Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

No. More. Plastic.: What you can do to make a different

Rate this book
'I read this book yesterday and I've done three things today and that is testament to Martin's brilliant vision and ideas. Now it's your turn!' Chris Packham

'Once, plastic was the miracle material. Now it's the monster. We all need to cut down our plastic consumption and join Martin's #2minutesolution anti-plastic movement. I'm in.' Julia Bradbury

Find out what you can do, starting today, to make a difference to the plastic crisis - and all it takes is 2 minutes of your time.

Open this book with your children, give it to your friends. Share your #2minutesolution on twitter and instagram and inspire others. With its smart, surprising and simple solutions, No More Plastic shows how we can all make a genuine difference.

Martin Dorey, anti-plastics expert, has been working to save our beaches from plastic for the past 10 years. His Beach Clean Foundation and global call to arms #2minutebeachclean has been taken up by people all over the world, and has proven that collective small actions can add up to a big difference.

This book shows you what you can do to help. Starting today, with just 2 minutes of your time.

Together we can fix this.

160 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 3, 2018

69 people are currently reading
2149 people want to read

About the author

Martin Dorey

20 books19 followers
Martin Dorey is a surfer, writer, beach lover, and anti-plastic activist. He is the author of the best-selling No. More. Plastic. and founder of the Beach Clean Network and the #2minutebeachclean movement. Martin Dorey lives near the sea in Cornwall, England.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
639 (34%)
4 stars
712 (38%)
3 stars
402 (21%)
2 stars
101 (5%)
1 star
16 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 304 reviews
Profile Image for Paul Bryant.
2,412 reviews12.6k followers
reviews-of-books-i-didnt-read
December 1, 2018
ANTI PLASTIC BOOK GETS WRAPPED IN PLASTIC

A book about how to reduce plastic waste has been shrink-wrapped in single-use plastic by a distributor.
Author Martin Dorey called the decision by a US distributor an "absolute shambles".
"It undoes all our hard work and proves once again that we are using plastic with our eyes closed," he said on Instagram.
"We toiled hard on this," said Mr Dorey, from Cornwall.
"We worked with the printer to make it one of the most environmentally friendly books this year. And then this.
"I know my publishers are working hard to stop this in future but it still happens further down the line."

Mr Dorey said: "The point is that this book is about no more plastic and some idiot shrink-wrapped it in plastic without thinking."



I mean, really... you shouldn't laugh, but you kind of have to. It's the laughter of despair.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...
Profile Image for Sean Barrs .
1,120 reviews47.9k followers
June 3, 2019
This is a great little book, full of practical and simple tips on how you can reduce your plastic consumption.

And none of it is difficult or overly demanding. I've incorporated much of this into my life over the last few weeks and I urge you to do the same because more people really need to. Without wanting to go on a full environmentalist rant, cutting plastic consumption is SO important for the future of our planet because every piece of plastic we purchase will still be here in 1000 years.

Let that sink in.

1000 years.

Don't be irresponsible and think about the future. This book will help no end.
Profile Image for Jane.
26 reviews
May 21, 2018
No. More. Plastic. What you can do to make a difference - is a short and informative read. The author Martin Dorey provides tips on how to eradicate the amount of plastic we use from our daily lives.

To put it bluntly - Plastic is ruining our environment.

In 2017, the Ellen MacArthur foundation estimated by 2050 there would be more plastic in the oceans than fish !!! This is simply astounding.

My husband buys bottled water, but he may think twice given - Bottled water in plastic bottles is made from non recycled virgin plastic, which is made from oil. The bottled water May sit on a shelf where it May leach chemicals. Bottled water is only tested when it's bottled. Recent studies showed that 93% showed signs of plastic micro contamination.
Profile Image for Bea.
211 reviews122 followers
August 19, 2019
Very small but packed with useful tips and actions you can do to be more environmentally friendly day to day. Learned that wipes are not meant be flushed - I KNOW, IT REALLY TOOK ME THIS LONG TO REALISE.
Profile Image for 7jane.
826 reviews367 followers
January 23, 2021
This book is not a Zero Waste book. This book is about reducing the amount of plastic that ends up in the ocean, in its animals, and in the end, back in us. This book introduces you to various small ways of action, the chapters are short with information squares scattered throughout, and so it's an easy, quick read.

