Turning the Tide on Plastic: How Humanity (And You) Can Make Our Globe Clean Again

by Lucy Siegle

Without big action, at the current rate, pieces of plastic will outnumber fish in the ocean by 2050. That is the legacy we are leaving our children and grandchildren. Turning the tide on Plastic is here just in time. Journalist, broadcaster and eco lifestyle expert Lucy Siegle provides a powerful call to arms to end the plastic pandemic along with the tools we need to make decisive change. It is a clear-eyed, authoritative and accessible guide to help us to take decisive and effective personal action. So now is the time to speak up, take action and demand the change you want to see in the ocean, in the supermarket aisles and on the streets. It's time to turn the tide on plastic, and this book will show you how. Product 9781409182993 Lucy Siegle Orion Books Paperback 272 19 x 12cm

Genres: Nonfiction, Environment, Science, Sustainability, Nature, Ebooks, Climate Change

264 pages, Paperback

First published July 26, 2018

About the author

Lucy Siegle is a British journalist and writer on environmental issues. She is a reporter on The One Show. Siegle offers a unique and beguiling perspective on environmental issues and ethical consumerism.

Reviews

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really useful resource. It's UK-based which I don't find to be overly common with books like this, so the tips and anecdotes were relevant and helpful to me. I am finding myself checking the plastic number on much of what I consume now to see if it's actually possible to recycle it, knowledge I would never have had before. I already do little bits to help reduce my waste, such as using a stainless steel water bottle and refusing plastic cutlery, but I could be doing a lot more. I'm definitely going to try and incorporate at least some of the steps in this book in my everyday life - even if it's just the baby steps.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent optimistic book with some great information and list of websites for further research or participation in reducing the plastic pandemic. With 8 million tonnes of plastic entering the sea every year killing wildlife, degrading the beach and the sea as well as the microplastics entering the food chain and eventually finding its way into our bodies its time for action. This book is not a preachy book and comes up with realistic solutions from bioplastic wrapping that degrades to simple things like switching to glass bottles or putting a levy or tax at the source.

I liked the 8rs to reduce your plastic footprint.

Record
Reduce
Replace
Refuse
Reuse
Refill
Rethink
Recycle

All of the Rs are self explanatory but also wtih some good advice. The further resources at the back of the book is a useful source to find resources, campaigners, science and tech as well as companies leading the way in reducing plastic.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is written with good intentions, that is for sure. As a nature-lover, I bought this book because I would like to use less plastic in my life. However, the first part of this book is dedicated to too many statistics and the suggestions seemed a bit... dull. Like saying one should go to a cafe and sit down and enjoy coffee instead of having a coffee on the go. Well, everyone would have preferred to relax at a cafe, if they had had the time and opportunity to do it! People are in a hurry, that's why they have to take their coffee on the go. Or "trying to replace air cushions with newspaper wrapping" is not the wise level of suggestions I was looking for whilst reading this book. Again, I admire the author's dedication to the subject as it matters to me a lot, but this book did not really meet my expectations.

[Joan · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit of a mixed bag here. Some good information and some fairly decent advice, but its all a bit too preachy for me. And let's be honest. A LOT of people would like to shop 'plastic-free' but when it comes down to it, going plastic-free costs money. We can't all afford Lush, or teapigs or organic food sold from boxes or farm shops. We dont all go to festivals or have milkmen who deliver milk in glass bottles. SodaStreams are expensive and even if they do save you money in the long run, how many families can afford the initial outlay?

There is a section on using Sapidus soap nuts instead of laundry detergent, followed by one small sentence at the end You could also switch to using washing powder from cardboard boxes. as if 'cardboard boxes' are not something any 'nice' person would choose to use. ;) There was an air of snobbery somehow that I found a little distasteful.

