F**k Plastic: 101 ways to free yourself from plastic and save the world

by The F Team

Is the thought of the 51 trillion pieces of plastic in our oceans keeping you up at night? Don't panic! The war on plastic has begun and you can help! In this book you'll find 101 little things you as an individual can do to avoid single-use plastics and help save the world.

Governments, brands and corporations around the globe are on the case to solve the plastic epidemic, but whilst we wait for the effects of those initiatives to trickle through and alternatives to plastic to be found, let's hit the ground running. In this proactive illustrated book, you'll find 101 simple ways to cut plastic from:

-FOOD AND DRINK e.g. freeze fresh veg rather than buying frozen, and buy beeswax wrap over clingfilm
- AROUND THE HOUSE e.g. buy bars of soap instead of hand dispensers and swap scourers for natural cloths
- YOUR LIFESTYLE e.g. how to have a plastic-free party and find good plastic-free make-up

Together we can save our oceans - and we will!

Genres: Nonfiction, Environment, Sustainability, Green, Self Help, How To, Reference

128 pages, Hardcover

First published August 23, 2018

Reviews

[Alice-Elizabeth (Prolific Reader Alice) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know the reviews here on GR are very mixed. However, I feel that F**k Plastic is a book that you must have on your bookshelf and no excuses about it! As I've personally realised over the last few years, lots of everyday products and lifestyles aren't all that sustainable. With reading these tips and helpful living guide, there are lots of suggestions for just about anything and most you won't have to drastically change much around. For example, switching from a plastic manual toothbrush to a bamboo one. Don't stop brushing your teeth XD

Highly recommended!

[Coleen (The Book Ramblings) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this is a great introduction for those who are looking to live sustainable. It's short and to the point with numerous tips and tricks that will allow anyone to approach living sustainably without too much hesitation. Although I do wish the tips and advice were a little more thorough, an example would be the tip on creating your own at home cleaning products—it would have been helpful to include a simple one, like vinegar with lemon peels and allowing it to sit in the cupboard for two weeks before diluting with water to use as an all-purpose cleaner. While helpful and informative in a way that won't make anyone nervous, all of the tips I have learned along the way over the past year from numerous bloggers and online resources for free, with far more detail.

[Rowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Een klein, handig boekje vol laagdrempelige tips om minder afval te produceren. Het meeste wist ik al wel, maar dat komt waarschijnlijk ook omdat ik me veel met dit onderwerp bezighoud. Ik denk dat iedereen wel iets uit dit boekje kan halen en alle kleine beetjes helpen. Alleen daarom al zou iedereen dit boekje moeten lezen. :)

[Kasia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Maybe good for beginners I don’t know. Most of things are common sense and I knew them already..

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some straightforward tips, some that I would’ve never considered. Lots of practices that are easier said than done, but helpful when being mindful of how our actions impact the planet.

[Fi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is cute, and it has a lot of good ideas. Unfortunately a lot of them either seem like common sense, or they involve spending a lot more money. A version for helping the environment on a budget would be nice! Some of us can't afford to go to the butcher or "fishmonger" instead of the grocery store, or pay for a milk delivery service.

Also... $12.99 for a book full of tips you could have found on Pinterest?? It just seems unnecessary. And for all the talk about keeping it digital instead of buying paper copies of things.... this should be a buzzfeed article, not a book.

Of course I always opt for a recyclable or reusable option whenever possible, and I like to buy sustainable clothes and natural products, whenever I can. But I'm gonna keep flushing the toilet after I pee. That's just common courtesy.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

We recently got these in at work, and it’s pretty useful information. I think it’s a particularly great present for people who are unaware/in denial of the damage we are doing to the planet - it’s eye-opening and to the point.

[Rat Queen · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who is super conscious of being eco-friendly/cruelty free and so on and so forth it's nice to have a fun little book on my shelf with 101 ways to remind us to steer away from plastic! This little book starts with some very important facts and then lists 101 ways you can stay away from those nasty single use plastics/less plastic over all!

It's always good to give yourself a little reminder even if this book doesn't necessarily tell you something you didn't already know!

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of good ideas (101+), but a lot of it amounted to an idea and then saying to use the internet to figure it out. I suppose I wouldn’t read a book that went into such detail on every topic and it’s always changing. Still, I earmarked a number of ideas to look into later. so.... three solid stars.

[Olivia Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some great little bits of advice on how to cut down/ cut out plastic. Presented in a bit size and accessible way. A good place to start for anyone looking to lessen their carbon footprint and be more environmentally friendly. 4*

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Join me a for a PLASTICS FREE JANUARY (details on FB)... or a 30 day challenge no matter when you start! Here are 101 great ideas for making simple changes in your life and swaps around your house to avoid plastic. Many example brands for buying cleaning products, makeup, toothpaste, dental floss, toilet paper etc. Takes less than an hour to read.

