It’s been a long year that hasn’t inspired many posts, but now it’s 2021 and I’m diving head first into making zero waste based decisions, especially when it comes to plastic!
In 1971, Keep America Beautiful Inc created a sly form of propaganda in the disguise of a crying Indian and the message: People start pollution. People can stop it.
That ad was secretly funded by packaging and beverage companies. The goal wasn’t to stop pollution. The goal was to make consumers believe that their plastic waste could be recycled, so that packaging manufacturers could keep making more. That lie continues to deceive consumers 50 years later.
Out of the 7 types of plastic, only 1 and 2 are recyclable. But even these aren’t guaranteed.
Globally, only 9% of the plastic we’ve ever produced has been recycled. The other 91% has ended up in landfills, incinerated, or scattered throughout the environment including huge floating islands in the ocean.
It’s not too late to make an impact. Half of all plastics have been produced within the past 15 years.
How much plastic have you alone discarded in the last 15 years? How much plastic do you think you can avoid in the forthcoming 15 years? Don’t sell yourself short. You matter. Your choices matter. Your impact matters.
Every time you make the decision to pass on plastic, treat it like the success that it is!
You can buy a sweatshirt or tote bag from my Etsy shop if you want to inspire others to use less plastic too!
