Education
Could You Live an Entire Day Without Plastic?
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On the morning of the day I had decided to go without using plastic products — or even touching plastic — I opened my eyes and put my bare feet on the carpet. Which is made of nylon, a type of plastic. I was roughly 10 seconds into my experiment, and I had already committed a violation.
Since its invention more than a century ago, plastic has crept into every aspect of our lives. It’s hard to go even a few minutes without touching this durable, lightweight, wildly versatile substance. Plastic has made possible thousands of modern conveniences, but it has come with downsides, especially for the environment. Last week, in a 24-hour experiment, I tried to live without it altogether in an effort to see what plastic stuff we can’t do without and what we may be able to give up.
Most mornings I check my iPhone soon after waking up. On the appointed day, this was not possible, given that, in addition to aluminum, iron, lithium, gold and copper, each iPhone contains plastic. In preparation for the experiment, I had stashed my device in a closet. I quickly found that not having access to it left me feeling disoriented and bold, as if I were some sort of intrepid time traveler.
I made my way toward the bathroom, only to stop myself before I went in.
“Could you open the door for me?” I asked my wife, Julie. “The doorknob has a plastic coating.”
She opened it for me, letting out a “this is going to be a long day” sigh.
My morning hygiene routine needed a total revamp, which required detailed preparations in the days before my experiment. I could not use my regular toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo or liquid soap, all of which were encased in plastic or made of plastic.
Fortunately, there is a huge industry of plastic-free products targeted at eco-conscious consumers, and I had bought an array of them, a haul that included a bamboo toothbrush with bristles made of wild boar hair from Life Without Plastic. “The bristles are completely sterilized,” Jay Sinha, the company’s co-owner, assured me when I spoke with him the week before.
Instead of toothpaste, I had a jar of gray charcoal-mint toothpaste pellets. I popped one in, chewed it, sipped water and brushed. It was nice and minty, though the ash-colored spit was unsettling.
What is your reaction to Mr. Jacobs’s attempt to live plastic-free for a day? What do you find most interesting, memorable or surprising from his 24-hour experiment? What lessons can we learn from his often humorous and admittedly futile efforts?
After reading his account, do you think you could go an entire day without plastic? Could you do any better than Mr. Jacobs and his 164 “violations”? If you tried to live totally plastic-free, what would be the biggest challenge for you?
Mr. Jacobs writes: “The world produces about 400 million metric tons of plastic waste each year, according to a United Nations report. About half is tossed out after a single use. The report noted that ‘we have become addicted to single-use plastic products — with severe environmental, social, economic and health consequences.’” How concerned are you about plastic consumption? Do you agree that we have an addiction to single-use plastic?
Do you try to use fewer plastic products these days? How about your family? What responsibility do we all have to avoid and cut down on our plastic use?
Although initially feeling defeated by his “ordeal,” Mr. Jacobs comes to realize that progress rather than perfection is the goal, and optimistically proclaims at the end of his essay: “I’ll start with small things, building up habits. I liked the shampoo bar. And I can take produce bags to the grocery. I might even pack my steel water bottle and bamboo cutlery for my trips to Lenwich. And from there, who knows?” Which of the many strategies to avoid plastic used by Mr. Jacobs during his 24-hour adventure do you think you might try in the future? (You can read the related article “9 Ways to Cut Down on Plastic” for more tips.)
“Solving this plastic problem can’t fall entirely on the shoulders of consumers,” Gabby Salazar, a social scientist, told Mr. Jacobs. Starting in October, England will ban some single-use plastics, such as plastic plates and cutlery. Fifty nations have joined the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution, which is pushing for a treaty that will limit production of plastic with binding targets for every nation that signs the pact. What should we do collectively to address our plastic consumption and its impact on the world? What role should businesses and nations play?
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Jeremy Engle
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