Today, it is hard to spend an hour without buying plastic. Today, it is hard to spend a minute without wasting plastic. Today, it is hard to spend a second without seeing plastic. You get it: plastic and its derivatives surround us. Thanks to its practicality, cheapness and aspects, it became the solution to many consumption problems after WW2, in a devastated and impoverished world. However, plastic holds a central place in the present day. We are going to look at how it became such a flagship product, why it is such a problem today, and what we can do to stop it from destroying us.
Let’s start with why. In the 70s, many countries had financial problems. We all remember Thatcher’s measures as prime minister (we don’t but maybe you do :). This is when plastic crept into British lives. Slowly, cartons of milk were exchanged with polyester, fabrics went from pure silk to not-so-pure nylon. People needed to spare money wherever they could, and this was one way to do it. Through the years, latex was infiltrated into every corner of our day-to-day life. However, it was only in 2000 that finally we started to realise the truth behind this so-called solution.
The truth is that plastic is made from petrol. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to understand where the problem comes from. Imagine a beautiful landscape in the middle of a huge desert, a peaceful nature brutally disturbed by men who start pumping the Earth to find the dark gold. After the interventions of powerful figures, artists, actors, nothing changed. We are more attached to our habits and piggybank than to our home.
We are replacing the wild, beautiful and mysterious with the dull and the tamed. Humans want to reign in full-power, they are weakening their kingdom and when they will have finished, nothing will have survived.
You are the spark that lit the fire that will burn down your home. However, you still have in your hands the pure and fresh water that can end it. You want a simple solution? Here is one: stop using plastic. Go to bulk markets, bring your own containers in your own bags. You want a simple solution? Here is one: stop using plastic. Stop using shampoo packed in Eidontknowwhat and Polyiamdestroyingtheplanet. Limit your use of unnecessary (however shiny it is) latex. You want a simple solution? Here is one: stop using plastic. You still have the power of making the choices you want for yourself. It is your choice to save the Earth or not. You want a simple solution ? Here is one: stop using plastic.
Written in October/November 2022 © Your Green Footprint