‘Living Without Plastic’ A Conversation With Authors Brigette Allen and Christine Wong
It’s an unfortunate fact, plastic is everywhere. A material once developed to make life ‘better’ has wrecked havoc on the planet. Walk down a grocery aisle and you’ll find nearly everything has some sort of plastic element to it; your cosmetics, plastic pumps, jars, tubes, etc; your clothing, how vegetables are packaged to everyday household items—it can leave you overwhelmed to figure out where to even begin. I am talking about moving beyond bringing your own grocery bags and saying no to plastic bottles. I have been committing to reducing my environmental footprint personally and it has been paramount and moved to the forefront of ROSE & IVY ever since I travel to Gothenburg, Sweden last year when I attended a press trip around sustainability. I took in an exhibition called Ocean Plastics at the Röhsska Museum and was left both heartbroken and sickened. They project that by the year 2050, there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish—if this isn’t a call to arms, I don’t know what is. The bright light in the exhibit was courtesy of innovative designers who reimagined micro-plastics (it’s important to note that all plastic that enters the water supply will breakdown into these small particles eventually) into incredible design pieces like chairs and vases.
Today, I couldn’t be more excited to talk with Brigette Allen and Christine Wong, authors of the new book, Living Without Plastic: More Than 100 Easy Swaps for Home, Travel, Dining, Holidays, and Beyond (Artisan Books), launching November 11th. This incredible book opens your eyes to plastic alternatives in nearly every category of life. They share why they felt called to write such a guide, how petrochemical plants—where plastic is produced—disproportionally effect people of color, and how we as consumers have the ability to take the power back and demand change. Plus, they share plastic-free alternatives to a few common life scenarios.
Interview by Alison Engstrom
Thank you for creating such a valuable source of knowledge for those who are looking to makeover how they consume. You begin the book by saying, “Half of all plastic produced becomes trash in less than one year.” What was the starting point for the book?
The starting point for this book was realizing that there are many ways, beyond just the obvious single-use plastic straw, bottle and bag, for people to greatly reduce their plastic footprint in their daily lives. People don’t even realize how plastic is in almost everything we use every day from chewing gum to the lining of paper coffee cups. There are some great companies out there that are trying to reduce the plastic in their packaging from bar shampoo to menstrual cups. Switching from single-use plastic to these replacements really add up! It doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice style and convenience either since there are also a ton of fun and creative substitutes like making hair gel out of flax seeds.
“People don’t even realize how plastic is in almost everything we use every day from chewing gum to the lining of paper coffee cups. ”
Was there a turning point in your life where you said, no more, enough?
The starting point in our lives was from watching the documentary A Plastic Ocean. There was a scene in the film that showed an Albatross bird dying from having ingested more than 260 pieces of plastic. These birds live on a remote island called Midway atoll where a lot of plastic debris from the Great Garbage Patch collects. The birds mistake plastic bits for food and feed it to their chicks. It was a heart-wrenching scene that made us question just how much plastic we were using in my life everyday. It opened our eyes that there is no such thing as disposable plastic since it is indestructible and never biodegrades but proliferates in the environment.
As basic as this sounds, can you explain where plastic comes from? I feel like education is the key here and getting off of if starts with knowing the source and the damage that’s being done.
Almost all plastic is derived from fossil fuels. Natural gas is the predominant feedstock or building block for plastic produced in the United States. Ethane gas, which is a byproduct of natural gas extraction, is sent to a cracker where the gas is heated into smaller molecules to create ethylene. Since the production of plastic relies on fossil fuels, every part of its life cycle from the extraction of the gas to the production of plastic to its end of life pollutes the air, water and land.
“ Few people would ever willingly agree to live by petrochemical plants. Yet the vast majority are built in communities of color. People who live in these communities are at a higher risk to develop cancer and suffer from other health complications due to the chemicals they are exposed to in the water and air.”
I’ve been reading a lot about intersectional environmentalism, which basically tackles the issue of what you mentioned in the book, about how these petrochemical plants are placed in neighborhoods of color and in turn the residents suffer from disproportionate number of cases of cancer and health problems. I’d love to hear your thoughts about this.
Few people would ever willingly agree to live by petrochemical plants. Yet the vast majority are built in communities of color. People who live in these communities are at a higher risk to develop cancer and suffer from other health complications due to the chemicals they are exposed to in the water and air. Cancer alley is an 85 mile stretch between Baton Rouge and New Orleans that is home to 150 petrochemical plants where there is a disproportionate number of cancer cases relative to other communities. With the reality of living situations like these, there truly cannot be environmental justice without racial justice. While the book discusses ways to swap plastics out of our daily lives, when people are impacted by environmentally unsafe living conditions, their goals for a better life are literally closer to home rather than considering the impact that a global community makes on the world’s environment. Having said that, those who are able to make the difference can effectively create change through their spending dollars to potentially protect these communities. We must do all we can to use less plastic, to push the government to pass plastic bag bans and regulate petrochemical production.
