Plastic free products used to be sub par quality products sold in odd shops, used only by hippies, but now there are companies like http://www.anihanalife.com making products that are superior to their plastic alternatives and selling in mainstream shops like Target, and in the case of NZ, also supermarkets.
It's been interesting to see how supermarkets in nz have reacted to this. Initially it seemed like a bit of an experiment, but when it turned out that people liked the product, supermarkets started allocating more space to plastic free products and having a bigger range of brands.
This goes to show how important it is to vote with your dollar in the supermarket and other shops. As consumers, we also have the power to enact change.
I agree but also, I actually believe that people don't really care about this subject. They only care when it's shoved in their face at the point of purchase. Even then, they only make the choice because it's advertised to them. What they should do goes out the window when faced with what they want or feel like doing.
It's interesting because we're faced with a number of problems that dont seem / feel like problems because the reward for making the wrong choice is instant and the problem comes so far away that emotionally we don't feel like the problem is related to the cause. It's not like putting your finger in a fire, where the pain comes immediately and our subconscious learns from this. It's more like alcohol where you feel great when you have a drink (our brain is rewarded), but then feel bad the next day - we know the cause, but there's no subconscious association so we do it again and again.
I think for that reason we need to do everything we can. We need shoppers voting with their dollar, governments intervening and stopping us making the wrong choices, companies being ethical and activists informing consumers and customers in a persuasive way. Of course activists pose their own problem - it's too easy to debunk your own cause by appearing to be just another hippie, nutter or not being persuasive enough due to lack of psychological persuasion (such as presenting the problem in a way that's too big for the public to imagine as being possibly correct - rightly or not).
A difficult problem, indeed. Thanks for your good article.
Yes, it does feel hopeless as individuals, but it does feel hopeful with responsible governments. Single use plastic needs to be banned for our survival.
Plastic free products used to be sub par quality products sold in odd shops, used only by hippies, but now there are companies like http://www.anihanalife.com making products that are superior to their plastic alternatives and selling in mainstream shops like Target, and in the case of NZ, also supermarkets.
It's been interesting to see how supermarkets in nz have reacted to this. Initially it seemed like a bit of an experiment, but when it turned out that people liked the product, supermarkets started allocating more space to plastic free products and having a bigger range of brands.
This goes to show how important it is to vote with your dollar in the supermarket and other shops. As consumers, we also have the power to enact change.
While governments are crucial, the power ultimately lies with the consumer to enact changes in the plastic mess around us.
I agree but also, I actually believe that people don't really care about this subject. They only care when it's shoved in their face at the point of purchase. Even then, they only make the choice because it's advertised to them. What they should do goes out the window when faced with what they want or feel like doing.
It's interesting because we're faced with a number of problems that dont seem / feel like problems because the reward for making the wrong choice is instant and the problem comes so far away that emotionally we don't feel like the problem is related to the cause. It's not like putting your finger in a fire, where the pain comes immediately and our subconscious learns from this. It's more like alcohol where you feel great when you have a drink (our brain is rewarded), but then feel bad the next day - we know the cause, but there's no subconscious association so we do it again and again.
I think for that reason we need to do everything we can. We need shoppers voting with their dollar, governments intervening and stopping us making the wrong choices, companies being ethical and activists informing consumers and customers in a persuasive way. Of course activists pose their own problem - it's too easy to debunk your own cause by appearing to be just another hippie, nutter or not being persuasive enough due to lack of psychological persuasion (such as presenting the problem in a way that's too big for the public to imagine as being possibly correct - rightly or not).
A difficult problem, indeed. Thanks for your good article.
The packaging industry needs to change and single use plastic bamned. It does feel hopeless sometimes as individuals though.
Yes, it does feel hopeless as individuals, but it does feel hopeful with responsible governments. Single use plastic needs to be banned for our survival.