[Kerszi · Rating 2 out of 5]

101 porad, które bardzo szybko przeczytasz. W większości przesadziste. Autor nie zaleca spłukiwania wody w ubikacji. Niech śmierdzi, ale za to zaoszczędzimy wodę. Co za bzdury. Tego typu głupot jest więcej. Oczywiście są i mądre rady. Np. rzadsze używanie plastikowych widelców, łyżek. Ale jeżeli stosowalibysmy się do wszystkich punktów w książce, to życie byłoby mocno utrudnione. Książka dla skrajnych ekologów.

[Briana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun little book that basically boils down to: be more mindful about what you buy.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

101 ideas of how to reduce plastic and be more mindfully eco-friendly.

Gavin got this as a Christmas gift and I finally got around to reading it. Many (most?) of the ideas are not novel, and there are quite a few that we already are doing including, starting this year, solid shampoo and conditioner bars.that being said, there were quite a few ideas I flagged to look into more (charcoal water filters, soapnuts, jarred toothpaste, powdered deodorant, microfiber bag for the wash, cotton hair ties, paper tape, sugaring to shave?), but what I found most surprising is that gum and sunscreen both have plastic in them; there are apparently alternatives.

[Tatiana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bardzo fajne metody zastępowania plastiku szkłem. Polecam

[Dosia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty basic stuff, served in a simplistic manner

[ja.wojcik · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dla osoby która zaczyna swoją przygodę z ograniczaniem/ less wastem fajna, uświadamiająca. Dla osoby która już poczyniła pewne kroki w swoim życiu, mało tu nowych/ odkrywczych rzeczy.

Ale to fajna książeczka, żeby dodawać do prezentów.

[Darby Steeves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second time around - lots of great tips to save the planet and keep some change in your pocket :)

[Eli Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tiny book of suggestions on how to reduce plastic in your daily life. A lot (most) of it is common sense, but there are some good suggestions in there, and helpful facts to remember when your friends make fun of you for using cloth hankies (255 billion tissues are used every year! That’s bonkers!)!

[Hannah Bremer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Handige, makkelijk toepasbare basistips als je iets wil wil betekenen voor het milieu en veranderen aan je eigen plasticverbruik! Je zoeft door het kleine boekje heen want elke 101 tips hebben een eigen pagina en zijn vaak voorzien van een illustratie.

[Iris Bratton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book told me to eat ice cream in a cone and eat doughnuts. That to me is a winner in my book!

This book is a good start for new conservationists! There are great tips that are fun and written in a relatable way which is a great marketing strategy. It's not a preachy book but rather sounds like the voice of a friend. However, some of these tips are inaccessible for low income families or people who live in remote areas. My newest enlightenment is to make conservation accessible which seems to be the struggle to get people onboard.

But, even I learned a few low commitment changes from this book which I will try to commit to. The core of these books is to be mindful which it does achieves its goal.

[Nicola Bugg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very quick read- not that many ideas that were new to me (because I have already tried to reduce plastic quite a bit) but seemed quite comprehensive with some good reminders and suggestions for tricky items.
I also liked that there were some general and non-plastic waste ideas, such as bringing back the handkerchief and not wasting energy/using unnecessary resources.

[Ren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Are you looking for ways to cut down on the single use plastic in your life? This book offers up 101 ideas for eliminating your need for throwaway plastic that can, and too often does, end up in our waterways and landfills. for easy reference, the tips are categorized under the following headings: food and drink, around the house, lifestyle and saving the world. Does anyone expect you to jump in and do everything at once? No, that's not sustainable change for most, if any, people. You can however start with one change and then keep adding something new as those changes become habits. Even though I've been on this path for awhile now and already follow many of these suggestions, I still found new things to try.

Thank you to Crown Publishing/Rodale Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Megan Rosol · Rating 5 out of 5]

100 tips on how to make your eating, living, and lifestyle-ing plastic-free or, at least, less polluting.
Quick, simple, easy, with many example of sources of better products/practices.
Also, an example of applying swear words appropriately, because, indeed, fuck plastic!

[Rosalind · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I think of plastic, I think of “Hee Haw” Sam Wainwright from IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE and his plastics factory riches. I picked this up because I’ve been wanting to be more sustainable lately. I may not be able to do much but I can do something… right? This book was filled with tips on how to reduce plastic - the most useful of which to me were refusing straws at restaurants and “plogging,” otherwise known as picking up plastic while jogging. While I like the ideas behind the book, as always, many were impractical (only buy non-plastic shoes) and clearly written from a European standpoint (which seems to often happen with sustainability books because there’s a better market in the UK and then we just repackage it for the US). Then there’s my other thing about plastic - why are we always supposed to purge it completely? It does certain things really well, like when it’s Tupperware. Isn’t it worse for me to throw it out rather than simply use what I already have? Shouldn’t I focus on utilizing the plastic in my life for as long as possible? Of course there’s also the fact that every person has a plastic spoon’s worth of plastic in their brain… but statistically my efforts NOT to use plastic will be dwarfed by how much plastic is everywhere anyway. This is a battle we need to take not to ourselves, but to the corporations who constantly create this junk. For ourselves, I do agree wholeheartedly with tip #101 - live deliberately and intentionally to reduce your use of plastic and single use items in general.

