Plastic Purge: How to Use Less Plastic, Eat Better, Keep Toxins Out of Your Body, and Help Save the Sea Turtles!

by Michael SanClements

Now a Denver Post #1 bestseller. Plastic is everywhere we look. Our computers and children's toys are made out of it, and our water and slices of American cheese are packaged in it. But why is there so much and what is it doing to our bodies? Is it possible to use less plastic and be happier and healthier?

In Plastic Purge , ecologist, SanClements has put together the most up-to-date and scientifically-backed information available to explain how plastics release toxins into your body and the effect they have on your and your children's health. Both approachable and engaging, Plastic Purge provides easy-to-follow advice for how to use less plastic, thereby reaping the benefits such as eating a healthier diet and living with less clutter. Dividing plastics into three separate the good, the bad, and the ugly, SanClements shows you how to embrace the good (items like your phone or medical equipment), avoid the bad (food storage containers and toys that contain toxic chemicals), and use less of the ugly (single-use plastic that's just plain wasteful).

With the help of Michael SanClements's Plastic Purge , you and your family will develop easy habits to live a healthier and happier lives.

Genres: Nonfiction, Environment, Sustainability, Science, Self Help

256 pages, Paperback

First published April 8, 2014

About the author

Michael SanClements is a scientist at the National Ecological Observatory Network and affiliate of the University of Colorado Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research. As an ecologist, his research has appeared in numerous peer-reviewed journals and he has presented at more than a dozen international conferences on ecology and the environmental sciences. His journalism and photography have appeared in The New York Times, Backpacker Magazine, and Grist.org.

Reviews

[Tori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous! I already considered myself a semi-tree hugger, but reading actual numbers and facts about how BAD plastic can be for mot only the environment, but also your body, has really made me re-think a lot of interactions I have with plastic. I mean, who knew receipts were leaching BPA into our bodies?? I'm definitely taking a few suggestions from this book into my everyday life.

[Hope Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was incredibly informational, yet amazingly digestible and a bit humorous as well. I would recommend this book to everyone that is looking to gain some insight about how we can be care for our environment and ultimately ourselves. I would even consider reading it again in the future!

[Mezzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are good things about his book. It has excellent information, some of which isn't included in the other books I've been reading about plastic. I kept reading because of that.

Unfortunately, the writing makes me feel like I'm grading my high school students' research papers. My students write decently, but they lack maturity and variety. Too many words and transitions in this book were overused, too many short sentences ended with exclamation points, and too many points (sometimes word for word passages) were repeated. The synthesis of research into the author's own argument was stodgy at best.

This is an easy read, so it might be worth your time if you want a simple intro, but I would recommend you read Plastic: A Toxic Love Story or Garbology instead.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Insightful read into the love hate relationship we have with plastics. The author uses humour to help readers not self destruct, while reading about all the problems that accompany high use of plastics. Majority of legislative and regulatory information was American centred, which is useful if you are actually from there. Not useful for anyone outside the U.S.A. It mentions some other countries legislation in passing, but does not elaborate further. A good place to start reading about the use of plastics and the dangers associated with it, but by no means the most comprehensive volume in existence.

[Rita · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could only get through the first 30 pages of this book. I really wanted to go further, because the premise and content were so interesting to me, but the writing couldn't make up for that. When the word "downright" was used twice in one paragraph, and phrases such as "people went freaking crazy" and "Crazytown, right?" became frequent, I gave up. When I read about science and history, I get distracted if the text sounds like a Valley Girl conversation.

[Lise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from the Goodreads First Reads program in return for an unbiased review.

First of all, a confession. Even though I am an ecologically conscious, self-aware, Green Party geek, I was a little bit worried that this book would be too preachy and guilt-inducing to read. I was relieved to find that it was readable, entertaining, and that the author acknowledges (fairly often) that change might be difficult, and that each of us will make our own risk-benefit analysis. Personally, I would have liked a bit more 'crunchiness'.