The author is a surfer and thus a beach lover, and started his fight doing 2-minute beach cleans in 2009; his ideas are here expanded in book-form. It's true that this book is somewhat UK-centric, but no doubt some equivalent services of avoiding plastic use mentioned here can be found in other countries also, and most of the tips fall outside country-specific stuff. Many of the tips are gathered again at the end, but not all, so do read the main text.

I was not aware of the waste of plastic kind in glitter, but I'm thankful there's (or at least has been) not so much plastic cutlery and -bottle use in the school cafeteria's of my country. The very Britishness of some of the language makes the book even more heart-warming XD I also don't really need to apply the tips in kids-chapter, but it's not hard to read through to next chapter (after all, they are all short – the chapters, that is).

I liked this book in that the tips of action were not in my mind unreachable, nor did I get the feeling that the author was on a level above me, which makes me mentally rebel sometimes when I read books like this. So even if you're not living in UK, you will benefit from reading this.
Profile Image for Alice-Elizabeth (Prolific Reader Alice).
1,163 reviews166 followers
August 3, 2020
I'm from a busy city where sustainable and environmental plans have been made within the last 12 months however have received a ton of backlash from the local community. It's a popular location for tourists and before COVID, the amount of litter and flytipping was extreme and not just in the city centre. It only takes a couple of minutes to clean up the pavement outside your house or go on a beach clean trip with others to keep the coastline clean and healthy. This is an easy and practical read for everyone. It's so important to take care of the Earth!
Profile Image for Sarah.
368 reviews
Read
March 25, 2018
Everyone (and I mean everyone) needs to read this. It’s short, sweet, straight to the point and might help us save the planet.
Profile Image for Kristina.
1,116 reviews233 followers
June 5, 2018
An amazing introduction into the horrible world of plastic!

A great place to start if you are a beginner and really want to learn the basics when it comes to reducing waste and carbon footprint!
Profile Image for julia.
511 reviews35 followers
January 28, 2019
1.75 Stars

Well, truth be told, I expected more of this book. Then again, what did I expect? The thing is, I don't really need a book to tell me that we’re using too much plastic in everyday life for convenience’s sake. I already know that there’s no need to use plastic bottles, plastic straws, plastic cutlery and plates or plastic wrapping around food! I don't use plastic bags, I don’t use plastic toothbrushes or wet wipes or get a coffee to go in a disposable cup. Because everyone who’s ever spent a minute thinking about the environment can count 1 + 1 together and realise on their own that there’s no need to buy a cucumber wrapped in plastic or that it’s smart and environmentally friendly to buy high quality clothes from natural resources rather than give into the fast fashion industry. So really, this book, although throwing around some impressive and honestly terrifying numbers, didn't really teach me anything new. It might be a good book to hand out to people who don't bother with leading a sustainable life at all, though.
Profile Image for Gloria.
99 reviews
February 25, 2023
A great, compact book for everyone who wants to reduce their plastic footprint. Plastic pollution is one of the greatest environmental threats in nowadays society and we human beings have the responsibility to do something against this convenient consumerism. This book shows you many useful and easy adaptable ways to switch to an eco-friendly alternative while also explaining the consequences as well as the background information of plastic use/production. The author points out various ways to integrate these two-minutes steps into your daily life and additionally provides you with helpful sources to educate yourself. Thanks Pia for this valuable gift🫶🏻
Profile Image for Quang.
98 reviews23 followers
August 30, 2019
Hồi đó ông thầy ở lớp học kỹ năng có nói cái này “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger? Ok thế cái gì mới kill đc tụi mình?” Ổng đợi hồi ai cũng trả lời trớt quớt thì ổng trả lời: “Thì cái gì chả giết đc mình, đến con vi khuẩn bé tí còn giết đc mình mà...”Cả lớp ồhhh nhưng chưa hết. “Nhưng cái mà giết âm thầm và tàn nhẫn nhất tụi bay biết là gì ko? SỰ THOẢI MÁI”. Và đúng, sự-thoải-mái giết người ở trên một diện rộng tầm...toàn thế giới chứ có nhiêu đâu. Sứ giả của sự-thoải-mái mang tên: NHỰA nickname Plastic the Serial Killer

