The Plastic Diet – More Thoughts

I just wanted to provide further insight as to why I am doing this Plastic Diet. I am a big believer that as a society we take waste for granted. Its just too easy for us buy a bottle of water than to bring our own, to use free plastic bags and straws whenever they are thrown in our direction (see “One Cashier” post), and to not think twice about throwing away a perfectly good plastic container because it has been used.

So one of the real driving forces behind this is to create awareness that will hopefully lead to small dollops of change that over time will create lasting and growing change amongst consumers and businesses alike. I have come into contact with many people over the years who tell me they don’t use a straw anymore after talking to me about it – they don’t feel the desire to use them anymore once they realise that the benefit of the straw is not worth the actual cost of it. This cost being the indirect cost of energy, raw materials and waste. And so over time, Im sure these people have told others who have told others and the spreading of a new idea is slowly eating away at the perspective we were all brought up with – If it doesn’t have a dollar cost, it doesn’t really cost anything.

Please don’t get me wrong, Im definitely not perfect and don’t for a second claim to be. I run a retail business that sells many disposable plastic items, and definitely own a lifestyle that could hardly be called waste-free. Alas, my intent is to focus on the positive - the awareness and change that will hopefully come about from making these sacrifices. The world we live in is the way it is because we choose it to be this way. The biggest vote we make is how we spend our money. It’s small actions by many people that make big differences. If people stopped eating at a café because they served drinks in disposable plastic cups, the café would be forced to change. This is the change that Im hoping to eventually bring about.

So there is a little more of my thinking behind all this. You are welcome to email me at thoughts@todae.com.au if you have any thoughts on the matter.

Until next time,

Danin