There is a bibliography (broken down by chapter), and the sources are varied. Several are environmentally based sources which I haven't dealt with before, but there are also quite a few peer reviewed publications and a range of governmental agencies cited. This does help to mollify my inner skeptic, but it would have been nice to see more detailed endnotes and to be clear on which fact came from which reference. It would also be nice to see a bit more detail on the impact of endocrine disruptors and pthalates, but I appreciate that this might make the overall work less appealing to the widest audience (again - detailed endnotes would have been appreciated).

There are a number of very useful sidebars and summary boxes, and I will be copying some of them to carry with me for easy reference when making consumer decisions. Although I found some of the information in the book depressing, none of that was *new* information. On the contrary, I found it encouraging to learn of advances in recycling technology, and even that there are companies successfully reclaiming fuel from plastic.

As the author is an expectant father, there is a chapter devoted to reducing harmful plastic exposure to children and infants, and I was personally disturbed that he assumed that all infants will be formula fed. Paragraphs devoted to cloth vs paper diapers, not one sentence devoted to nursing vs. formula (and it would have been nice to have a discussion of the safety of plastics used in breast pumps). If he hadn't mentioned that parenthood was impending I would have put it down to male blind spot, but as it is I have to wonder what on earth he was thinking. As it is, that's my biggest issue with the book, and, to be honest, it's not that huge a flaw.

Get the book, because, far from a whine fest, it's a good source of fairly easy things you can change, with more challenging changes suggested if you are up to them.

[Amanda up North · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars: Informative. Interesting. Important.

While Garbology remains my favorite read on this topic (and waste as a whole), this was a nice companion read specializing in plastics - which are the top evil of all wastefulness and trash.
Author Michael SanClements gives a lot of information, but he's also really readable, and likable too.

I learned some alarming things about places plastics are hiding - inside tin cans, among other places.
The book contains excellent facts and info on the different types of plastics (what the numbers in the recycling symbol mean), their dangers - things everyone should know about BPA, phthalates, endocrine disruptors, and more.
I like that the author admits not all plastics are bad and that many medical advancements and procedures have been made possible by plastic. But, that's not to say we should be ingesting them and throwing them away 24 hours a day.. they are used almost everywhere and it's completely unnecessary.
Part Four is great, in which the author gives ideas on how to rid as many plastics from our landfills, homes, and bodies as possible.

"It's estimated that about seventeen million barrels of oil, not including transportation costs, are used annually in bottled water production."

The disposable coffee cup: "It takes 77 million years to make fossil fuels and 45 minutes to use as a coffee cup. Each year Americans throw away two hundred billion disposable cups! Around 25 billion of those cups are Styrofoam." (bad for environment AND your body.. leaching chemicals into it.)

"BPA metabolites are found in the urine of 90% of adults tested in the U.S."

[Diana Bogan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though I've read a lot on the topic previously I found a few things of interest in this book, including the brief description on how plastics are made. I didn't gain much in the section of how to reduce my use of plastics just because much of it was stuff I'd already transitioned to doing previously.

That said -- I like the book. It's a quick read and I would recommend it if the subject is new to you. I'd definitely recommend it for tweens and teens who are interested in environmentalism and sustainability. This book is written to be easy to comprehend, give the reader a broad overview and provides an extensive bibliography for the reader who wants to dig in deeper a place to start.

[Danielle DuPuis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was talking about this book to my students and my colleagues yesterday. I thought SanClements did a wonderful job of covering the topic of plastic- from how it was invented and then became a common household item to which types of plastics to avoid and how plastics can be recycled. I loved the suggestions on how to use less plastic. Great book, and one that I will be purchasing to keep on hand for reference. Highly recommend. This book is 4 years old. I really hope he will update some of the information I know has changed since the book was published and release a second edition.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is at LEAST worth skimming. It's eye-opening to just how insane the amount of chemicals and toxins are in everyday plastic. This book gives you some amazing tips on how to cut your plastic consumption, while showing the ugly side of "BPA free" items. If you are a new parent, I HIGHLY suggest you at least read that chapter, as bottles, diapers, and formula can all contain harmful chemicals. :( There is also a chapter that goes over what those numbers on plastic mean and which to avoid at all costs.

