Review of the Book - Plastic Free

In December, I had the wonderful opportunity to go hear Beth Terry, the author of My Plastic Free Life, How I kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too, speak at an event.  Back in 2007, Beth saw this a picture of a dead albatross bird, decomposed to the point that you could see inside it's ribcage was filled with plastic it had ingested.  Mother albatross birds go out into the Pacific Gyre, which is riddled with plastic waste. (For more information on this, you can look at the Great Pacific Garbage Patch).  These mother birds mistake plastic for food, and then feed it to their chicks, which ultimately kills them.  It was enough for her to start a journey to a plastic- free life. 

What I love about Terry, is that she didn't just act emotionally about her new no-plastic status. She conducted an exhaustive study on plastic.  She methodically charted her plastic usage, and ways that she was ridding her own life of plastic.  Her book is broken up into topics:

• Waking Up to Plastic
• Plastic Bags
• Plastic Beverage Bottles
• Why Can't We Just Recycle It All?
• Take Out Food / Packing Lunches
• Grocery Shopping
• Personal Care
• Feeling Overwhelmed 
• Durable Plastic Goods
• Reasons who Our Personal Changes Matter 

I learned volumes about plastic from her book.  I also learned ways to help solve some of my own waste reduction challenges.  One of her suggestions is so simple.  If you love a company's products, but hate their packaging, ask them to change it.  Write letters, pick up the phone, let them know!

I enjoyed her talk, it inspired me to try even harder to make less waste (plastic or otherwise.)  After hearing her talk, I ordered a few products that I was especially impressed with, that could help me make less trash.

1. Glass straws from Glass Dharma  - I've already dropped it (on accident) and it didn't break!
2. Lotion and lip gloss in compostable packaging from Organic Essence.  

I have learned over the last few months that  it is possible to further reduce my plastic footprint.  With help from resources like Beth Terry's book, I am confident we can make even less waste in the future.