Đi siêu thị ai mà thèm nhớ mang cái túi vải xinh xắn thêu bông màu vàng, ra đó nhân viên có túi nylong đựng đồ cho THOẢI MÁI hơn ko? Đi uống trà sữa, mấy nhóc cầm theo cái ly giữ nhiệt to to màu vũ trụ đẹp đẹp chi cho vướng víu, ngoài quán có ly hoco malu chaba gọi cho THOẢI MÁI hơn ko? Nhà bao việc, thời gian đâu mà pha cà phê G7 đổ thêm sữa ông thọ, ra ngoài quán take away gọi phát nó cho một cốc cà phê nhựa cho nhanh, THOẢI MÁI hơn ko?

Và uống xong rồi, xài xong rồi thì cầm ở tay mấy cái bịch cái ly nhựa làm gì cho vướng tay vướng chân, dáo dác cũng có vẻ đang tìm thùng rác nhưng thực ra đang dòm xem có ng gần đó ko, ồ ko à, víu vứt pẹp mấy cái túi cái ly ra ngoài đường rồi tung tẩy bỏ đi như người dưng ngược lối luôn. Thế tay chân có phải THOẢI MÁI hơn ko?

Cuốn sách “No More Plastic” cũng đã đề cập tới vấn đề sử dụng đồ làm từ nhựa một cách thoải mái thiếu kiểm soát của con người đã để lại hậu quả khôn lường đến môi trường và các sinh vật sống khác như thế nào và chính những hậu quả đó sẽ quay ngược lại “cắn” loài người như thế nào bởi cái sự mưu cầu thoải mái của họ. Tác giả của cuốn sách cũng chính là người tiên phong trong phong trào #2minutebeachclean tạo ra được những hiệu ứng tích cực trong công cuộc dọn dẹp đồ nhựa trong môi trường biển. Được đà tiến lên, anh cùng những ng chung chí hướng lại tiếp tục cho ra cuốn sách này để phổ cập kiến thức về rác và ý thức bảo vệ môi trường.

Cái mà mình thích ở cuốn sách này là tuy nó trong hình thái một cuốn self-help phiên bản hẹp bảo vệ môi trường nhưng nó không hề nặng nề theo kiểu kiến thức uyên bác về môi trường hay về đồ nhựa này kia. Những thông tin tác giả cung cấp ở mức phổ thông, ai tiếp cận cũng đc và thúc đẩy những ng đã biết rồi tự tìm hiểu sâu hơn. Đọc xong tui mới thấy công nhận nhựa bá đạo thiệt, siêu tiện lợi siêu bền và giết người giết thú cũng siêu gớm.

Một điểm mình thích hơn cả ở cuốn sách này đó là ngoài việc anh tác giả giáo dục ng đọc bằng sự nghiên cứu về rác thải nhựa có đầu tư, anh này còn có vụ “gài hàng” người đọc hành động đi bằng cách cuối mỗi chương thường có phần “giải pháp 2 phút” hoặc “điều bạn có thể làm ngay” cực kỳ thú vị có thể ảnh lấy đc từ trải nghiệm cá nhân hoặc insight thu thập từ các nguồn khác. Những gợi ý nho nhỏ ngăn ngắn và dễ làm dễ thực hiện đc chỉ trong thời gian vỏn vẹn 2 phút khiến mình cảm thấy “ờ dễ vậy thì làm đc, đâu có gì to tát” hoặc theo hướng “dễ vậy ko làm cũng nhụt vãi, bạn bè mình làm ầm ầm”. Cái nào cũng đưa tới hành động và bùm góp gió thành bão rồi chúng ta sẽ thấy được sự thay đổi.

