Manufacturers and advertisers spend millions of dollars researching just the right approach and words to convince the public that their message is true.
It was a hard sell back in the 1940s and 1950s when plastic first burst onto the consumer scene to persuade the public that the materials they had always relied upon, such as wood, glass, ceramics and metal, were now old-fashioned and outdated.
But the advertisers persevered with the lure of modernity and convenience and the public was eventually swayed. Within a couple decades the sustainable practices of generations were tossed aside and the age of single-use plastic was born.
Once plastic and other added packaging were embraced by the public, it quickly became apparent that waste was becoming an issue. Instead of acknowledging that their packaging options were faulty and rethinking their packaging designs, manufacturers simply mounted another campaign, this one to convince the public that waste and litter were solely their fault.
The Keep America Beautiful anti-litter media campaign was founded in the early 1950s by businessmen concerned that the government would hold them responsible for the littering of the items they manufactured. You may recall these familiar slogans: Don’t Be a Litterbug; Give a Hoot, Don’t Pollute; Every Litter Bit Hurts; and People Start Pollution, People Can Stop It with the famous crying Indian.
Initially embraced by environmental organizations, it soon became clear that the focus of the group was making consumers responsible for cleaning up litter rather than making producers responsible for minimizing packaging waste. “Keep America Beautiful receives millions of dollars a year from dozens of corporations who either directly or through their trade associations are actively engaged in lobbying against environmental legislation…,” according to Source Watch, a publication of the Center for Media and Democracy.
Keeping America beautiful certainly is a laudable goal we should all endorse. But staying on top of litter and waste while major manufacturers are turning single-use packaging out at an ever-increasing rate is an insurmountable and unending task.
Of course, we shouldn’t litter. But we do not bear the sole responsibility for cleaning up the environment. So how do we fight back?
By letting those responsible for unsustainable packaging know that they can no longer dupe us into believing they are on the side of planetary health rather than having the sole goal of fattening their pocketbooks.
Certainly, ditch single-use plastic by using cloth shopping bags every time you shop and reusable glass or stainless-steel beverage containers when you hydrate. Voice your opinion with your shopping dollars by choosing products with little or no packaging. Make it a point to shop locally to avoid additional packaging from online purchases.
But also take a moment to send a letter or email to manufacturers letting them know that you will resume purchasing their product when they are able to offer it in a manner that is not detrimental to the health of the planet. It is time for them to step up and do their part in minimizing packaging for a sustainable future.
Looking for some products with minimal and/or sustainable packaging?
Check out these websites!
1924 Custom Soapery: www.shop1924.com
LuSa Organics: www.lusaorganics.com
Blueland: www.blueland.com
My Wild Child Boutique: www.mywildchildboutique.com
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