Inspiring reuse practices for collective climate impact | Jamaica Trinnaman | TEDxSaltLakeCity

Key Concepts

• Plastic Pollution: The accumulation of plastic objects and particles in the Earth's environment that adversely affects wildlife, marine ecosystems, and humans.
• Life Cycle of Plastic Containers: The journey of plastic products from production to disposal, including their use, recycling, and eventual fate.
• Resin Codes (Recycling Codes): Numbers within a triangle of arrows found on plastic products, originally intended for waste management facilities to sort plastics by resin type, not for consumer recyclability indication.
• Reuse: The act of using an item multiple times for its original purpose or a new purpose, extending its lifespan and reducing waste.
• Refill Stores: Retail establishments where customers bring their own containers to refill with products like food, soaps, and cleaning supplies, thereby avoiding single-use packaging.
• Circular Economy: An economic model aimed at eliminating waste and the continual use of resources. In this context, it refers to systems where materials are reused and returned to their origin.
• Concentrates: Products, such as soaps and detergents, sold in a highly concentrated form, requiring the addition of water by the consumer, thus reducing packaging and transportation impacts.
• Zero Waste Movement: A philosophy and set of practices aimed at minimizing waste generation and maximizing resource efficiency.

The Problem with Plastic Waste

The video highlights the pervasive issue of plastic waste, emphasizing that "there's no such thing as away." When items are discarded, they must go somewhere, often ending up in landfills or incinerated. The speaker's personal experience in the natural grocery industry over 20 years ago revealed the significant amount of waste generated, particularly from plastic packaging in grocery stores. Millions of tons of plastic packaging from grocery stores go to landfills annually in the US, in addition to consumer purchases.

Key Statistics and Facts:

• An estimated 5% to 6% of plastics produced are actually recycled.
• The remaining plastics are incinerated or sent to landfills, where they take hundreds of years to break down.
• National Geographic is quoted: "We made plastic. We depend on it. Now we're drowning in it."

Historical Context:

• Plastics gained significant traction after World War II, symbolizing innovation and convenience.
• The rise of busy, two-worker households and the appeal of easy-to-grab frozen meals in the 1970s further fueled the demand for plastic-packaged food products, transforming the grocery store experience.

Misconceptions about Recycling Codes

The introduction of resin codes (the circled numbers on packaging) in 1988 was intended for waste management facilities to group plastics by similar properties. However, consumers widely misinterpreted these as indicators of recyclability.

Major Issues with Resin Codes:

1. Consumer Misunderstanding: Consumers assumed all items with a resin code were recyclable. In reality, only three of the seven codes are widely accepted for recycling. This means most items with these codes will not be recycled.
2. Producer Opportunity: Producers recognized consumers' attention to these codes. They began packaging items in plastic, a cheaper material offering convenience, while effectively shifting the responsibility for packaging waste onto the consumer.

The Solution: Reuse and Refill Stores

The speaker advocates for "reuse" as a practical solution to plastic pollution within the grocery sector. In 2018, the speaker opened a bulk grocery store focused on customers bringing their own containers to refill.

How Refill Stores Work:

1. Container Preparation: Customers clean their own containers (e.g., jam jars, ketchup bottles).
2. Weighing: Each container is weighed upon entry to the store.
3. Refilling: Customers fill their containers with various goods, such as hand soap, olive oil, rice, and beans.
4. Hygiene: A clean refill system with funnels is used to prevent contact between customers' containers and food equipment.
5. Checkout: At checkout, the initial weight of the container is deducted, so customers only pay for the product they purchase.

Advantages of the Refill Model:

• Allows customers to stock up on household needs without purchasing goods in single-use plastics.
• The speaker humorously refers to it as "the new old-fashioned way to shop."

Comparison to Traditional Bulk Departments:

• Big box grocery stores with bulk departments often rely on single-use plastic bags or deli containers.
• They are not typically set up to accommodate customers weighing their own containers before filling.
• These departments can also be prone to mess and lack oversight.

Further Waste Reduction Strategies in Refill Stores:

• Buying Local: Sourcing products like yogurt and salsa directly from local makers in large tubs that are then washed and returned, creating a circular reuse system.
• Concentrates: Offering concentrated products (e.g., laundry and hand soap) that are primarily water in regular stores. By purchasing concentrates, customers avoid the packaging and transportation impacts of water-heavy products and save money by adding their own water at home.

The Growing Refill Movement

While refill stores are not entirely "zero waste" or "plastic free" due to operating within the existing flawed system, they prioritize products offering environmental savings.

Growth and Impact:

• In 2018, there were only a handful of refill stores in the US.
• Today, there are over 600 refill stores, indicating significant traction.
• Support networks are emerging, including Facebook groups for store owners and a refillery collective.
• The speaker's market in Utah averages 2700 refills per month, each representing a container diverted from the waste system.
• Multiplying this impact across hundreds of stores demonstrates the potential for collective change.

Shifting Mindsets and Habits

The video emphasizes that change begins with shifting ideas, which then leads to changes in habits, resulting in a tremendous collective impact. The speaker envisions a future where all grocery stores operate with a reuse model, giving containers multiple lives.

Personalization and Fun:

• Customers are encouraged to personalize their containers, curating collections they are proud of.
• Examples include using decorative bottles for olive oil or fun, shaped containers for soap dispensers.
• Children are learning valuable lessons about resourcefulness and alternative ways of doing things.

Conclusion: The Power of Imperfect Action

The speaker acknowledges that reuse might seem "old-fashioned" or "too small" a solution for a "very big problem." However, it is something individuals can do "right now" to slow the flow of plastic into the environment.

Key Takeaway:

• "Change happens one choice, one refill at a time."
• Quoting zero-waste chef Amarie Beno: "We don't need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly."

The video concludes by reinforcing that reuse is a tangible and accessible action that contributes significantly to reducing plastic pollution.