Một cuốn sách ngắn nói về làm thế nào cứu thế giới chỉ với 2 phút mỗi ngày đọc trong 2 tiếng. Rất bổ ích và xứng đáng 5 sao với mình.
Profile Image for Jenny Preece.
10 reviews1 follower
May 4, 2018
I can't remember the last time I read a book from cover to cover in one sitting. I was surprised quite how new this is - it talks about changes by the UK government which happened as recently as March 2018. It's reassuring that I am already doing most of the things in this book but there are still some really great ideas I'll be following through and recommending to others around me. Off now to make some Morsbags to give away.
Profile Image for Lauren.
513 reviews1,688 followers
January 29, 2019
A good beginner’s guide for those who think reducing their (plastic) waste is too big of a project to take on. Take it one step at a time, a #2minutesolution at a time. Very UK-centric but still helpful.
Profile Image for Giang Tran.
114 reviews68 followers
December 23, 2019
Một cuốn sách ngắn gọn và đi thẳng vào vấn đề: những hành động cụ thể để giảm thiếu nhựa khỏi cuộc sống. Mình nghĩ mục đích của tác giả là hành động, chứ không phải cung cấp thông tin. Để hình thành thói quen thì yếu tố dễ dàng tiến hành là một trong những điều kiện then chốt. Nếu cuốn sách tràn ngập thông tin, có lẽ nó sẽ không hoàn thành được sứ mệnh khiến độc giả hành động.

Một điểm trừ duy nhất là cuốn sách tạo cho mình cảm giác nó chỉ nhắm tới độc giả sinh sống ở một vùng nhất định (châu Âu và nước Anh). Mình biết sẽ rất khó cho tác giả viết cụ thể cho từng quốc gia trên Trái Đất, nhưng dù sao điều đó vẫn khiến cho mình không hoàn toàn kết nối với tác giả.

Dĩ nhiên mình yêu Trái Đất nên mình sẽ vẫn hành động. :D Một cuốn sách mọi cư dân trên hành tinh đều nên đọc và viết tiếp vào danh sách những hành động.
346 reviews
Read
August 25, 2021
I found that this focused too much on the problem of plastic in oceans to the point that it ignored the other ways that plastic harms the environment. However, I did finish the book with a couple of new ways to reduce my own use of plastic and I think this book would be well-suited to someone who is just starting to look into how to reduce their plastic use.
Profile Image for Tilly.
1,723 reviews242 followers
July 6, 2022
4 Stars

A decent beginners guide on how to start reducing the amount of single use plastic you use. Some really great tips to follow.
It does need a small rewrite as some parts are out of date. I would also have liked more case studies on how companies etc have made changes. It is a basic guide but still a good read.
Profile Image for Huyen Pham.
206 reviews97 followers
December 16, 2019
Maybe I read a lot about zero waste on social media so this book doesn't make a strong impression on me, everything is on the internet, there's nothing new. But I can't deny that the author has a good purpose, and this book will be helpful to those who have just started learning about this lifestyle.
Profile Image for Gaby.
52 reviews2 followers
October 9, 2019
Loved this book and I hope everybody here will read it! It was a great snapshot on how each of us can simply implement better habits that create a more sustainable lifestyle and world. I've immediately been able to reduce my plastic use and am inspired to work towards a plastic-free lifestyle.
Profile Image for Mã Phong.
173 reviews29 followers
Read
April 9, 2019
Mình vẫn nghĩ: không vứt rác bừa bãi, bỏ rác đúng nơi quy định, cố gắng không thải ra môi trường những vật liệu độc hại trong khả năng của mình thì thế là tốt rồi, nếu mình không thể làm Trái Đất tươi đẹp hơn thì đừng làm hành tinh này tồi tệ thêm nữa. Nhưng như vậy liệu có đủ?

75.000 đồng cho một cuốn sách dày chưa tới 150 trang là một cái giá không thể nào yêu thương nổi. Mình có thể đọc ngay ở nhà sách để tiết kiệm một khoản tiền, nhưng ngay từ cái nhìn đầu tiên, mình biết, mình biết rằng mình phải đọc cuốn sách này ngay, và cũng là một trong những lần hiếm hoi mình mua sách bằng đúng giá bìa. Mình là một người cứ cố giữ lấy những quan niệm mà mình cho là đúng, vậy là mặc cho truyền thông cứ đưa tin hà rầm về tác hại của rác thải nhựa và các giải pháp thì mình vẫn chẳng mảy may quan tâm, với suy nghĩ: "Làm ơn đi, nhựa đã quá phổ biến và tiện dụng trong cuộc sống bây giờ rồi, không xài nó thì xài cái gì?". Nhưng trong thâm tâm, mình biết rằng vấn đề này là thứ mà mình phải tìm hiểu chứ không thể làm lơ, mặc cho bản thân cứ làm theo bản năng mà không quan tâm đến tác hại lâu dài, đặt lợi ích của bản thân đứng trên lợi ích của con em chúng ta hay rộng hơn là lợi ích của toàn nhân loại. Vậy, tại sao lại không chịu thay đổi nhận thức?

