And here it is, GivingTuesday, that proposed counterpoint to the excesses of the year end and Black Friday, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Slotted in between these commercial antagonists to at least give a progressive option in among the behemoths.
As GivingTuesday is about to arrive, I am reminded that we have nearly made it through quite the year – 2020. To say it has been challenging is an understatement for most.
Living Without Plastic is a new book from Plastic Oceans International and authors Christine Wong and Brigette Allen. This beautiful guide offers over 100 creative and stylish swaps that allow you to easily reduce you personal plastic footprint. We are proud to have Brigette and Christine provide this guest blog about their journey with the book.
Plastic is an incredible invention that has helped democratize the world. Plastics have improved modern life, from food safety and access to goods and transportation, to medical sanitation and more.
Unfortunately, the ubiquity of plastic demonstrates that we do not have just a simple plastic habit, but rather a serious relationship with it. Versatile, lightweight, durable, and affordable, plastic is a difficult material to replace. And yet despite the growing evidence of the negative impacts of plastic on the environment, animal health, and even human health, many people find it difficult to end this very convenient relationship. We are faced with the dilemma of trying to find a balance between human convenience and environmental impact.
“An eye-opening guide on how to lessen one’s dependence on plastics. . . . This is a clarion, convincing wake-up call to the scope of the global plastic problem and what readers can do about it.”
– Publishers Weekly
November 10, 2020 – Malibu, CA – Plastic Oceans International, a global nonprofit working to end plastic pollution, joins Artisan Books in announcing today the publication of Living Without Plastic, from authors Christine Wong and Brigette Allen.
This new book serves as a concise guide on how to easily embrace a plastic-free or plastic-reduced lifestyle. It offers over 100 simple, sustainable, and stylish swaps throughout our households, providing readers with plastic alternatives for everything from kitchen and dining, to health, beauty, travel, and beyond.
I was recently invited by the Chilean Plastics Pact (Circula el Plástico) to give my vision for how a proposed bill in Chile would impact consumer education and the transition toward a circular economy.
The bill seeks to regulate mainly the delivery of disposable products in food outlets, promotes reusable containers, regulates the certification of other kinds of polymers (not petroleum based) and also regulates disposable plastic bottles and it’s reusable alternatives.
As a scientist conducting microplastics research, I am concerned about how plastics can affect human health. In my current research, I’ve developed a methodology to detect plastics in human tissues, which we were excited to complete as quickly as we did given all of the strict lab protocols and restrictions put in place due to COVID. During this pandemic, we have seen a massive spike in single-use plastic items like masks, gloves, shields, etc., all essential for keeping us safe, but worrisome in regards to the impact this will have on the environment.
That is why I think we are all eager for the distribution of a COVID vaccine to end this global pandemic.
However, I was surprised to learn that many people may be hesitant to receive a vaccine. Therefore, I thought I would address some concerns here.
Earlier this year, the Youth Merit award ceremony was held for citizens between the ages of 12 and 29, bestowed by the Congress of Mexico City. The award was given to six young people who excelled in different fields. I had the honor of being awarded in the environmental field for my activities in 2018 and 2019.
I, like many people, had no idea that the Congress granted this type of recognition. I want to tell you about my experience at the event and what I did to receive this award.
The ocean’s seafloor has long been a known hotspot for human pollutants, and scientists are still learning the extent of the damage. A recent study from Australia’s national science agency has revealed a conservative estimate of 14 million tons of microplastics in the deep ocean, the first ever global estimate of its kind.
Plastic Oceans International has long embraced the concept of sport as a powerful tool in the effort to reduce plastic pollution.