[msleighm · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the first chapter or two or three, I was worried that this was going to be a book "preaching to the choir." It stands to reason the majority of the people who pick up this kind of book are the kind who already care and are trying to do the right thing for themselves and the environment. And while that's probably true, there is *much* to learn, as I soon discovered.

There's a quote on the back of the book that sums the book up so well, I'm going to re-quote it here:
"Even as a conscientious consumer, obsessive recycler, and environmental advocate, it wasn't until I read 'Plastic Purge' that I realized how little I knew about the ubiquity and consequences of plastics in my life..." -- Aron Ralston

Because of this book, I will be modifying some of my future buying habits.

[Jacqueline Hendricks · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was eye-opening and so informative. If you had any questions about the dangers of plastic, please read this book. The chemicals used to produce the stuff leach into our bodies. From IV bags at hospitals to the receipts from the store. We are being inundated by the cancer-causing chemicals. They are in our face scrubs and tubes of toothpaste. They are washed down the drain and slip into our rivers, lakes and the ocean. And guess who eats them next? The fish that we consume. So if you think you washed it away, it is back on your plate ready to be ingested. The book is filled with warnings for our lazy insistence on plasticizing everything. Individual pieces of cheese product? Lazy. Buy real cheese and use a cheese slicer.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book talked to me like a strange, overly friendly neighbor. It's like reading something written by Ned Flanders minus the okelley-dokellies. Hokey colloquialisms abound. "Boy!" "Wow." "It was a pretty big deal, guys! People absolutely freaked out." "Pretty entertaining and even downright weird!" *slaps forehead* If you can ignore this junk and focus on the actual information, you'll be fine. Very easy, informational read.

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm buying this as a gift for everyone I know this year, and you'll want to too.
Buy it for yourself first!

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This should be required reading!

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a must read for everyone!

[Kate K · Rating 1 out of 5]

There’s a lot I hate about this book. I’ll start with my the suggestion that put me over the edge:

The author suggests we should flush dog poop down the toilet in a “flushable” bag. I’m writing this review 10 years after publication, at a point where major cities have major sewage issues from so-called “flushable” products that are absolutely not. Not to mention most cities cannot process large amounts of the pathogens contained in animal feces. This is a horrible, misguided suggestion. Sanitation workers across the globe are literally begging the public to stop flushing anything that isn’t paper or a bodily secretion.

The book started out strong— I enjoyed the history lesson on plastic. However the further I read, the worse it got. I found myself putting down the book to fact-check confusing statements (like that certain products are emasculating infant boys- slow down Joe Rogan, what does it mean to emasculate a baby?)

This is a depressing reminder that plastic is everywhere and trying to poison us. However, I did find it optimistic to reflect on how far we’ve come in 10 years. Yogurt in glass containers and plastic free deodorant are widely available in 2024, two items the author laments are rare. And single use plastic bag bans have gained traction. Almost everyone has a collection of reusable bags now. Most people are more aware of their eco footprint than in the 2010s. For that reason, the suggestions in the book aren’t helpful. I was hoping for unique insights, but if you’re reading this review then you’ve probably heard these same suggestions and more over the years.

A final criticism: the author writes with a sort of smug elitism that is tone deaf at times. The worst is how strongly he rails against plastic water bottles — unless of course you are traveling somewhere without clean water. Bottled water is painted as this lazy choice - when the reality is many Americans do NOT have clean drinking water. Between environmental disasters and failing public infrastructure, more people in the US than we want to admit rely on those plastic water bottles. I normally try not to engage in “whataboutism” but the way the text just went on and on about how bad and stupid bottled water is was tiring. There are complicated reasons people keep buying them! Maybe our country would need fewer of those plastics if we could fix our failing pipes.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book depressed me! I’ve always considered myself to be somewhat eco-conscious. After all, I’ve recycled since the very first Earth Day when I was in middle school (and got my parents to join me), I brought my own re-usable bags to the grocery store before it was cool, used cloth diapers for my children and even when we travel, I collect recyclables until we can find a place to recycle them. I’m so trained that it is depressing to read current headlines that recycling as we know it may not have a future. And, even when I thought we, as a country and a world were doing well, I was dismayed to learn that only about 10% of the plastic produced globally is recycled.

