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 too 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, the founder and president of Beyond Plastics, along with climate and environmental reporter Adam Mahoney 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 first 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 also show how the displacement of responsibility of plastic pollution onto consumers instead of producers has been a part of the industry's strategy. They trace not only how "reuse, reduce, recycle" became ingrained in the social lexicon but also how more recent industry efforts build on that messaging. Enck and Mahoney also carefully and straightforwardly outline the harms caused to humans, animals, and the environment at all points of the plastic cycle, from fossil fuel extraction, through treatment and production, to the eventual disposal. They paint a grim picture of an industry that has now manage to impact everyone at all levels of life, but especially the poor communities and communities of color who bear the brunt of the consequences for popular reliance on the material.
Importantly, Enck and Mahoney do not just leave their readers adrift on a floating waste island of existential dread. Instead, they emphasize ways that all people can get involved. While they do outline steps for individual changes people can make if they have the resources to do so, they highlight routes for collective action through political engagement, such as writing letters to government officials--with templates available online. 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
Shelf Talker: Judith Enck and Adam Mahoney present a persuasive, approachable overview of the plastics problem, with comprehensive steps on how ordinary people can take action.