Living a month without plastic: an impossible challenge?

The Guardian's Emma Beddington attempted to live a month without single-use plastic, documenting her daily challenges. From the inability to find loose fruit and vegetables to the dilemma of toothpaste in a jar, the experiment reveals how difficult it is to completely eliminate plastic from our lives

Attempt to imagine life without single-use plastic for a month. No water bottle, no packaging, no toothpaste tube, no detergent in a plastic tub. A pipe dream? Not quite. Emma Beddington, a journalist with The Guardian newspaper, took it on and wrote about her experience. But at two weeks she was compelled to admit defeat. She illustrates how deeply entrenched one-time use plastic is within our existence and how difficult it is to step out of its comfort zone.

A world wrapped in plastic

Beddington’s challenge began with the best of intentions: reusable shopping bags, shopping at local markets, and going to specialist stores to avoid unnecessary packaging. But she soon encountered a shocking reality. Even the most mundane items—packaged bread, milk, toilet paper, and snacks—are wrapped in plastic.

She tried alternatives: bulk stores, refillable cleaning products for the home, toothpaste tablets, and shampoo solid bars. The endeavor was “inconvenient, expensive, and exhausting” though. The coup de grâce? A mere mistake—she grabbed a package of ice in plastic form in a rushed grocery run for an evening cocktail. In the flash of an eye, her challenge was done.

Even doing dishes at home was difficult. Finding plastic-free laundry detergent, toothpaste, shampoo, and conditioner was bothersome, and the toothpaste tablets in glass packaging were “horrible, like brushing teeth with a mint.”

A problem worldwide

Single-use plastic is not only difficult to escape—it’s a growing disaster. The Smithsonian reports that 85% of plastic trash in the United States was dumped in landfills in 2021. Recycling isn’t much of a solution, since most of the plastic that’s recycled is used to make other throwaway items, which end up as waste.

The environmental cost is astounding. The United Nations Foundation states that there are five million shipping containers full of plastic in the ocean. And if production levels stay the same, by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the sea. And the issue isn’t just harming the world—microplastics have invaded our drinking water and even our bodies. A 2024 study discovered that human brain tissue contains microplastic residues, and this has instilled fears of potential health effects.

A tough but unavoidable challenge

Beddington’s own experience testifies to the fact that it is a hill to climb to eradicate single-use plastic entirely. But that does not imply that one should not attempt it. The real challenge is not elimination but making cutting down on plastic feasible and sustainable for everyone. And perhaps one day, it will not be an impossible war to win.

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Wild elephant injured ater colliding with bulldozer in West Bengal

An elephant was injured in India after colliding with a bulldozer used by the local population to remove it: it is yet another episode of conflict between humans and these animals

In the Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal, India, a wild elephant was injured after colliding with a bulldozer used by local residents to drive it away. The incident, which took place in the Dam Dim area, has sparked outrage and once again highlighted the ongoing conflict between humans and elephants in the region. The driver of the bulldozer has been arrested, and the vehicle has been seized by authorities.

“The crowd initially tried to chase the animal away by throwing stones and pulling its tail.”

According to officials from the Forest Department, the crowd first attempted to drive the elephant away by hurling stones at it and pulling its tail. When these efforts failed, they resorted to using a bulldozer, provoking an instinctive reaction from the frightened elephant. The animal, startled and agitated, charged at the vehicle, sustaining injuries upon impact. A video of the incident, which quickly went viral on social media, has drawn significant public attention to the case.

Authorities acted swiftly, arresting the bulldozer driver and charging him with violating the Wildlife Protection Act, as well as obstructing a government official. Additionally, a medical panel comprising three veterinarians has been established to assess the elephant’s condition and determine an appropriate course of action.

“West Bengal recorded 99 human deaths due to elephant encounters in 2023-2024.”

This incident is part of a broader conflict between humans and elephants in West Bengal. The continued expansion of human activities into forested areas has led to a rise in encounters, often with tragic consequences for both people and animals. In the 2023-2024 period, West Bengal recorded 99 human fatalities due to elephant encounters, one of the highest figures in India.

In recent years, several similar incidents have occurred, including the killing of a pregnant elephant in 2024 with a flaming spear. These events underscore the urgent need for more effective strategies to manage human-elephant coexistence, promoting solutions that prevent violent escalations while ensuring wildlife protection.

Local authorities and animal protection organizations are actively working to educate communities on less aggressive methods to deter elephants and implement more sustainable conservation policies. However, the challenge remains complex, requiring coordinated efforts from government institutions, wildlife experts, and local communities to strike a balance between human safety and elephant conservation.

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