And some advice is simply a bit crass. Don't have a take-away coffee. Instead, sit down in a cafe and have one. Don't buy fleece jumpers (I found the author's personal dislike of fleeces - which she calls a 'fashion disaster'- rather unnecessary) Instead, buy wool or cotton or hemp or linen. Fine, if you are wealthy enough to buy pure wool jumpers but a whole swathe of society is ignored here - those people who struggle to make ends meet, let alone buy expensive woollen clothing/blankets. Fleece is WARM. Fleece can be washed in a machine and it doesn't matter if it gets dirty. Children like fleece - it doesnt scratch or itch and its lightweight. What's better? Going cold because you have a moral stance against wearing fleece, or being practical? I know which I'd choose when the temperature drops.

I was hoping for a bit more from this book. A lot of the advice about reducing plastic use is just plain common sense (refillable coffee mugs - yawn, paper straws - more yawning) and some of it panders to people who have plenty of time on their hands.

I did find the first part about the effect of plastic on the planet and the different types of plastic very informative, but as someone who is serious about reducing their plastic use, there was not much in it that was new or particularly helpful.

[Ivan Monckton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A superb book in a naff cover, combining mind blowing facts with ideas for overcoming the addiction we, as individuals and as a society, seem to have for plastic. Recycling is just not enough..read the book, have some of you illusions shattered (eg cardboard Take Away coffee cups are coated with plastic), and then play your part in the fight against the needless production and use of a material that will be around for thousands of years.

[Luana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting and informative book that not only shows the reality of plastic use and how it is affecting the world around us, but also offers hope for a plastic-free future through small changes in our daily lives. I really appreciated the practical section of the book where the author offers tips and guidelines on how to reduce plastic in our own homes and how small changes can still have an impact on the world.

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book an easy read, telling us about the over-use and under-recycling of plastic. By now we could update the story, and no doubt the author has been doing that on her blog. I do have some criticisms but don't let that stop anyone from reading the book.

First we get a look at the pervasiveness and problems of plastic. Then we get some practical tips for reducing the plastic in our lives. We won't get to be plastic free (unless we live in a tree with no electronics) but we can certainly try.

Some of the stats are extraordinary to me as I have been reducing or eliminating plastic use long before it was a problem. I do not buy plastic soft drink or water bottles if I can avoid it. Which is almost always the case, as I just carry a durable plastic cup and drink tap water. So someone who drinks a hundred bottles of something a year, is drinking my share as well as their own. I have also never littered in my life, being a Girl Guide.

The book is UK based - no mention of Ireland having pioneered the plastic bag tax and raised the price before UK ever got around to it. No mention that UK's bales of recycling were considered filthy because UK alone of all EU did not insist on separation of materials - old shoes, dirty paper and plastics were baled together, which I saw on an undercover TV programme. No mention that plastic is fed to cattle in UK and allowed to be fed to them (The Guardian). Much credit given to Surfers Against Sewage, of which the author is a member, and not a mention of the town of Modbury which went plastics free after a BBC researcher came back from assignment and showed her locals her film of plastic ocean waste.

The other dislike I have is of the author's manner, occasionally: she suggests we should sit in a cafe and drink our coffee - as if we had the time or the cafe had the space at lunch hour or in college class time. I got tired of her calling someone "quite the ..." which generally equates to sarcasm, and of calling yachtswoman Ellen MacArthur "something of a hero" - either she is or isn't, and most of us would say she is. We can't all afford the author's options, either.

The main item I hadn't previously encountered is a startup which reclaims chewed chewing gum. A Gumdrop collector can hold 500 pieces, and when full of goop it is recycled into three Gumdrops, since chewing gum is today made of plastic. (As are teabags, if you didn't know.) The lady entrepreneur has enough materials now to branch out into saleable goods. This seems to be UK only, and I don't chew gum.

Another item I had not heard of is the disposable battery toothbrush. Who would buy that if it can't be recharged? Having railed against this a few times the author finally mentions it should be recycled for free as EEE Waste and not put in with plastics. That's a public education issue. Perhaps they could be banned from sale, or the battery made removable.

We hear lots about not liking plastic food packaging. We don't hear nearly enough about the chemicals leaching out of plastic into food, especially oily food that is hot. Never put anything in the microwave or oven in a plastic dish. You know those ads for beans in microwaveable packets? Rather you than me. Never use vegetable oil, especially olive oil (because of friction during crushing) in a plastic bottle. The only one to use is cold pressed in glass.

