1. PUB:SAWEEKEND11/6/11W-6COL:CMYK
✂
✂
✂✂
saweekend_july 11
TRY and go a day – scratch that, an hour – without
touching plastic. Go on, bet you can’t do it. You won’t
be able to lean on your laminated benchtop, brush your
teeth, pick up your shampoo bottle, button your shirt,
put clothes in the dryer, switch on the kettle, touch
your computer keyboard or use the TV remote. Forget
grabbing the keys and jumping in the car. And you’d
probably have to go a little hungry too. Can’t touch the
fridge handle to get to the plastic wrapped bacon, tub of
yoghurt or plastic bottle of juice. The bread, looking so
temptingly fresh in its bag, would be off limits too.
Susan Freinkel set herself this very task and found
she lasted until she had to use the toilet, just seconds
into her experimental day. So the American author
instead decided to write down everything she touched
made with plastic in all its forms (starting with her
pen). By the end of the day she had filled four pages
with a nowhere-near exhaustive list of 196 items ...
a cellophane-wrapped box of tea, vinyl dog leash, her
sneakers, the sticker she peeled off an apple, the Lycra
in her sports bra. “I didn’t really contemplate what that
would mean or how hard it might be until that morning
... it opened my eyes to just how ubiquitous it was,”
says Freinkel, a science journalist who has written a
book Plastic: A Toxic Love Story. “I thought about that
experiment because I wanted to get a literal sense, a
tactile sense, of how pervasive plastic was. But even so,
I didn’t really grasp just how completely permeated my
life was by plastic until I did that. It’s so omnipresent in
our lives that you just overlook it.”
To go a normal day without touching this man-made
marvel, you’d pretty much have to live in the early
1900s, before World War II’s voracious appetite for
scarce resources opened the floodgates on plastic con-
sumerables. (A few, such as PVC and polystyrene, were
actually “discovered” in the 1800s, but the materials
weren’t viewed as having any purpose for decades).
In Melbourne, Gina Prentergast has gone one very
big step further. She has set herself the daunting
task of living one year without buying anything using
“virgin” plastic. Under her self-imposed rules, recycled
plastic is OK at a pinch and, if she has to buy something
new, she has to keep the container for a year so that
it doesn’t become part of the waste stream. (She plans
to make a sculpture with it when the year is up, and
maybe auction it for charity.) “Where I drew the line
was, as long as I don’t create individual demand and
my dollar isn’t going towards supporting virgin plastic
being created,” she says.
Complicating the task is that the 32-year-old fell
pregnant at about the same time she decided to embark
on the challenge, prompting her partner to suggest she
put the idea on hold until the messy, tiring baby years
were behind her. But she was undeterred.
Where Freinkel’s experiment was driven by simple
curiosity, the trigger for Prentergast’s decision was
watching documentaries about the destruction plastic
was wreaking on ocean life and society’s poor. “I hadn’t
realised that by purchasing plastic I was also partici-
pating in something that was destroying people’s lives,
PLASTICThepriceof

2. PUB:SAWEEKEND11/6/11W-7COL:CMYK
✂
✂
✂✂
environment 7
saweekend_july 11
IT’S THE SYNTHETIC WONDER THAT WE CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT –
BUT HOW DO WE LIVE WITH IT?
WORDS M A R I A MOSC A R ITOLO PICTURE CHRIS JORDA N
Plastic turns up in the most remote places:
here on Midway Atoll more than 3000km
from the nearest continent, this baby
albatross has died after being fed plastic
by its parents which mistook rubbish from
the Great Pacific Garbage Patch for food.