Cuốn sách được chia ra làm nhiều đề mục, phần đầu cung cấp thông tin về nhiều mặt liên quan đến vật liệu nhựa bằng cách viết dễ hiểu và đi ngay vào trọng tâm, tiếp đó đưa ra các #Giảipháp2phútĐiều bạn có thể làm bây giờ là những giải pháp mà các bạn có thể thực hiện ngay tại nơi sinh sống và làm việc để giảm thiểu lượng nhựa thải ra. Làm sạch bãi biển là một cách chữa trị, nó giúp giải quyết mớ lộn xộn mà chúng ta đã tạo ra. Nhưng chẳng phải sẽ dễ dàng hơn nếu chúng ta ngăn ngừa việc tạo ra đống lộn xộn đó ngay từ đầu sao?

Ý tưởng của tác giả rất đơn giản: Mỗi người hãy dành ra 2 phút để nhặt rác, biến nó trở thành một phần của cuộc sống. 2 phút của một người thì chẳng thấm vào đâu, nhưng nhiều người cùng làm thì kết quả thu được là vô cùng to lớn và có thể thay đổi cả thế giới. Như tác giả cũng đã chia sẻ: "Ban đầu, tôi nhận ra nếu mình truyền cảm hứng được cho chỉ một người nữa làm giống mình, nỗ lực của tôi sẽ được tăng lên gấp đôi - và điều đó đã là một chiến thắng!"

Các giải pháp tác giả đưa ra mang tính chất gợi ý và đôi lúc buộc người đọc phải tư duy để tìm ra câu trả lời phù hợp cho bản thân. Với mình thì một số giải pháp trong sách mình có thể thực hiện được ngay trong ngày mai, số khác thì hơi khó hoặc khó thực hiện, một số lại có vẻ như không phù hợp lắm với tình hình ở Việt Nam. Tuy nhiên, vấn đề này với mình vẫn còn nhiều điều mới mẻ, biết đâu chừng ở nước ta đã triển khai những mô hình, cách thức ấy rồi. Một vài giải pháp trong sách khuyên mình nên cố gắng hạn chế không đem về hoặc không sử dụng những sản phẩm nhựa trong khi mua sắm bằng cách trả nó lại cho người bán hàng hay nhà sản xuất, nhưng mình hơi lo ngại, vì sản phẩm nhựa đó không vì vậy mà biến mất đi, không vào tay mình thì nó vẫn sẽ vào tay người khác, điều này (theo mình) chỉ làm chậm tiến trình nhựa bị thải ra bên ngoài, liệu giải pháp này có thực sự tốt trong khi chúng ta vẫn đang cố gắng tạo ra vật liệu nhựa sinh học thân thiện với môi trường hơn? Sách cũng chỉ ra rằng trẻ em là những phần tử nhỏ trong cuộc sống thôi nhưng vẫn có thể cùng nhau tạo nên những hành động nhỏ để mang lại sự thay đổi lớn. Mỗi cá nhân góp phần tạo nên sự thay đổi lớn, nhưng sự thay đổi này sẽ còn lớn hơn và tích cực hơn nếu có sự góp sức từ các doanh nghiệp. Tất nhiên là doanh nghiệp luôn muốn quan tâm đến lợi nhuận và tránh rầy rà tới luật pháp, nhưng sách cũng chỉ ra rằng có một vài doanh nghiệp sẵn sàng cắt giảm nhựa trong các sản phẩm của họ, điều này thật tuyệt.

Cuốn sách này chưa thể thay đổi hoàn toàn suy nghĩ của mình, nhưng nó đem lại cho mình những điều mới mẻ trong nhận thức và mình hy vọng sẽ mau chóng biến nó thành hành động. Mà điều đầu tiên mình phải làm ngay đó là tạo trang cá nhân Instagram và theo dõi tài khoản @2minutebeachclean.

Còn giờ thì, mình lên đường đi giải cứu Trái Đất đây :))).

