Saturday, July 14, 2012

Good Plastics - Bad Plastics


Mr. McGuire: "I want to say one word to you. Just one word." Benjamin: "Yes, sir." Mr. McGuire: "Are you listening?" Benjamin: "Yes, I am." Mr. McGuire: "Plastics." Benjamin: "Exactly how do you mean?" Mr. McGuire: "There's a great future in plastics. Think about it. Will you think about it?" 


I was 16 year old. My friend and I put on a lot of make-up, skirts, stockings and had our long straight hair piled in buns on our head. You had to be 18 to see the adorable young Dustin Hoffman in the hottest movie of the year, The Graduate. 


Plastics. Ever since a friend posted about My Plastic Free Life I've been torturing myself, thinking about a life without harmful plastics, and are my flowers, made of recycled plastics good or bad for the environment? Should we really stop using all plastics.


I guess what it really comes down to, is using plastics responsibly. Or rather choosing to use plastics responsibly. After all. I'd be hard pressed to find a wooden cased computer or cellphone. I'm sure they are out there, but I'm sure someone threw away the original plastic casing to make it.   


I also would not necessarily want to go back to a health care system without plastics. Disposable syringes have halted the spread of a lot of diseases, and if I needed a transfusion? Well blood is collected in plastic bags and transfused through plastic tubes. And if I had to have a limb amputated, I'm sure the plastic prosthetic would be much better than wood or metal. These are plastics I don't want to live without.


I'm looking through my house and my friends lives, and making a list of things we can do without. 


Disposable Diapers
Little Red Cups
Deodorant in throw away plastic
Disposable Cameras
Plastic utensils
Plastic shopping bags
2 liter soda bottles

What Plastics can you live without?


Here are some rules to follow when using plastics.


If it saves your life GOOD


If you use it for less than a year BAD


If you use it for less than a day VERY BAD


If you use if for a few minutes SHAME ON YOU


1 comment:

Maiden Jane said...

Great thoughts on plastics! One walk along the beach and you will see everything from water bottles to tampon cases....I can't believe how many people drink water out of water bottles out of their own homes when we have perfectly good tap water. There are times when a disposable water bottle is convenient. In the house, I have a variety of old-fashioned glass water bottles that I fill and keep in the fridge. I love water out of an ice-cold glass bottle! So refreshing on a hot day. I use old Groslch bottles (the beer is pretty good!).

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