.  

Whatever you do... just do something :) 

The proposed Bill to Repeal the Ban on Plastic Bags in Certain Coastal Areas: http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/Sessions/2011/Bills/Senate/PDF/S318v0.pdf

You can email Senator Goolsby at this address: Thom.Goolsby@ncleg.net

Senator Goolsby,

My name is Danielle Richardet, my husband Aaron has been in contact with you regarding your recent sponsorship to repeal the plastic bag ban in the North Carolina Outer Banks.  I felt that I should also connect with you to voice my concerns about repealing the plastic bag ban.  While I may not have scientific degrees to share with you my expertise, what I do have is an active role in our community focusing on litter.  As a family, we spend a good amount of time cleaning up the litter that others leave behind.  One does not need a degree to see that plastic bags are a huge problem, even our three children are quick to point out the insidious amount of plastic bags that litter our roadways, waterways and beaches.  As I'm sure you are well aware, plastic bags are the 2nd most commonly found item during beach and waterway clean ups. 

Of more than ten million pieces of garbage picked up on ocean beaches in 2009 during International Coastal Cleanup Day... 1,126,774 were plastic bags.  ***7,288 of those plastic bags were removed from North Carolina.*** Plastic bag debris was second only to cigarette butts/filters (21%) in number and accounted for full 11% of ALL marine debris picked up.    

See: http://act.oceanconservancy.org/images/2010ICCReportRelease_pressPhotos/2010_ICC_Report.pdf

But, the fact that the plastic bags are littered (and not always intentionally) isn't the only concern that I have.  I'm aware of the study that shows plastic bags using less resources than paper bags.  While that may be true, this isn't about paper vs. plastic.  Whether or not paper uses more energy and plastic uses less... there are consequences to both of these single-use disposable products.  When it comes to plastic bags, there are factors that aren't relayed in the paper vs. plastic studies such as how countless animals die from plastic ingestion every single year. 

See: http://www.seaturtle.org/plasticpollution/   

At least 267 different species are known to have suffered from entanglement or ingestion of marine debris (or more appropriately plastic pollution) including seabirds, turtles, seals, sea lions, whales and fish.  Studies on dead turtles reported ingestion of plastic pollution in 79.6% of the turtles that were examined from the Western Mediterranean (Tomas et al. 2002), 60.5% of turtles in Southern Brazil (Bugoni et al. 2001) and 56% of turtles in Florida (Bjordal et al. 1994)2  See: http://www.unep.org/regionalseas/marinelitter/publications/docs/plastic_ocean_report.pdf

Some other factors that must be understood and taken into account are:

• Plastic bags are made from polyethylene which is a byproduct of petroleum and natural gas.  Both sources are nonrenewable and create more greenhouse gases and increase our dependency on foreign oil.  

• All of the chemicals used in the process of creating plastic bags are toxic and cause damage to the environment as well as people. According to the US EPA, 35 of the 47 chemical plants ranked highest in carcinogenic emissions produce plastics (BEC). DEHP is a chemical used to stabilize the plastic in plastic bags. DEHP has been shown to decrease sperm levels and even act as a neurotoxin. One of the key ingredients in manufacturing plastic bags is vinyl chloride. Vinyl chloride is a proven carcinogenic and may also cause liver, kidney, and brain damage.  

• Once the extremely toxic chemicals are turned into bags, the bags still need to be transported to their destination. These plastic bags are often transported from overseas on ships and then put on trucks for distribution across the country. If people bring their own bags then there would not be a necessity for any of the transportation or disposal costs. All the excess fossil fuels used to bring plastic bags around the country would be eliminated. The shipping resources could be put to better use and the fossil fuels can not be used at all. 

• Between 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide every single year.  Taking the low worldwide consumption number of 500 billion bags used annually, if 99.9% of plastic bags were recycled that would leave 500 million plastic bags to be littered or landfilled.  The recycling recovery rate for plastic bags is between 1 and 3%.  Unfortunately, when it comes to plastic bags recycling is not the answer.  

Last May, while at Figure 8 Island we were hit with a reality that we cannot turn away from.  You can see the photos from our day at the beach here: http://itstartswithme-danielle.blogspot.com/2010/05/whats-so-different.html

Below is a Press Release that was sent to me by Dr. Wallace J Nichols.  I believe you will find it interesting, eye-opening and no doubt helpful in your decision making process.

Thank you for your time on this important issue of environmental and economic responsibility,

Danielle Richardet

Phone number

ATTACHED:  photo of degrading single use plastic bag (from Wal-Mart) at Wrightsville Beach, NC.  The bag was breaking down into smaller pieces that had to be scooped up with sand.

-----Original Message-----

Subject: Press Release: Our Plastic Food Chain -or- The Turtle Who Pooped Plastic: new report chronicles effects of decades of plastic pollution on sea turtles

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/03/sea-turtle-plastic/

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(explicit research photos available at http://www.seaturtle.org/plasticpollution/)

Contact:  Wallace J. Nichols, PhD                                                                                                     

Research Associate, California Academy of Sciences

+1.831.239.4877

wallacejnichols@me.com

Our Plastic Food Chain -or- The Turtle Who Pooped Plastic

As ocean pollution experts meet in Hawaii, disturbing new report chronicles effects of decades of plastic pollution on sea turtles—and what we can do about it.

