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How to Give Up Plastic: A Guide to Changing the World, One Plastic Bottle at a Time by Will McCallum
athena2023's review against another edition
4.0
Really shocking facts about how plastic impacts the environment. I like how they give advice for giving up plastic in an achievable way. Definitely got some inspiration.
bericheri's review against another edition
4.0
This is a very helpful, practical guide on how to give up plastic. It made me very aware of just how prevalent plastic really is in our throw-away society. If you care about the environment and would like to reduce your plastic consumption, this is a great please to start.
allieeveryday's review against another edition
3.0
This is a very practical beginner's guide for reducing the amount of plastic coming and going in your life, with plenty of statistics and anecdotes, though I did find some new ideas for things I'd like to try to swap out, as someone who has already made quite a few changes to reduce the amount of plastic we use and discard. It does reference those who need plastics (such as straws) due to disabilities, and while it gives the end-user tips, it never loses sight of the fact that it's ultimately bigger corporations that have to take steps to reducing their plastic packaging and find another solution to their dependency on plastics.
It also includes guides for creating bigger change, such as petitions, letter-writing, sending back plastic packaging to corporations, doing beach/neighborhood cleanups, putting your dollars toward companies that use fewer plastics, and more.
One kind of major bummer though is that the pandemic has kind of ruined some of the options that would be great under normal circumstances. Like in theory, yes to drinking fountains! But in pandemic times, keep your face away from everything! Also, yes styrofoam is bad and takes a bazillion years to break down, but in pandemic times, every time I order takeout, it comes in a clamshell that then gets sanitized with Chlorox wipes, which are probably not good for the oceans either, but public health crisis? So, while I in general feel good about the ways we already avoid plastics (reusable grocery bags/mesh produce sacks, silicone sandwich baggies, bar shampoo/soaps, using our own coffee mugs and water bottles, etc.), there's definitely a weighing of what's reasonable in weird times, and hopefully someday we'll be able to do better again.
It also includes guides for creating bigger change, such as petitions, letter-writing, sending back plastic packaging to corporations, doing beach/neighborhood cleanups, putting your dollars toward companies that use fewer plastics, and more.
One kind of major bummer though is that the pandemic has kind of ruined some of the options that would be great under normal circumstances. Like in theory, yes to drinking fountains! But in pandemic times, keep your face away from everything! Also, yes styrofoam is bad and takes a bazillion years to break down, but in pandemic times, every time I order takeout, it comes in a clamshell that then gets sanitized with Chlorox wipes, which are probably not good for the oceans either, but public health crisis? So, while I in general feel good about the ways we already avoid plastics (reusable grocery bags/mesh produce sacks, silicone sandwich baggies, bar shampoo/soaps, using our own coffee mugs and water bottles, etc.), there's definitely a weighing of what's reasonable in weird times, and hopefully someday we'll be able to do better again.
jazhandz's review against another edition
2.5
This was a really frustrating read because it could not make up its mind about its audience. As someone who has long wanted to take steps to giving up plastic and is only just beginning to get into it, I sure didn’t feel like the audience. Some tips were useful (the chapter breaking down how to eliminate plastic use in the bathroom was great) but so many were bizarre. Threaten to shame companies on social media? Ship plastic materials back to the manufacturers? These are counterproductive and feel like bad activism tips. Not to mention, as a graduate student in a fairly rural area, a lot of the tips that felt useful were “buy X product - it’s an investment but worth it!” I can’t make a ton of investments like that right now. I was hoping for more practical and logical advice, and now I’m just disappointed.
always_need_more_books's review against another edition
4.0
"Around 12.7 million tonnes of plastic are entering the ocean every year, killing over 1 million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals. By 2050 there could be more plastic in the ocean than fish, by weight"
How to Give Up Plastic is a great little book. Written by Will McCallum who is head of oceans for Greenpeace it is a mixture of shocking facts about the plastic pollution we generate and some ideas to help stop the dependency we all have on plastic. I've been reasonably environmentally minded over the years - I've carried my own bags for years rather than take plastic and I'm pretty good at recycling but I'm aware there is a lot more I can be doing, and this book has given me the inspiration to try new products and think differently in my day to day life. For those who wish to go even further, there is a section on how to organise a beach clean or how to run campaigns and write letters.
East to read and digestible, this is a fantastic book for those who care about the environment and want to do more.
Thank you to Penguin Life for sending me a copy.
How to Give Up Plastic is a great little book. Written by Will McCallum who is head of oceans for Greenpeace it is a mixture of shocking facts about the plastic pollution we generate and some ideas to help stop the dependency we all have on plastic. I've been reasonably environmentally minded over the years - I've carried my own bags for years rather than take plastic and I'm pretty good at recycling but I'm aware there is a lot more I can be doing, and this book has given me the inspiration to try new products and think differently in my day to day life. For those who wish to go even further, there is a section on how to organise a beach clean or how to run campaigns and write letters.
East to read and digestible, this is a fantastic book for those who care about the environment and want to do more.
Thank you to Penguin Life for sending me a copy.