3. PUB:SAWEEKEND11/6/11W-8COL:CMYK
✂
✂
✂✂
8 environment
saweekend_june 11
people that live near plastic factories, the diseases
they were suffering,” she says. One BBC documentary
opened her eyes to the amorphous, mysterious “Great
Pacific Garbage Patch” of debris that stretches across
the centre of the North Pacific ocean. While much of the
floating junk is below the surface and can’t be seen by
satellite – no use looking on Google Maps – the Pacific
patch is reportedly as large as the US and choking untold
numbers of wildlife as it circulates in the currents of
the North Pacific gyre. Another patch containing these
small pieces of broken-down plastic debris
(up to 200,000 pieces concentrated in a
square kilometre) was located last year in
the North Atlantic.
Prentergast started her year without
much planning but says she hasn’t had
to make significant life changes – though
she does have to be more organised, less impulsive and
less wasteful. Hosting dinner parties takes more work
because she can’t buy commercial dips, cheese and
crackers as appetisers. She will mourn the last of her
irreplaceable mascara and has also found that freezing
bread and other foods is no longer an option, unless she
can scrounge a second-hand bag.
But, five months in, the New Zealand native has not
lost her enthusiasm and, as a bonus, reckons she feels
healthier and has even experienced relief from a diges-
tive disorder. She is not sure why, but assumes it is
because she has been forced to shop at farmers’ markets
and been steered towards whole and less processed
foods. “I haven’t seen it change my life a lot, other than
I do have to put a bit more thinking time and prepa-
ration into getting things, acquiring things, but what
that’s often meant is I’ve learned to live without a little
bit more,” says Prentergast, a team leader at NAB and
volunteer with the Australian Conservation Founda-
tion. “For me, any plastic bag that I come across that’s
second-hand and someone else doesn’t want, the value
of that has gone up. That plastic bag is not waste to me
anymore; it can provide a huge convenience for me and
I actually look after it.”
Her small legion of Facebook followers has been an
unexpectedly valuable source of inspiration and advice,
providing recipes for toothpaste and pointing her in the
right direction for deodorant bars and bamboo tooth-
brushes. She takes her own container and tongs to the
butcher. She is using olive oil from a 4-litre tin (admit-
tedly it has a small plastic spout) to replace her body
moisturiser and as hair treatment, and has purchased
“soap nuts” to wash her clothes and – soon – make her
own shampoo. Apparently it will only take 15 minutes
to whip up a batch. When the year is up, Prentergast
reckons she will maintain most of her newfound habits
but will accept 5 per cent sneaking back into her life
– sanitary products, food in cans (with their plastic
lining), vitamins.
Freinkel is not on any crusade. In her view, plastic
is neither all good nor all bad: it is simply a material.
“How we use it determines whether it’s a good use or
a bad use; how you make it determines whether it’s a
problem or not ... when you put it into things that are
meant to last a long time, I have less trouble with that,”
she says. “I’m not advocating giving up plastics. I’m just
advocating using it in a more thoughtful fashion.”
Plastics “democratised” previously scarce or costly
consumer goods and allowed the world to indulge in the
culture of disposability to which we are now addicted.
It is an extremely useful and versatile product – think
plastic buckets, or nasal-gastric tubes – but we use it
in too many “dumb” and toxic ways. One of the worst
is that we treat too much of this durable material as
disposable – use once, throw away, repeat many times
daily – when we should treat it like a limited resource
and recycle as much as possible.
Freinkel thinks cars, computers, even fridges, should
not be stripped only for their valuable parts. The abun-
dant plastic they carry should also be returned to the
production cycle. “When it really becomes a problem
is when you’re talking about all the throw-away stuff,
and the trouble is that accounts for about half of all the
plastic that’s consumed. It goes into single-use applica-
tions, some of which are really trivial.” Like wrapping
the outside of a CD cover, or the neck of an
already airtight jar.
“One of the examples I’ve talked about
with people is Styrofoam. It’s a great insu-
lator; it’s a really durable material, great
for insulating, so when you take Styro-
foam and put it in a house it’s actually
considered an environmentally preferred material. But
when you take Styrofoam – or I guess the industry calls
it ‘expanded polystyrene’ – and you put it into a single-
use coffee cup, that’s going to be a problem because the
cup you throw away never goes away.”