[Sofia Boquist · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book when it comes to minimizing the amount of plastic used. I learned lot of helpful information and easy tips! Will definitely be recommending this to other people.

But it’s also important to be a bit critical when reading this, because even though minimizing plastic is almost always better for the climate, it doesn’t have to be. One of the first tips is to buy fresh fruit and vegetables instead of their frozen counterparts. The frozen fruit and vegetables are almost always packed in plastic, thus you minimize the plastic used by not buying them. The only problem is that buying fresh fruit and vegetables is generating a huge amount of waste. All from damaged goods to expired products, even the fact that a fruit or vegetable looks ugly can be enough to throw it away.
There was also a tip where it said to buy toys second hand instead of new. But there wasn’t a single mention about the fact that plastic goes bad, and to buy toys in plastic that are over a certain number of years can instead be harmful to your child. Maybe buy toys in wood or fabric instead.

Now this book promised ways to minimize the amount of plastic used, which it did very well. All of these tips are perfect ways to live more environmentally friendly and sustainable. But it’s always good to be critical and ask what is actually best for the planet.

[Andrakuf · Rating 2 out of 5]

No powiem tak, stek bzdur. Ja rozumiem zanieczyszczenia środowiska, rozumiem że głównym powodem jest nasz styl życia związany w dużej mierze z plastikiem, ale styl życia proponowany w tym poradniku (bo tym w istocie jest ta książka) zakrawa na gruby fanatyzm i szczerze powiem, że gdybym znał kogoś kto stosuje choćby połowę tych wskazówek w życiu, to myślał bym o nim jak o konkretnym świrze. Ja rozumiem, że pewne rzeczy można do swojego życia wprowadzić, jak na przykład chodzenie na zakupy z własną torbą lub używanie butelek na wodę, bo sam takie rzeczy robię. Ale powrót do chusteczek bawełnianych wielokrotnego użytku? Pieluch tetrowych? Czy filtrowanie wody przez węgiel drzewny bo filtry są z plastiku, to jest już dla mnie totalny absurd. Uważam że dbałość o środowisko jest jak najbardziej ważna, ale z pewnością można poprawić sytuację przez segregację czy inne tego typu działania, jak choćby jedyna interesująca idea jaka drzemie w tej książce a mianowicie plogging, a nie przestawianie swojego życia do góry nogami bo jak nie zrobią tego wszyscy (a nie zrobią) to nawet najmniejsze z tych działań jest jak dla mnie pozbawione większego sensu.

[Jessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had a lot of good reminders for reducing or swapping out plastic items. Some I have already done (cutting my own fruit and vegetables instead of buying pre-cut ones, switching from some disposable to reusable feminine care products, and reusing 3D glasses on the rare occasion that I actually go to 3D movies). I did get some ideas to give me that extra nudge to do better, though, such as bringing my own cuttlery when I eat in the cafeteria at work instead of getting a disposable fork each time. I like that the final, 101st tip was to Think before you use, which basically tells us that life is for living and not to make ourselves suffer trying to do it all. A lot of it boils down to common sense and thinking of ways to just do better. Surely everyone has room for improvement...?

[Andy · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I was reading this book, all I could think was "these authors don't understand poverty, do they?"
While I understand that this book is not and was not advertised as "freeing yourself from plastic on a budget", some of the switches they proposed take serious money, and the idea that the average person should have to shell out that much for a problem that they can do little about except lobby huge companies is... tone deaf, to say the least.
The title is also misleading in that 71% of all pollution is created by only 100 corporations, rather than the average Joe Shmoe. Saving the world will take massive institutional change, and this book puts the onus of the problem on Brenda Who Is Doing Her Best instead of Exxon Mobil and the Chinese Coal Industry.
Overall disappointing in both the tips themselves and the execution.

[JV Austen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most helpful if you've never thought about your plastic consumption.
Like if your one of those idiots who puts bananas in a plastic bag at the grocery!
However, this book can only help reduce not eliminate an individual's plastic consumption - plastic is so pervasive in today's society. No matter what the latest non-logical study says, bring your own bags to the grocery. Just keep them in the trunk. Or keep one in your purse for impulse shopping. And don't buy tampons with plastic applicators. And try an electric razor or one that just needs new heads, not tossing the whole razor. Oh - I hadn't thought about my addiction to cotton swabs! When I run out, I will seek an alternative. (no lectures, please, my ear wax is itchy!)