“Unfortunately, at some point, we got lazy, lost our way, or were seduced by the convenience of plastic, and now we find ourselves on that plastic dark side. As a result, our use has spun way out of control. We use ridiculous amounts and create all sorts of waste in instances where it’s completely unneeded. The consequences of this exorbitant usage are becoming disastrous for our health and the health of the environment we rely on to support society.”

As a vegetarian, I eat healthily and I’ve recently spent more time looking at ingredients in my health and beauty products, never thinking that the containers they are packaged in could be as harmful as ingredients inside! SanClements covers a wide range of topics pertaining to plastic and often interjects humor. I realize that more scientific types may have found this offensive, but I believe this added appeal to the more average reader. Heck, he even covers pets and sex toys (ok, I can honestly say it never occurred to me that sex toys could be harmful, at least not in THAT way!)
This book was published in 2014 (the first thing I looked at before reading) and I’m sure much has changed but, unfortunately, not necessarily for the better. I admit I skimmed over some sections, but it was a quick, well researched and informative, albeit depressing, read.

[Erin · Rating 1 out of 5]

There's nothing wrong with wanting to cut back on plastic but if you are reading this book you probably already use reusable grocery bags and stainless steel water bottles so you might as well skip reading this book.

- The book begins with a few interesting stories about the history of plastics which I feel could have been expanded upon in more detail.

- The writing style is overly casual which often trivializes the author's intended arguments and makes assumptions that the reader wouldn't want to be "bored" by scientific details.

- The author also assumes that BPA exposure is everyone's highest concern. A fact that overshadows some bigger environmental and health issues. For example, In list of common BPA exposure pathways Airline Boarding Passes is at the top. It may be surprising that BPA is in boarding passes and receipts but anyone flying enough to worry about BPA expsosure through boarding passes has some bigger carbon footprint issues to deal with.

- The suggestions for cutting back on plastic in daily life were pretty obvious. This book may have been written a year or two before Keurig and Tassimo coffee makers took over the coffee industry and thus it is sadly missing the advice to not use those products. But again, any conscious consumer should realize this on their own.

I feel like there must be other better books out there that either :
- Go into the history of the plastic industry in more detail
or
- Give more thorough advice on cutting back on plastic in our daily lives.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5-3.00 stars. Some good information, but it is buried in a lot of long, repetitive science info and statistics. I was expecting to get an entirely practical guide without historical sections on plastic. I will say, every-time I think plastic is ok and I shouldn't be so strict, I read some statistics that reminds me how detrimental it is, to both health and environment. This book is great for that, it really emphasizes how big the problem is, even if there aren't that great/many/in depth tips, it does a great job proving the point that you don't want plastic in your life. A great part about the book is that is is level headed and acknowledges we can't cut it out of every area and we probably don't want to (medical industry, food truck insulation, safety concerns). As an endnote/sidenote the some of the tips are a little more geared towards saving the planet vs. health or vice versa. It gives you tips like : do use milk jugs over milk cartons because the milk jugs leach less than the plastic lining in the milk cartons (health) and they are more easily recycleable (environment). Some of the tips are one or the other, but (from memory) a lot are kindof both.

Another note: It's kindof outdated since it was published in the early to mid 2010s (at least the version I read, idk if there's an updated version I'll have to check into that later).

[Lee]

I don't know what kind of mood I was in when I grabbed this off the library shelf, because then it sat on my desk for weeks and I was dreading picking it up. I expected this to be a rather holier-than-thou, plastic is evil and you're a terrible person for even looking at a plastic item ever again.

And it was so much not that. Obviously it was a book encouraging people to eliminate plastic in daily life as much as possible, but it was a really chill, approachable book. The author reminisces early on about how he came to realize how much plastic there is in daily American life, and that seems like a recent enough memory that he doesn't give any condemnation to people not having the same perspective that he's trying to share. There's also an appreciation for plastic that we do actually need in our lives, such as in medical usages and other similar uses.