She makes some sobering observations: The world has
produced almost as much plastic in the past decade as
we did for the whole of last century. It’s claimed world
consumption has exploded to about 100 million tonnes a
year. In the space of a generation, the average American
has gone from consuming about 13kg of plastic items a
year to 10 times that – about 136kg. Each Australian
churns through about half that amount.
More disturbing, but not all that surprising, is that
“humans are just a little plastic now”. “Just as plastics
changed the essential texture of modern life, so they
are altering the basic chemistry of our bodies,” writes
Freinkel in her book.
Plastic has been with us since the 1830s, when a
German apothecary discovered polystyrene – though it
would be another 80 years before the world started to
understand what it had in its hands. However, English
inventor Alexander Parkes is credited with the first
man-made plastic – Parkesine – a cellulose-based mate-
rial he created in the 1850s that held its shape until it
was heated.
It was assumed, as our post-war love affair with plas-
tics began to flourish, that it was inert, safe. Then, in
the late ’60s, scientists discovered that a key chemical
used to make PVC pliable – a phthalate – was leach-
ing into humans from medical devices (such as blood
transfusion bags) and everyday plastic products. It
turns out phthalates – which are now being phased out
of products in the US and Europe – easily leach into
food and the atmosphere, especially in warmer condi-
tions. It taints most homes and is lurking in cosmet-
ics and body-care products, toys, erasers, vinyl flooring,
shower curtains – even as a coating on some medica-
tions. The chemical has been linked to asthma, aller-
gies and, as an endocrine disrupter, can in high doses
interfere with hormones and foetal development. A
2009 Swedish study on indoor pollution and childhood
allergies accidentally found a link between PVC flooring
in bedrooms and autism. Last year, Australia banned
the import and sale of toys or other infant products that
contain more than 1 per cent of the most common type
of this “plasticiser”, DEHP or diethylhexyl phthalate,
because of “international research linking it to repro-
ductive difficulties”.
“I think we’re kind of in the midst of a big uncontrolled
experiment and we don’t really know what the impli-
cations are,” Freinkel says. “It may well be that some
of the chemicals that people are very concerned about
now may actually pan out not to be so dangerous, but
the thing is, we don’t know ... some of these chemicals
PicturesThinkstock
1907 The first synthetic plastic, Bakelite,
made from coal tar.
1920 Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
developed as a cheaper
alternative to natural rubber.
1920s The word “plastic”
starts to become more widely
used
y
1932 Polyethylene
developed, now used
in billions of plastic
bottles and bags.
1938 Teflon
developed.developed.
1939 Nylon
changes fashion.
he
ed.
nk
it
rst
as
mes
1954 Petrol-based
Styrofoam, from polystyrene.
1965 Kevlar, five times stronger
than steel, developed.
1979 Polarfleece for
light, warm winter gear.
1869 Celluloid developed using cotton fibre,
used for billiard balls and later movie film.
THE HISTORY OF PLASTIC

4. PUB:SAWEEKEND11/6/11W-9COL:CMYK
✂
✂
✂✂
seem to have delayed effects and transgenerational
effects (so) the fear is you’re going to see things show
up when today’s children become adults. People look at
the rise of all these various chronic diseases – cancer,
heart disease, asthma, attention deficit problems, aller-
gies – and they track the steady rise of these diseases
over the last 50 years and it is the same timespan where
synthetic chemicals have become so much more part of
everyday products.”
While the medical industry has decided that the ben-
efits of vinyl blood and IV bags outweigh the uncertain
long-term impact on human health, Freinkel argues
this is the sort of area where governments should be
more vigilant and manufacturers more long-sighted and
community-minded, especially because many indus-
trial chemicals are in common use not because they are
proven to be safe, but because it has not been proven
that they are unsafe. Unlike the choices conscientious
individuals can make when buying furniture and gro-
ceries, says Freinkel, areas like medical devices are
ones that “you cannot shop your way out of”. “You have
to have policies that require manufacturers to demon-
strate safety of their chemicals, and I don’t think you
could ever be utterly certain that every chemical pro-
duced is safe for health and to the environment but we
could do a lot better job than we’re doing at screening
the chemicals that go into commerce.”
