Microplastics have been found from the top of Mt. Everest to newly formed beaches in Hawaii. I am constantly picking up small pieces of plastic in backcountry wilderness areas, off-trail, and campsites. The prevalence of plastic in our environment is astounding, and one cannot leave out mentioning the great pacific garbage patch. There’s even plastic in our poop!

As an eco-conscious person, I often make consumer choices based upon single-use plastic. That being said, I often don’t for convenience. Noticeably, the Covid-19 pandemic has created an increase in single-use plastics. What can we do about it?

I’m inspired by Kate Nelson! She has lived for over ten years without using single-use plastic! She recently published a guide of over 60 recipes to help everyone live plastic free.

I Quit Plastics (and you can too) is an aesthetically pleasing book full of useful ideas and recipes. Upon first opening, I fall upon a recipe for Cashew Vegan Cheese that looks amazing!

Not only does this book provide many delicious recipes, but interesting issues surrounding plastic pollution are also explored. For example, Kate explores the issues of plastics and social justice, including plastic privilege. She points out that wealthier countries, such as the USA, export their plastic garbage for hopeful recycling to Southeast Asia, but many of these countries cannot process their own waste.

Furthermore, when examining plastics through a socio-economic lens, most of the affordable food, though processed and unhealthy, is heavily packaged in plastic. People that live in urban food deserts and rely on corner stores and gas stations, have little choice when it comes to avoiding plastics. Though shopping in bulk saves money, it’s not even an option anymore during Covid times.

Quitting plastics is a privilege. The zero-waste movement is elitist. Not everyone will have access to bulk food stores or farmers’ markets near where they live…

Every dollar we spend is either hurting or helping the environment and humanity. We must use our privilege beyond our personal gains, to support the collective benefit.

I Quit Plastics (and you can too)

Kate is also the founder of the non-profit Sea the Mermaids, an organization focused on stopping human-sourced ocean pollution through education and community action.

Kate’s writing is easily readable and accessible without sounding preachy. Her explanations and reasoning are clear. From food to beauty to cleaning, Kate’s practical recipes and tips make it easy for anyone to reduce their single-use plastic consumption. She offers clear steps to plan empower yourself on the plastic quitting journey.