Earth Day: How one shopper takes action to avoid ‘useless plastic’

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ALBANY, NY – Nature wraps bananas and oranges in peels. But in some modern supermarkets they are also packaged or wrapped in plastic.

For Judith Enck this is the personification of useless plastic. The baby food aisle is equally harrowing for her, with its rows and rows of mixed fruits, vegetables and meats in single-use bags that have replaced glass jars.

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Less than 10% of plastic is recycled. Most of it is buried, burned or thrown away. Recycling rates for glass, aluminum and cardboard are much higher. And cardboard or paper packaging is biodegradable.

Monday’s global Earth Day theme is planet versus plastic. Plastic production continues to increase globally and is expected to triple by 2050 if nothing changes. Most of it is produced from fossil fuels and chemicals. As the world transitions away from fossil fuels for electricity and transportation, plastics offer a lifeline for oil and gas companies as a market that can grow.

The Earth Day environmental movement calls for “an end to plastics for the sake of human and planetary health.” People are breathing, eating and drinking more and more tiny plastic particles, although researchers say more work is needed to determine their effect on human health. Millions of tons of plastic end up in the ocean every year.

This week, thousands of negotiators and observers representing most of the world’s nations will meet in Ottawa to hammer out a treaty to try to end rapidly rising levels of plastic pollution.

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Plastic is everywhere in modern society. That’s evident every time you go shopping, said Enck, a former regional administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency who now runs the advocacy group Beyond Plastics. There are things shoppers can do if they want to use less plastic.

On a recent trip to Honest Weight Food Co-op in Albany, Enck bought almond butter and yogurt in glass containers. He asked that the fish be wrapped in paper and not in a plastic bag. She stayed away from the bagged carrots and quickly walked past the lettuce packaged in what she calls “plastic coffins.”

She keeps reusable shopping bags in her car, a common practice in New York since the state banned plastic carryout bags several years ago.

“Even small steps make a difference because large supermarkets notice when people ask for less packaged material. Plus, our kids pay attention. “If they are shopping with us and you explain to them why they prefer the glass jar instead of the plastic jar, it is an opportunity for education,” she said.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

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AP: How do you avoid plastic packaging and products in the supermarket?

I tell everyone that you’re not going to be perfect, but do the best you can and focus on the things you buy most often. I just couldn’t keep buying those plastic jugs of orange juice. So what I did with the juice was buy a really nice glass jug with a lid. And for juices and lemonade, I only buy the frozen concentrate. You avoid plastic completely. It takes a little time to melt it and add three cans of water. But most people can do it.

AP: Many shoppers start in the produce aisle. What are some tips?

I carry reusable cloth bags because I don’t want to use those thin plastic bags. So if I need a couple of apples or a couple of avocados, I’ll put them right in my reusable produce bag. I try to buy loose carrots instead of cut carrots in small plastic bags. I will never, ever buy bananas if they are in a plastic bag, which usually doesn’t happen in my store, but I have seen it happen sometimes. It’s pretty easy to buy peppers loose. I never put broccoli in a plastic bag. You know, you don’t need a lot of those produce bags.

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The real dilemma is fresh berries. They now come in number two plastic, which is supposed to be recyclable. I know Driscoll’s is starting to sell strawberries in a little cardboard box, which I’m looking forward to.

AP: What do you do when plastic is unavoidable?

For crackers, you can recycle the outer box if it’s cardboard, but there’s usually a plastic bag inside or a waxed bag that you can’t recycle. But you can use that wax bag or those plastic bags if you have pets. I don’t have a pet, but my friends use bread bags and chip bags when they pick up pet waste. So why buy pet waste bags? You can save them.

I use normal garbage bags. I don’t get carried away by that. I try not to fill it. If you can reduce waste generation, you won’t buy as many bags. I think it is very important to compost at home if you have the space.

AP: Where have you seen improvements?

The home goods aisle. I’m excited about the changes. For detergent you can get concentrates. I only use powder in the dishwasher. I highly recommend that people avoid plastic capsules. And you can recycle the cardboard boxes from the powdered soaps. You don’t have to get it in plastic. I also think the beverage aisle has real recycling opportunities. Better than most other halls.

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AP: What could be done to give buyers more options?

The great thing about paper, cardboard, glass and metal is that they can be easily made from recycled content. And it’s actually recyclable. You can put it in your recycling bin. And if it gets dirty, cardboard paper, in particular, doesn’t last for centuries.

If we passed a strict packaging law to reduce plastic packaging at the state or national level, packaging engineers would have to think about what happens after the packaging is used. New York is considering a law right now that would reduce plastic packaging. Unless we adopt new laws, this is not going to change because companies’ voluntary commitments are falling short across the board. That’s the only way to fix this.

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