Widespread consumer concern about another common
plastics chemical, bisphenol A (BPA), prompted the
Canadian government to ban it recently and the Euro-
pean Union to prohibit its use in baby bottles. Australia
is monitoring its presence but has not imposed any bans
or mandatory standards on products made with BPA.
The chemical is deemed an environmental oestrogen
and can disrupt the body’s hormones. BPA can leech
from microwaved plastic containers, from water bottles,
the lining of food and drink cans and polycarbonate
tableware. It is even found on the “thermal paper” used
for receipts and cinema tickets. Early exposure has
been linked to obesity and breast cancer. Contact with
BPA can be difficult to avoid and there has been some
concern about the effects of high levels on infant brain
development, memory, mood and behaviour as well as
female fertility.
According to Product Safety Australia, it is found in
trace amounts in breast milk. Studies have estimated
that 90 per cent of Americans have detectable levels of
BPA in their urine. Even so, Australia has decided not
to follow overseas examples and ban it in baby bottles
because “dietary modelling showed that a 5kg baby
would need to drink around 80 bottles of formula a day
every day for many years before it would get up to the
safety limit”.
However, tests by consumer watchdog Choice last
year found high amounts in a number of canned prod-
ucts, and that a 10kg baby could potentially ingest 10
per cent of its daily safe limit (by higher US and Euro-
pean standards) in one meal.
Last month, Food Standards Australia New Zealand
released the results of tests conducted on 65 foods and
Gina Prentergast is trying
to go a year without
“virgin” plastic
This year if you are quick you can guarantee your seat on our brand new
There will never be a better opportunity to save money and...
rr iiiiiiiiiiffffffff yyyyyyyyyyoooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuuu aaaaaaaarrrrreeeeeeeeee qqqqqqqqqqqquuuuuuuuuuiiiiccccccccccckkkkkkkkkkkk yyyyyyyyooooooouuuuuuuuuuu ccccccccccccaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnn gggggggggggguuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrraaaaaaaannnnnnnttttttttttttttttttteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee yyyyyyyyyoooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr ssssssssssssssssseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaatttttttttttt ooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnn ooooooooooooooouuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrr bbbbbbbbbbbbrrrrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnndddddddddd nneeeewwwwwwww
HOLIDAYWONDERS11-6
Return flights from Adelaide with Air New Zealand,
inclusive of peak season fare and all taxes!
Meet and greet on arrival in New Zealand with
private transfers to the hotel.
Our package contains in excess of $850 in
sightseeing tours for FREE.
18 days of quality touring on a 5 star luxury coach with New Zealand’s
leading tour operators, KIRRA TOURS.
Quality,centrallylocatedhotelsthroughtheNorth
and South Islands. Hot full buffet breakfasts and
3 course dinners Tranz Alpine rail journey.
Traditional Christmas lunch at beautiful Magnolia
House. New Years Eve celebration with special
dinner party.
CHRISTMAS PACKAGE FARE INCLUDES:
Lic. Travel
Agent
TTA 50304PH. 83731282212 BELAIR ROAD
HAWTHORN, S.A. 5062MITCHAMHOLIDAY WONDERS
OF AUSTRALIA
NEW ZEALAND SUMMER TOUR DATES:
18 DAY WONDERS OF NEW ZEALAND
Quality touring of both the North and South Islands!
lanlananananannd,d,d,d,d,d,d,
wwwwwwwwwiititiththhhthi h
ES:
$4350PP/TWIN
SHARE
HOLIDAHOLIDAHOLIDAONDEONDEDEDEEDEDONDYWONYWONONOOYWRRRR
$3995 PP/TWIN
SHARE
INCLUDES: Return Flights, Touring, Breakfast and Dinners
2011: 4, 18, 25 October
1, 8, 15, 22, 29 November
4, 8, 13 December
2012: 3, 10, 15, 17, 24, 31 January
5, 7, 14, 19, 21, 26, 28 February
4, 6, 11, 13, 20, 27 March
3, 10, 17, 24 April
SAVE $960
OFF THE
REGULAR
PRICE
TTTTTTThhhhhhhhhiiiisssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss yyyyyyyeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaarr
18 DAY CHRISTMAS TOUR DEPARTING ADELAIDE
ON FRIDAY 23rd DECEMBER 2011 FOR...