Beyond that, it's a good introduction to plastics, its history, how its made, and how to remove more of it from daily life. There are some very nicely actionable steps, and I'm really glad I read it.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read many books on how to live a more environmentally friendly lifestyle. But most of them make such extreme recommendations that I end up morphing into a belligerent teenager while reading them. Mid-way through the book I start thinking, You won't ever let me have any fun at all. You're the meanest author ever.

So I started reading Plastic Purge with some trepidation. But I quickly realized that the author is the Mike Brady of environmentalists. He wants what's best for us and he's gently encouraging us to do the right thing. But he's also very understanding when we fall short of the mark.

You can read the rest of my review here:
http://theheartlandchronicle.blogspot...

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative and engaging without being a firehose of information. It offers practicable tips for lowering the amount of bad and ugly plastic that we use in the home, though the biggest problem I have with this book is the same I have with books on how to eliminate waste. The grocery store is always noted as a big area and the solution is almost always about using non-plastic containers to carry your bulk food, which is great if you have a bulk food grocery in your area. Also, for some reason very few of these books deal with cats in the pets section. There are a lot of tips on lowering waste and getting rid of plastic with regard to dogs, but almost no information on cats, which seems like kind of a blind spot. Other than this issue the book is great.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A compelling book discussing the good, the bad and the ugly facts about plastic and ways you can decrease the amount of plastic that you use. Decreasing the amount of plastic is not just good for the environment but is essential to your health. I love his grading system for ease in making the changes he suggests. One Bottle means something that everyone can do with minimal effort. Two Bottles means requires a little time and effort, but are well worth it. Three Bottles require more effort and much more difficult to do long term. I have tried many of them prior to reading the book, so it's nice to see that I'm on the right track. Wish everyone would read this book!

[Bety · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the way the author explains every topic because it is really easy to follow, he provides a lot of examples and gives a lot of advice regarding the use of plastic.

His ideology of the good, the bad and the ugly plastic is going to stick with me forever and is going to help me choose better products that contain plastic, know which ones can be replaced and the proper way of recycling.

*Leer este libro formó parte de mi evaluación para la materia de Sustentabilidad y debo entregar un ensayo donde me explayaré más respecto al impacto que tuvo en mí, lo que aprendí al leerlo y la conclusión final del autor.*

[Jolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book seems like a blog! It is a guide to various types of plastics, their health and environmental effects as well as alternatives to plastic wherever possible. The author's experiment on noticing the amount of plastic we use in our everyday life is quite fascinating.

Although this book is a good attempt at creating awareness regarding plastic use, the writing has gaps and at times seems repetitive. For instance, the author jumps straight to recycling ways rather than first explaining what does recycling entails. Also, the context is largely American.

[Kelly Prososki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read many books now on how to obtain a plastic free lifestyle and this was one of my personal favorites. I liked it because it gave statistics and backed the science behind why we are in a plastic epidemic and exactly how we are making a negative impact not only in our environment but to our bodies directly. It covered both. Some great info here. I can appreciate all the things I learned and for me personally I am trying to figure out what has caused three autoimmune diseases to flare at once in my life and this book helped give me a few ideas like....register recipe papers have BHT

[Carli · Rating 4 out of 5]

An eye opening look at our favorite frenemy: plastic. A little contradictory (understandable so as there are so many pros and cons to the plastic) as author suggests repurposing large yogurt containers for food storage and then later on states that storing food in plastic is not a great option.

Glad he suggests alternatives rather than just the frightening facts of our favorite single use material.

Some of the information and resources seemed a little outdated as this was published nearly 10 years ago.

[Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very informative but also depressing. I have learned how to make some changes but I had no idea how little was really being recycled. I recommend this book for anyone who is alive in this period of history. I thought his idea of going 2 weeks without plastic was a great one. I thought it would be easy. After reading about his experience I was shocked. We just can't get away from plastic now. No going back either. This book is a real eye opener!

[Rebecca Bond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Approachable and digestible tips, some of them more beginner level. As someone who has participated in plastic free July and feels relatively knowledgeable about sustainability, I learned a lot from this book about the history of plastic, individual types of plastic (the numbers on the recycle symbol) and the toxins they contain, and there was still enough information about swaps for products to make it worth reading for a non-beginner.