We love to hate plastic. It’s symbolic of our reluctant addiction to fossil fuels. It is to the zero waste movement what the endangered panda or elephant is to conservation – an environmental problem that everyone can get behind and support. Schemes to reduce certain plastic items have become trite examples of environmental tokenism by governments and corporations, used to pacify and distract from larger structural issues that could greatly impact environmental improvement. Above all though, plastic pollution is a damning indictment of our addiction to convenience and throw away society.
Plastic Fantastic
Plastic really is an incredible and useful, perhaps indispensable material. From food packaging that prevents food waste by slowing decomposition during long distance transit, to incredible supplies for medical purposes like plastic sutures that biodegrade using enzymes from the human body, plastic offers really useful solutions to many problems. For all of its benefits though, plastic presents an array of problems for our environment.
The Problem with Plastic
We all know that plastics are building up and causing havoc in the ocean and on land. We know that they break down incredibly slowly, festering for hundreds of years and fracturing over time into smaller pieces, eventually becoming microplastics and nanoplastics. We know that animals are killed or left suffering after being tangled in plastic litter or ghost fishing nets, or end up with stomachs full of indigestible plastics when they mistake it for food. We know that sea creatures ingest plastic on a wide scale, that plastic bioaccumulates in the ecosystem and that humans ingest plastic when we drink contaminated water and eat seafood.
We are aware that our insatiable appetite for plastic perpetuates extreme global inequalities, as countries in the wealthy global north export their plastic waste to poorer countries known to have sub-standard waste processing facilities, for them to suffer the consequences: toxic emission exposure for workers; pollution of surface and ground waters; and highly toxic air emissions from the open or crude burning of unrecyclable material.
Even if your plastic product makes it to a waste management centre, it may be incinerated, producing toxic air pollution and releasing greenhouse gases, or it may end up discarded into landfill. Some plastic can be downcycled, but not all ‘recyclable’ plastic actually is recycled, and not all plastic destined for recycling ends up at the recycling plant. And it’s not just the end of life of a plastic product that causes problems for the environment; the production process puts pressure on ecosystems too, using up land and causing related reduction in biodiversity, emitting greenhouse gases, and resulting in dangerous pollution as well as maintaining high demand for fossil fuels.
Throw Away Society – Extraction is a Problem Too
As public concern around the issue of plastic pollution swells, and we scramble to find alternatives to conventional fossil fuel derived plastic so that we can maintain business as usual, we may be missing some perspective on the bigger picture. What if the problem isn’t plastic in and of itself? What if it’s our attitude to mass disposability that is the real issue?
Even if we could switch all of our current purchases to a biodegradable option, we would still be extracting resources. From a business or national perspective we do this seeking endless economic sustainability and growth, and on an individual level we are accustomed to the convenience and habit of purchasing as a way of expressing our desire for fulfilment, to demonstrate our success or wealth, to keep up with trends in fashion and technology, or simply to maintain pace with our busy lifestyles.
Many consumer goods are designed on the principle of planned obsolescence; they are designed to be replaced frequently, therefore, even if we try to buy less stuff, we are forced into it by brands. A part of planned obsolescence is perceived obsolescence – though an item remains functional, we feel, or are encouraged to feel, that we must update it. Think about fast fashion – our devotion to the new seasons trends drives us to purchase new clothes before any particular poor quality fast fashion clothing item is actually worn out.
So we consume and then we purge, ad nauseam. All the while, finite resources become ever more depleted, and, even if the products we buy are made of more environmentally friendly materials, in order to satiate our consumption habits, they are used at a rate and scale beyond any rational definition of sustainability.
Make Considered Purchases
Perhaps, then, what’s equally important as avoiding plastic or selecting materials that are better for the environment, is a change in mindset. Instead of buying for the sake of buying, we encourage you, reader, to think twice about each purchase you want to make to ensure it’s something that you really need or would really add value to your life. We encourage you to reduce the amount of plastic you use, but also try to reduce your overall purchases if you are able to. Of course, if you are reading this article, it’s likely you are already thinking along the same lines as us! Reducing your spending on new purchases might seem a strange concept for a retailer to espouse when, after all, our raison d’etre is to sell you stuff.
Don’t Buy Pointless Plastic
The core philosophy here at Peach and Bumble is that the essentials we must buy ought to be designed with the environment in mind. We wont lie to you, we aren’t perfect – everything we produce takes it toll on the environment by creating a carbon footprint, possibly soil erosion, chemical pollution, and waste that may go to landfill or end up polluting the environment and harming sentient life.
The items we sell are not plastic free, for example, and we don’t attempt to greenwash our products by falsely claiming our toothbrush nylon bristles are biodegradable, or by using so called biodegradable plastic and claiming that this is a better alternative for the environment. We focus on everyday essentials and we design them in a way that provides a better environmental outcome when compared to their conventional single use, or entirely plastic alternatives.
Our bamboo toothbrushes, for instance, have plastic bristles. As an ethical and vegan brand, the alternative bristle type – hog hair – was not an option. Research shows that a bamboo toothbrush with nylon bristles has 97% less plastic than a manual plastic toothbrush, 83% lower climate change impact and 82% less land use and resulting reduction in biodiversity. This means that even though we do use some plastic in this product, the overall impact on the environment is far smaller than the conventional alternative.
Our reusable sanitary towels are not plastic free either. Conventional sanitary pads contain approximately 90% plastic which ends up in the waste management system immediately after use. In contrast, though the cream top layer of fabric is 80% bamboo, our pads are made, overall, of 74% polyester. This gives them a practical advantage that makes them a serious option when compared with single use plastic alternatives. The PU bottom layer helps protect against leaks, the middle microfibre layer is absorbent without being bulky or heavy and the 20% polyester in the top layer aids with durability of the bamboo fabric.
The advantage of our towels is that they can be used over and over again for years provided they are cared for properly. Plastic produced on the enormous scale required to satisfy demand for single use sanitary pads releases vast amounts of greenhouse gases which cause air pollution and climate change. Because our reusable pads can be used repeatedly for years, the plastic, emissions and pollution created by production is magnitudes less.
We believe in making products that are a better choice for the environment. We design with longevity in mind where relevant, rather than obsolescence, and we reduce the plastic production required for our products when compared to conventional alternatives. This way, we aim to encourage a shift in the economy to support a healthier world, and to help you to do your bit for life on our planet.
Thank you for caring for our environment!
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