Anyway, get going, reduce plastic. I appreciate this book coming to us in a plastic-free form. I read this from the RDS Library. This is an unbiased review.

[Luke Gracias · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book brings forth some frightening facts on the cancer faced by planet earth called Plastic. Lucy's passion comes through and perhaps what worked most for me were facts and figures quoted in the book.
According to book, by 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the sea. Lucy Siegle also suggests that only 15% of what enters the sea is returned back to the shores with the tides and this is very concerning. I recently visited Mumbai during the rains to see the main beaches covered in plastic.

Whilst her suggestions to solve the problem are based from the ground up, there needs to be a driving force from industry to come to the party. This is what was missing in the book. If big industry does not play a part, then it will just be a small movement not the quantum shift needed.

It will open your eyes and make you think twice about using plastics unnecessarily and with that the author has achieved her goal. Recommended read for sure.

[Rogue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good, easy to read non-fiction. I finished this in like 2 days (and only because I started it late one evening). The lists of resources really are excellent, with lots of easy reading and accessible links, rather than reams and reams of listed academic papers.

Not just all doom-and-gloom, this book is framed for the reader to do something about their plastic usage, rather than just informing and sitting back for the reader to slump in despair. It's also very up-t0-date with current affairs (although obviously this will change, with time), commenting on a huge range of news, information and changes happening across the world.

[Becca Housden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I genuinely feel that this book should be compulsory reading for everyone - it’s a vitally important subject.
The way the book is structured, first giving a history of plastic and a discussion on its environmental impact is thought provoking and eye opening. The second half of the book, which offers advice and guidelines for a reduction of your personal plastic consumption is enlightening and inspiring.
While I was already motivated to cut down on my reliance on plastic before reading this book, the author has pushed home the point of just how necessary it is for me and everyone else, as well as offering helpful tips that I will most definitely be putting into practice.

[Apip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lambat sedikit tulis ulasan. Aku rasa ini segala-galanya yang kau nak dalam buku bertemakan kaedah/"How-To". Lagi-lagi isu plastik, alam sekitar dan isu sekitarnya bukan perkara yang mudah untuk ditulis. Dan bagi aku penulis berjaya lakukan dengan baik.

Tone penulis sepanjang pembacaan, aku rasa baik, dan tidak seperti merendahkan atau "condescending" kepada pembaca atau yang kurang sedar tentang isu ini (yang mana stngh2 org ada kecendurngan utk bersikap sbgini) Dan betul-betul nampak -penulis mahu bawakan perubahan. Tone penulisan juga tidaklah flat/bosan ada juga diselitkan anekdot peribadi, jenaka kecil di samping fakta dan statistik yang disertakan yang buatkan pembaca rasa santai - macam sembang dengan kawan lah senang cerita.

Boleh dikatakan 30%-40% bahagian awal buku ini adalah tentang perjalanan peribadi penulis dengan plastik, sejarah awal plastik dan kesan2 nya pada alam sekitar. Awalnya aku fikir penulis terlalu kerap dan banyak memberikan fakta dan statistik tentang kesan2 plastik kpd alam skitar dan bumi (dari perspektif2 berbeza) Ada sampai satu tahaptu aku hanya fikir nak langkau (skip) terus ke langkah pelaksanaan.

tapi lepas baca bahagian kaedah2 pelaksanaan, aku baru perasan, untuk membuatkan pembaca kisah tentang kaedah pelaksanaan, kita perlu ceritakan "Mengapa ianya penting" supaya...mereka kisah dan cakna. Why does it matter and how much does it matter? Daripada situ kita boleh skalakan saiz tindakan yang perlu diambil.

Untuk bahagian langkah pelaksanaan, sangat komprehensif ditulis. Dari sekecil2 perkara seperti penggunaan semula dan lain2 hingga ke sebesar perkara berkaitan polisi & etc. Turut disertakan segala tempat - laman sesawang, organisasi dan agensi untuk makluman lanjut. Sangat lengkap.

