Images of plastic- and fossil fuel-related disasters and pollution, such as toxic spills and trash-strewn beaches, make the problems seem insurmountable, too big and horrible for the average person to understand, let alone start to solve. But in The Problem with Plastic: How We Can Save Ourselves and Our Planet Before It's Too Late, Judith Enck, founder and president of Beyond Plastics, and Adam Mahoney, a climate and environmental reporter, have assembled an approachable, easy-to-read, and comprehensive overview of the problem, the people already fighting back, and the steps that the average person can take to become part of the solution.
Enck and Mahoney outline the short history of society's dependence on plastic. They emphasize that corporate greenwashing of the material has been a large part of the marketing strategy alongside an emphasis on the convenience of using plastic. They show how the displacement of responsibility of plastic pollution onto consumers instead of producers has been a part of the industry's strategy. Enck and Mahoney also carefully and straightforwardly outline the harms caused to humans, animals, and the environment at all points of the plastic cycle. They paint a grim picture of an industry that has now managed to impact everyone at all levels of life, but especially the poor communities and communities of color.
Importantly, Enck and Mahoney do not just leave their readers adrift on a floating waste island of existential dread. The Problem with Plastic strongly underscores that, while the industry has power, people working together have more, and provides the baby steps needed to help the public realize its power to address plastic pollution. --Michelle Anya Anjirbag, freelance reviewer