 Honolulu, 26 March 2011

In 2009, marine biologists with Disney's Animal Programs in Melbourne Beach, Florida, discovered a green sea turtle that was having trouble digesting food. They found that a piece of plastic had lodged in the turtle's gastrointestinal tract. When biologists removed the obstruction, the turtle defecated 74 foreign objects in the subsequent month. Among the items documented were four types of latex balloons, five different types of string, nine different types of soft plastic, four different types of hard plastic, a piece of carpet-like material, and two tar balls to boot.

The list of items from this one turtle read like a catalog of a growing and deadly concern for virtually all marine animals—single-use plastics are having a lethal effect on animals living in the sea.

Experts on plastic pollution from around the world, determined to solve this growing problem, gathered this week for the Fifth International Marine Debris Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii, a mecca for green sea turtles.

Now, in a recent editorial published in the Marine Turtle Newsletter, marine biologists Colette Wabnitz, PhD, of the University of British Columbia and Wallace "J." Nichols, PhD, of the California Academy of Sciences, lay out the entire disturbing history of plastics in the ocean, from the first scientific report to the latest surveys, to call attention to the concerns from 1972 to today. The report is grim, but provides a ray of hope in the form of proactive steps that can and should be undertaken to curtail overproduction and careless discard of single-use plastics.

The authors were careful to acknowledge that certain plastics have done much good in the world. The report firmly lays the blame at the feet of so-called "disposable" plastics: commonly used beer cups, water bottles and caps, grocery bags, plastic utensils, and so forth, intended to be used just once and thrown away. While these plastics are cheap and convenient, they are also durable and buoyant—making for a potent and deadly combination in the water. 

Though plastics like these do break down from exposure to sunlight and other elements, the molecules of plastic never fully biodegrade—they just break into smaller and smaller pieces but never completely disappear. Eventually, many of these small particles get blown or washed into tributaries that feed rivers which flow to the ocean where plastics coalesce in ocean currents. Here they swirl in the eddying currents forming a  sort of plastic soup where they float virtually forever and are often—the whole pieces and broken bits—ingested by the creatures of the sea. Once in the guts they can do great harm, or even kill, animals such as sea turtles.

Among the more startling facts reported is that 1 billion single-use plastic bags are distributed free of charge every day, of which an estimate 0.2-0.3% make their way to the ocean. Even that small percent means hundreds of millions of bags each year are left to float in the sea. In particular, the crisis has had a deleterious effect on sea turtles, which mistake the floating bags for jellyfish, a favorite food. 

All seven species of sea turtle are listed as endangered on the World Conservation Union's "Red List" of species in danger of extinction, a situation made even more urgent for many animals by plastic pollution.

"Last year I counted 76 plastic bags in the ocean in just one minute while standing in the bow of our sea turtle research boat at sea in Indonesia", reports Dr. Wallace J. Nichols, Research Associate at the California Academy of Sciences and coauthor of the review. "The science is becoming crystal clear: sea turtles and plastic pollution don't mix well. Sea turtles have spent the past 100 million years roaming seas free of plastic pollution, and are now sadly the poster animal for impacts of our throw away society on endangered species", states Nichols.

Other facts reported by Wabnitz and Nichols and explicitly illustrated in the accompanying photo library, include:

• Worldwide, plastic pollution is adding to the stress on endangered ocean wildlife, like sea turtles;

• Plastic can be ingested by or entangle sea turtles and can physically interfere with their nesting activity on beaches when it accumulates in large amounts;

• Approximately half of all sea turtles surveyed had ingested plastic items; and,

• Micro-plastics are accumulating in molluscs and crustaceans sea turtles eat.

The authors were not without suggestions for corrective measures to ameliorate or end the plague of plastics in the ocean. In addition to broader policy efforts recommended by the authors, were simpler—"off-the-shelf"—personal behavior solutions, including:

• Avoiding plastic-bottled beverages;

• Buying products with minimal or reusable packaging;

• Buying in bulk whenever possible to reduce packaging;

• Buying used items;

• Seeking out reusable shopping and produce bags like those made from renewable sources (e.g., natural fibres) and always bringing them along;

• For coffee and or tea – bring your own mug;

• For food – bring your own container.

"Sea turtle researchers and conservationists have a unique role to play in our cultural evolution away from plastic pollution, as we have watched the havoc the surge of plastic has caused first hand", notes Dr. Colette Wabnitz of the University of British Columbia.

"Sea turtle researchers from around the world have been submitting photos of interactions with plastic to the Image Library on Seaturtle.org. Given the amount of disposable plastic I see alongside the road everyday and the garbage my kids pick up whenever we go to the beach, the results are not surprising", added Dr. Michael Coyne, founder and director of SeaTurtle.org.

The pdf of the report and a collection of images from around the world depicting in excruciating detail the impact of plastic on sea turtles can be found at: 

http://www.seaturtle.org/plasticpollution/