Making the Planet Less Trashy and with Less Plastic

Women are flexing their purchase power by leaving the planet less trashy and with less plastic. Join See Jane Do and take a ride on the plastic free wave (literally) and feature several extraordinary Jane's who demonstrate alternatives to a throw away society.

Blogger of Fake Plastic Fish, Beth Terry began to eliminate her use of plastic three years ago and is now encouraging everyone to participate in the plastic challenge.  Beth proved that one person can make a difference. She took on one of the largest corporations in the Bay Area and persuaded Brita to recycle their water filters in the United States.

And what do you do with all that left over plastic? Activist, artist, and surfer, Kathleen Egan collected plastic from all over the world and created a giant plastic wave to bring awareness to our plastic waste.

Beth Terry examining her plastic collection and Kathleen Egan in the plastic wave

Kathleen isn't the only one riding for a cause.  We spoke with education advisor of Algalita Marine Research Foundation, Anna Cummins who rode her Xtracycle (with activist and husband Dr. Marcus Eriksen) over 2,000 miles from Canada to Mexico to present over forty workshops about plastic pollution and its harmful effects on humans and wildlife.  Cummins even traveled 4,000 miles by boat to the plastic gyre that circles in the Pacific Ocean.

Beth Terry

Three years ago, after reading an article about the rise of plastic in the world’s oceans, Beth Terry realized that her own actions might be contributing to this problem.  Beth made a choice.  She challenged herself to eliminate the use of plastic, all the while documenting her experience on her blog Fake Plastic Fish.  What began as a simple personal test has grown into something much larger.  In addition to inspiring women and men around the country to take their own plastic challenge, Beth initiated a campaign that changed how one of the world’s largest corporations reuses one of its plastic products.

Kathleen Egan

Kathleen, a Harvard Business School graduate, is a Senior Director at Oracle Corporation, where she spearheaded the company’s “Sustainability in Retail” project. Working with the Surfrider Foundation´s Rise Above Plastic program, she founded a local plastic-awareness and guerilla anti-plastic group, called “Stop the Plastic Wave” which works with companies to reduce plastic packaging and with consumers to change the way they think about disposable plastic. Kathleen has been travelling around the Pacific with her surfboard, collecting plastic debris from the shore and transforming it into art with a message.

Anna Cummins

Anna Cummins has over 10 years of experience in environmental non-profit work, education, writing, and campaign development. She has worked in marine conservation, coastal watershed management, sustainability education, and high school ecology instruction.

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Five things you can do today to leave the planet less trashy

Get Involved and Do Your Part

1. Go to Beth Terry’s website www.fakeplasticfish.com and take the plastic challenge.
2. Re-think items in your kitchen.
   • Replace plastic containers with glass or ceramic.
   • Buy in bulk to limit the amount of plastic packaging.
   • Use canvas or cloth bags instead of plastic bags for groceries and produce.
3. Volunteer for a community clean up.
4. Carry your own water bottle or travel mug for coffee and other beverages.
5. Blog, Facebook, Tweet – Share your experiences of weaning yourself and your family off of plastic.