Mình đùa thôi, mọi người hãy đọc cuốn sách này và cùng chung tay hành động nhé :).
Profile Image for Lulufrances.
911 reviews87 followers
October 15, 2018
As soon as the mailman handed me the parcel (ironically wrapped in plastic bubblewrap...), I ran up my stairs, tore it open and flung down to read. And read. And a little later, I was through the entire thing.
I've just recently (earlier this year) become aware of the whole plastic problem in the greater sense that it made me want to change my own habits, and ever since, I've been keen to find out how I could best do that.
This book was easy to read and understand and motivated me anew, however it's not too in depth so if you've been perusing the internet a bit already regarding the topic, you will have encountered most of the themes.
Also, it's probably more relevant to UK residents than any other place, but hey.
I for one want to check out the closest bulk foods shop soon and buy less plastic covered items (especially sweeties and crisps...true sacrifice haha.) and also revert more to shampoo bars (luckily, I got one recently and am loving it) and buy less clothes with manmade fibers.
Profile Image for Molly.
14 reviews
February 1, 2021
Could easily have been published as an article online and probably have saved tonnes of plastic from the manufacturing process.

Repeats a lot of what has already been widely discussed (I know this book is a few years old but even at the time of publishing we knew about micro plastics and the three Rs). Each ‘chapter’ ends with a solution to the problem it discussed, and each solution comes lacking much, if any, acknowledgement of the privilege a person would need in order to comfortably make the change, one asks you to go through your cupboards and find all the items with non-recyclable packaging and just not buy them again, another asks that you replace 20 for £1 ballpoint pens with a fountain pen it estimates will cost £15 to initially buy and supply with ink. Absolutely no discussion about who will be able to afford a £15 pen, oh well.

If you’re clueless about plastic then maybe this could help you, but if you’ve watched TV or read anything about the ocean in the last 5 years you’re probably fine to give this a miss.
86 reviews10 followers
January 24, 2019
No More Plastic.

A tinky, tiny book with a huge message!

Although the book is written in a really simple accessible way it is not always a comfortable read and makes you question some of your life decisions regarding recycling and plastic use and the effects it is having on the environment.

Having said that, this is a great little book! It's a good introduction to the rising problem of plastic consumption and gives you some quick ways to reduce the plastic that you using.

Things I would like to tackle.

Wet wipes - wherever possible use an alternative.

Single use bottles - reuse my water bottle more and I always dispose of them sensibly.

Our shopping - maybe bulk buy more. Use cloth bags more.

Reduce and replace plastic items that I can.

Take more responsibility for the plastic our family uses.

Remember,doing something is better than doing nothing at all, we may not be able to do every suggestion 100% thoroughly but it's better to try than to just turn a blind eye and ignore the problem. If we all took a bit more responsibility it would be a start.

Quote.

Next time you go out, pick up the first plastic bottle that you see and take it home to recycle. How long did it take? And yet that's 1,000 pieces of microplastic not floating around in the ocean in years to come.
pg 31

It's easy to blame someone else for plastic in the ocean. But the basic fact is that 100% of marine litter comes from us. We are human and humans make plastic. It's ours. And we have to clear it up.
pg 26

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is estimated to cover an area extending to as much as 1,500,000 square kilometres. That's more than 60 times the size of the UK's land mass.

Every piece of plastic ever made is still around, and may well be for the next few thousand years, either in the ocean or as a toxic time bomb in landfill.
pg 22

Everything you do has an effect. Every piece of single use plastic you refuse is a piece that won't end up in the ocean.
pg 39
Profile Image for Clarissa.
152 reviews25 followers
August 9, 2018
Everyone should read this!!

It’s short and sweet with key statistics that force you to open your eyes to the issue at hand.