“Since the mass production of plastic started in the 1950s, only 9% of all plastic ever produced has been recycled. ”
Can you share more about the myth of recycling and the overall greenwashing that has been happening? It’s pretty heartbreaking.
Since the mass production of plastic started in the 1950s, only 9% of all plastic ever produced has been recycled. The truth is, recycling is not as easy as people think it is for many reasons. When the cost of fossil fuels is low, which it has been for the last few years, it is cheaper for companies to use virgin plastic rather than recycled plastic. So companies aren’t as motivated to buy recycled plastic. On top of that there are hundreds of different types of plastics. Not all facilities accept these different plastics and or recycle them. On top of that recycling properly means consumers need to be better informed on how and what can be recycled in their community.
It’s interesting, people and many leaders/politicians are up in arms about climate change yet at their news conferences they are drinking out of plastic. One fact in the book is that Americans throw away 35M plastic water bottles per year and only 1 out of 5 gets recycled. What can you do on a grassroots level to make reform in this area?
Yes! That drives us crazy as well. We attended the UN Oceans Conference in 2017 to discuss the film “A Plastic Ocean” with dignitaries from all over the world. We were shocked to see how plastic water bottles were being distributed to attendees. Whenever we attend events or organize clean ups, we now insist that sponsors not use any disposable plastics. These small steps start to add up and it also sends a message out to participants that it does take planning and extra steps, but once you get into the habit it becomes second nature.
“ Every time we purchase something we make a statement. As consumers, we have the power to decide what to stand for.”
What industries would you say are the biggest culprits of producing single or multi-use plastic (cosmetic, food, fashion) and which do you believe have made the post positive strides?
There are so many instances of mindless use of plastic across all industries. Take for example, an apple wrapped in plastic at the airport or store. Does plastic really protect the apple from germs and what’s worse, the chemical from the wrap or potential germs? People don’t realize that a lot of chemicals are used to give plastic it's different properties. Those chemicals aren’t inert. The food industry is the biggest culprit of single-use plastic. Oftentimes, this chemically-laden packaging is unnecessary, yet it is found in almost all products in the supermarket, and with the single-serve and takeout convenience culture. In fact, 8 out of the 10 most commonly found beach litter come from the food industry. Fashion, on the other hand, is responsible for the production of microplastics, using Spandex, polyester, nylon, acrylic, or other synthetic fabrics/fabric blends which break down with each wash, through our waterways and into the ocean.
Of the 448M tons of plastic produced in 2015–I can’t imagine the number now—half was made for single use plastics. What can we, the consumer, do to change our habits because as you said it touches everything.
Every time we purchase something we make a statement. As consumers, we have the power to decide what to stand for. Spend more time getting to know the products you buy and how they are packaged. Consider where and how the product was made, the materials used, and how to dispose of it after use. Understand the company’s ethics and upholding of their beliefs. Our book lists different resources and companies that are consciously producing goods that are less wasteful and less harmful to the environment.
Given that we are in the throws of a pandemic, I feel like so much progress was made and then stopped. You could no longer bring your reusable bags, people using plastic gloves. What tips do you have to navigate this time period?
This is indeed such a difficult time to be plastic-free. Scientists have shown that there is no harm to BYOcontainers, but many stores and food establishments won’t continue to allow the use of reusable bags, jars, containers and coffee cups (It never hurts to ask though!) We can be more resourceful and plan ahead before we shop, purchasing only what we need. We can support local markets and small businesses when buying fresh, unpackaged produce. When possible, buy in bulk to cut down on packaging. Opt for cooking at home, or dining out, rather than take out.
Let’s get A Plastic Makeover!
I need to filter the water I drink and I currently have a plastic filter. What’s a greener alternative?
Activated charcoal sticks which are wood branches slowly carbonized to 1000 degrees are a great way to skip the plastic filter. Most commercially-produced plastic filters use carbon to filter water anyway but with an added layer of plastic. Simply place the stick in a jug and purify the toxins like lead, mercury and chlorine from water
I’m at the grocery store and a recipe calls for strained tomatoes. Should I buy the tin or the new containers that look like a milk carton?
Buy fresh tomatoes. To remove the peels, cut an “X” at the bottom of each tomato blanch them in boiling water for 1 minute and transfer them immediately to a bowl of water and ice. Slice the tomatoes, rinsing out the seeds, and blend.
I love taking care of my skin. What’s the best way to take off stubborn makeup at the end of the day that doesn’t call for single-use wipes?
Reusable cloths, even repurposing an old t-shirt cut into squares, with a bit of coconut oil is clean and easy.
I am a huge foodie and love cheese, but everything seems to be packaged in plastic. Do you have any advice on how to navigate this?
Some cheese shops and cheese counters will wrap your cheese in wax-lined paper. In fact, most cheese aficionados will tell you that cheese should NEVER be wrapped in plastic.
Copyrighted Photography of Authors Provided By Publisher; Christine Wong Photography by Monica Wong; Brigette Allen Photography by Albert Tu