Plastics, Plastics, Everywhere

Ellen Heyn

TA: Tiffany Grade

Section: Thursdays 2:25-3:15

Plastics seem to embody a great contradiction in and of themselves. They are unobtrusive, hiding in everyday objects like jeans, cosmetics and furniture. Yet, it is precisely their prominence in everyday lives that make plastics incredibly obtrusive.

Everywhere I look in my apartment, I see plastic. Plastic in my school supplies, plastic in my electronics, plastic in my cooking appliances, plastics in my toiletry items. In a sense, plastics are the life and blood of society. Just look at how many people rely on their smart phones, laptops and BlackBerries to get from day to day, hour to hour, minute to minute, even. The use of plastics has become an accepted fact of life, and this tendency to overlook the importance and impact of plastics is dangerous. For the moment we stop questioning is the moment that we close our minds to alternatives.

So this plastic challenge, for me, was a way to question my use of plastics. Why do I use plastics? What are my other options? Am I willing to give up certain amenities that make my life easier? And can I even avoid plastics on a daily basis?

While I was planning my day without plastics, it seemed as though each alternative I thought up would somehow lead to another use of plastic. In a sense, I was just swapping plastic for plastic. Take, for example, my stainless steel water bottle. When I needed to refill it at a bubbler, I had to press the plastic button/lever. I know that using a reusable water bottle cuts down significantly on the amount of plastic waste in the environment, but my point is that consciously avoiding plastics doesn’t necessarily eliminate plastic encounters in your life.

My kitchen was another place that I experienced limited success in the plastics challenge. I set the table with glass dishes and metal silverware, when I realized that in order to put any food on the table, I first needed to open up the plastic refrigerator, get out the food that was wrapped in plastic, and use cooking pots with plastic handles. My good intentions were met with, yet again, more plastic.

As much as I tried to live without plastics for a day, I was at a point in the semester where I just could not make certain sacrifices. Homework had to get done, papers needed to be written and projects needed to be worked on. I could not avoid touching the plastic keys on my computer, or especially the tiny voice recorder that I use for conducting interviews. (As a journalism student working on several final stories, my recorder is an absolutely essential device that I have to use in order to meet deadlines.)

To some extent, I think I use plastics because I have to. As a student, I face societal and normative pressures to be a successful, accomplished, contributing member of society. And like the example of my computer and my recorder, I need to use plastics in order to meet those expectations.

Overall, I failed miserably in my day without plastics. I knew I was doomed from the start, but I think the awareness it brought, regarding my use of plastics, was a valuable experience. No matter how hard I try, I cannot avoid plastic. But, I think that with conscious living, I can try to cut back on my plastic consumption and plastic waste. Bringing your own grocery bags, using a reusable water bottle, buying glass or ceramic dishes, growing your own food—all of these can help us reduce, reuse, and recycle.