Plastic's Fantastic!: In Defense of the Plastic Take-Out Container

Hey Y'all!

Jackson here.
I did the dishes last night, and when I was done, I saw something that made me stop and think.

Here are the nice, clean dishes:


What gave me pause was the fact that 95 percent of what I washed, let dry and put away, was plastic take-out containers. There they were. I had just spent twenty minutes, plus soap and hot water, essentially washing trash.

Why had I done this? Why waste my time?

Here's why:

Plastic is great. It lasts a really long time. My fiancee and I use those tossable containers all the time.

We use them to store food in. The lids make great little saucers for underneath our plants. Heck, the containers themselves are excellent for growing things in.

I mix paint in them. I use them when I give the dog a bath. Now that I think about it, I use them constantly.

It's all about perception.

Plastic isn't bad. We're just not using it well.

If it isn't going to biodegrade in a thousand years, don't make disposable things out of it. Make the things you want to last for a thousand years.

It says a lot about our society that we make our houses out of wood, and our disposable cutlery out of plastic. One is going to last a lot longer than the other.

I know that plastic can off-gas, but you know what? Off-gassing from my containers is the least of my worries. I think a lot more about the way I treat the people and things around me than I do about phthalate levels. To be honest, I think more about King Kong vs. Godzilla than I do about phthalates.

And you can make plastic out of many other things besides fossil fuels. Corn, soy, hemp, anything that produces either oil or cellulose can be coaxed into becoming plastic.

We just need to shift our perception a bit and all will be well.

Remember: Change is not a hair-shirt exercise. It can be as thrilling and exciting as the best party you've ever attended. And that's the way it should be.

So cherish your plastic containers. Give them the chance and they can serve you well for a long, long, time.

Give plastic a chance.


Love,

Jackson