[Image: Kefron]
April is here, which means Earth Month is in full swing, and we are taking the time to talk about plastic.
Last August, a new study hit the headlines, and the results were enough to make anyone gag on their reusable water bottle: human brains, the ones under study, were found to be nearly 0.5% plastic by weight. Let that marinate for a second.
Plastic has wormed its way so deeply into our lives that it’s now literally part of our minds. Brains – you know, the place where thoughts happen – are supposed to be made of brain matter, not the same stuff as your takeout lid. So, how exactly did we end up here?
Well, for decades, we’ve been sold a story, wrapped in blue recycling bins and tied with that cute little chasing-arrows bow. The story went like this: just toss your plastic into the bin and poof, it’ll be recycled and reborn as something new and useful. Except that’s mostly a lie.
Depending on where you live, only a fraction of plastic actually gets recycled. The rest is incinerated, belching toxins into the air or chucked into landfills or abandoned to break down into microplastics and nanoplastics – the same junk now showing up not just in soil and water but inside us. And that sliver of plastic that does get recycled? After one or two cycles, it still ends up as waste. Dead end.
Sadly, this isn’t just an environmental horror story anymore – it’s personal. Microplastics have shown up in places that should make your skin crawl: our blood, our breast milk, our placentas, our testicles, our arteries. They’re not harmless little hitchhikers, either. These are petrochemical-based troublemakers that leach toxins and may jack up your odds of serious health issues like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
Recycling isn’t the answer.
Writing about this issue, Fast Company‘s Jeff Yurcisin talks about reading William McCaskill’s book on long-termism, which is the idea that the choices we make today should stand the test of time for generations to come.
“This becomes more acute in parenthood (I’m a lucky father of three), where I quickly realized it’s not about me and us, but about kids—mine and others’—and future generations.”
And let’s be honest: the world they’re inheriting is absolutely swamped in plastic. This stuff isn’t some innocent convenience — it’s a petrochemical product that never truly dies, just breaks down into microscopic bits that settle into our bodies like unwelcome tenants, rent-free, forever.
This should feel like a gut punch. The industry we all work in helped create this mess. For years, companies reassured customers that plastic was perfectly fine — and that recycling would swoop in to save the day. Turns out that was wishful thinking at best. At worst? A flat-out lie.
So now what?
First off, it’s time to wise up. The more we understand about plastic’s impact – on the planet, on our bodies – the more we can crank up the pressure for real change. Every new study pulls back the curtain a little more, and the picture isn’t pretty. Scientists, journalists, and researchers are yelling from the rooftops. Now, it’s up to businesses and consumers to stop hitting snooze.
Second: cut down plastic use wherever humanly possible. Going 100% plastic-free is practically impossible – the stuff is that insidious. But perfection isn’t the goal here; progress is.
Small, smart choices add up. When you’re buying personal care, cleaning products, or food storage, aim for refillable or reusable options, go for concentrated formulas, and pick materials that actually stand a shot at being recycled — like aluminum, glass, bamboo, or paper. Shop secondhand, hit up places like Facebook Marketplace, Yaga, markets, or antique/charity shops and steer clear of fast-fashion juggernauts like Temu and Shein, whose business models are basically built on overconsumption and waste.
And let’s not kid ourselves: this isn’t just a “you problem.” Individual actions matter, but the industry must pull its weight.
That means steering clear of greenwashing their packaging and offering products that are actually better for the planet without skimping on performance. Packaging is only half the battle – what’s inside the packaging matters just as much.
The old chestnut says, “You need to walk the walk before you talk the talk.” Too many companies have skipped straight to the talking part, with little to show for it. We need more businesses willing to get real. Transparency isn’t optional. People deserve to know what’s in the products they’re using, how those products are made, and what the true cost is — for them and for the world around them.
And no, this isn’t about corporate altruism. This is about survival. It’s about business and the future of business. Because here’s the truth: millions of consumers aren’t waiting around for companies to catch up.
They’re already searching for healthier, smarter, more sustainable alternatives. The market’s calling for change. The only question is: who’s going to answer?
[Source: Fast Company]