5. PUB:SAWEEKEND11/6/11W-10COL:CMYK
✂
✂
✂✂
10 environment
drinks packaged in glass, paper, plastic and cans to see
whether there had been any chemical leaching. It said
“the survey results were very reassuring with no detec-
tions of phthalates, perfluorinated compounds, semicar-
bazide, acrylonitrile or vinyl chloride in food samples”.
It is impossible to live a normal life that avoids all
plastic. Even if you scrupulously avoid packaged food
and anything that comes in plastic containers, there
are non-negotiable items needed for everyday work and
life, such as telephones, keycards and computers. It is
possible to be allergic to plastic – usually to the chemi-
cals added in their manufacture to make the product
more flexible or durable. Some people report contact
dermatitis or mouth ulcers, and a few retail websites
have sprung up (such as Life Without Plastic) selling
non-synthetic items such as food storage containers and
baby products. (Though Prentergast has been discon-
certed to find that, ironically, orders of plastic-free prod-
ucts are sometimes delivered to her door packaged in ...
you guessed it.)
Prentergast can have a blossoming community impact.
“I think that what people like (Terry) do that is so great
is they point the direction for all of us,” she says. “I don’t
think that the problems that we face with plastic can be
solved by individuals ... but I think individual actions
are useful and can have power. It can be a catalyst and
the market can respond.”
Books and blogs won’t change the world, but Frein-
kel hopes she can “start a conversation” about how we
each consume plastics. “I think we’re reaching a tipping
point ... and either we deal with these problems or we
face some pretty serious consequences,” she says of the
explosion in plastic production and waste. “I don’t think
we have to accept a world in which we are inevitably
threatened by the everyday products we use. I really
think we ought to have a manufacturing process and
policies that support a process in which what goes into
the marketplace is screened and found safe for health
and the environment.”
Having written her book, she is both more apprecia-
tive and more concerned about plastics than she used to
be. It has made her more careful about the choices and
purchases she makes and she is more diligent about
recycling. “It does get to you.”
Plastic: A Toxic Love Story, by Susan Freinkel, Text
Publishing, $34.95
Do you worry about the amount of plastics in your life?
Best letter wins Festival Centre show tickets. Email
saweekend@adv.newsltd.com.au
“Plastics are altering the
basic chemistry of our bodies”
Prentergast may be experimenting with self-depriva-
tion for a year, but there are some hardy souls in the
blogosphere who have decided to make a stand against
the global tide of consumerism by living a resolutely
plastic-free life. It is not for the faint-hearted. Cali-
fornian woman Beth Terry – she blogs at My Plastic-
Free Life – washes her hair with a mixture of vinegar
and baking soda, carries wooden utensils in case she is
offered disposable cutlery when she goes out for a meal,
has to remember to specify “no straw” when order-
ing a drink, and avoids food in glass jars if she knows
the metal lid is lined with plastic. But even she can’t
eradicate plastics completely from her life. She has
been doing this since 2007 and has whittled down her
consumption to between 45g to 200g a month. Pet food
scoops, plastic envelope windows and medicine bottles
continue to bedevil her.
While it might seem that such a stance is doomed in a
world drowning in convenient consumer goods, Freinkel
believes the efforts of people like Beth Terry and Gina
We have
your new
blindsCheck out our range instore or at bunnings.com.au
Blind featured, Charm Roman (180x210cm) $182