2 minutes is seriously nothing and if everyone did their bit of collecting plastic litter from the beaches, parks, streets and even found alternatives to plastic we could actually save our planet.
Profile Image for Ștefania Ioana Chiorean.
275 reviews40 followers
February 18, 2020
The book is written by the man behind the #2minutesbeachcleanup starting with his first clean up on the beach. He presents different situations where plastic is not needed and also 2 mins solutions for each of it and that taken will decrease the usage.
As a simple one, we need to reduce first and refuse what we do not need. Unnecessary plastic is the main issue - veggies wrapped, toothpaste boxes etc..
The book contains stats about plastic, explains the recycling signs and has a check list of actions at the end.
Profile Image for Georgie.
246 reviews
August 12, 2020
If the objective was to make the reader more aware of items that can or need to be recycled and how to make a eco-friendly switch for the benefit of nature, then this book has indeed made me think. It has its ups and downs, but the "Your Daily Coffee" section about coffee shops is very true, as a Barista the amount of people that are still surprised about reusable cups being acceptable before the pandemic was amusing. I look for to the day I don't have to make as many drinks in the paper cups, as I do now.
50 reviews1 follower
November 10, 2018
Buy this for at least one person this Christmas and read it first!
377 reviews1 follower
March 20, 2021
A really brilliant book! It hits home how bad the plastic issue is and it is sure to make you think carefully about how you consume and use plastic products. I would recommend this book to everyone. Only 144 pages that can be read very quickly.
Profile Image for Tripfiction.
2,045 reviews216 followers
June 4, 2018
It only takes 2 minutes to pick up littered plastic...

When a whale lies convulsing on a Thai shore (early June 2018) and dies because in its digestion system there are more than 80+ plastic bags, then one really does have to start to think about what we humans are doing to the planet. And most of us I am sure have seen Blue Planet 2…

As this concise little books says “We need to free ourselves from the tyranny of convenience”

This is a small, punchy book aimed at people who perhaps want to start to take responsibility for their own plastic consumption in a more measured and thoughtful way. Plastic is everywhere, hardly any of it, in truth, is recyclable. The author helpfully gives manufacturer’s ratings and how to identify what can and can’t be recycled but you would probably need to take the book and its table with you to really understand the issues at hand.

Some schools in the UK, says the author, use plastic cutlery and plates for lunch. Honestly, why would you do that? Who could possibly suggest that that is a good way to encourage a healthy way of eating in children? Where’s the pleasure? Snapped forks with prongs missing, bendy plates – these are functional tools, but do not make for a pleasurable eating experience (positive eating messsages with growing obesity issues are surely important?). More to the point, it’s all bad for the environment. Plastic water bottles are a no-no…. there is no need, as there are so many places to refill your portable bottles. Straws will outlive you. According to the #2minutebeachclean app 4.25% of beach litter is straws and plastic cutlery.

The author encourages you to take a look around a typical supermarket, why plastic wrap cucumbers or oranges? They have ready made skins for protection. He suggests taking recyclable containers to counters at your local supermarket to buy loose produce is one way forward.

Clothes, with synthetic fibres, shed at the drop of a hat, wet wipes have plastic components and will last and last, nappies and plastic tampon applicators will all be around for years and years to come. Tea bags? Ever wondered why they never really compost down? That’s because the bags contain plastic!

This book just touches on the problems of plastic waste but addressing the problem of plastic (we’ve all seen David Attenborough wading through ocean plastic) surely has to be high up the list. There are facts and statistics galore in the book which make for sobering reading. Why can’t we have bottle deposit schemes?

My best find of late are little re-usable drawstring bags which I take to the greengrocer - that saves on the plastic or paper bags that are readily supplied. And don’t believe that paper bags are any better than plastic, the pollution caused by hauling them round the country is significant. We are definitely on borrowed time.
Profile Image for Barbora.
193 reviews4 followers
July 16, 2018
I found this book very easy to read, informative without being preachy and with lots of useful tips and advice on how we can make a big change on a global scale by making small changes in our own everyday choices and lifestyle.

I've been eco-conscious most of my life so there wasn't that much new for me in terms of facts or information but I still enjoyed reading it. I always found it terrifying how much rubbish and plastic we produce and how we are destrying nature and our planet and felt helpless and extremely sad that most people did not care about these things. It makes me so happy that these issues are talked about more and more these days and that people are becoming more and more aware of the problems we're facing.

Even when I check my Facebook feed I often find posts on ecological issues from people who aren't activists, but are people like me, living their life, and it's reassuring to know that they know and care enough to post about these problems. My hope is that people will take the next step and take action (hopefully many already do). Change does truly begin with me and you as individuals (as the saying goes) but big changes are easier to implement in numbers. This book is great because it not just explains what is wrong with plastic but also gives very simple tips, easy to put into practice in the everyday life that will help decrease its use.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 304 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.