Bila dah masuk bahagian langkah2 aplikasi ni semakin jelas bahawa untuk mengurangkan penggunaan plastik dalam kehidupan ni memang kita perlu nilai, rombak dan susun semula bagaimana kita urus kehidupan kita. Bagi sesetengah orang mungkin ia menyusahkan/turn off. Tapi itulah harga yang perlu kita bayar untuk bumi, persekitaran dan masa depan yang sihat dan lestari (sustainable)

All in all, yeah really good. Currently RM12 at BBW on Shopee. Adios.
https://shopee.com.my/(BBW)-Turning-T...

[Sharleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was super informative whilst also providing very practical tips to aid in one’s journey to being more eco-conscious. Lucy Siegle illustrates not only the many ways in which an individual can contribute to the “war on waste”, but also points out that this effort can actually be collaborative - reiterating the effectiveness of having communities, businesses, and governments working together.

Overall the message of this book is quite hopeful, whilst in no way diluting the seriousness and urgency of the problem at hand.

I am very aware that great change needs to be made amongst whole institutions, and corporations en masse to see the most difference for our environment, but I still think the efforts we make as an individual are still important and that these steps towards a better world are worth taking, no matter how small.

[Shelby (readbytwilight) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just when I thought I was a good citizen, doing more than my fair share for the environment, I then read (well, listened) to Turning the Tide on Plastic, and I realised I was a little bit of a naive fool.

Here's some key things I learnt from this book (that I probably, really should have known already), that were quite enlightening:
- Waste, of any kind, that enters a landfill does not go through the composting process, as it lacks access to oxygen. I think I may have relied on landfills decomposing some of my waste, particularly food waste, too much.
- I had an inkling that this was the case but a lot of the waste we put in the recycling bin, doesn't actually get recycled once collected. Shockingly awful, I know. So even though you think you're doing your bit, it's to no avail.
- Just because labelling on plastic products tells you it's recyclable, doesn't actually mean it's capable of being recycled in your local recycling centre. What's misleading is that, yes, virtually anything can be recycled, but it is often a very timely and expensive process which your local area just doesn't have the ability or facilities to undertake. It's because many plastic items are made with multiple and varying types on plastic, or mixed with other materials, that are not easy to separate and recycle. Therefore, they end up in landfills and other areas of the environment.
- That plastic and other potentially recyclable items, are sorted predominantly by machinery, not by hand.. I don't know why I assumed that my recycling rubbish would be manually sorted through. Therefore, when materials are stacked together or really dirty, the machines cannot identify a clean, recyclable item. The machinery is also unable to detect black plastic, like that used in ready-meals.
- It sounds obvious as I type this, but before it wasn't really at the forefront of my mind, but putting items in the recycling bin, really ought to be the last resort. As in, we should avoid making and buying items that can't be used again and again within our own household. So even though an item might be recyclable, if you only use it once, feels a little silly still. The recycling waste service as a whole, is not to cheap to deliver, so let's just avoid the need to put waste into this service.
- That a lot of the UK's waste gets shipped off to the far East of the world for processing (and/or dumping!)
- Currently, there's plastic in literally almost everything. Who knew teabags were dipped in a plastic coating?? Not only is this bad for the environment, but ewwww! We're putting this into our bodies!

I went into reading this book thinking it will probably just tell me what I already know, and/or attempt to use scare tactics into making me recycle plastic better. But I was wrong. This was actually really informative, and has me wanting to make some quite big behavioural changes on how I consume and manage the plastic in my life. I liked how this was a UK based book, rather than American, so the tips on what I can do locally, were actually applicable, as well as the laws surround waste management. I want to say this book could be the start of something new for me.

Also, if you access the book on audible, you get around 2 hours of extra interviews with activists, and accompanying guides in PDF format!

[Iqra M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually bought this book for my Master's thesis - I'm researching on plastic usage; a bioplastic-focused study. I have to say that I definitely acquired fresh ideas & perspective. This book opened my eyes towards issues that I was not familiar with. What's more, it also juggled my memory on the things that I've learned in class.

It is fascinating yet eerie to read all the stats. Overall, this was a great and informative read. However, I'm not fond of the writing style; everything is a little scattered and all over the place. It's fast-paced for a non-fiction though, which I liked.

[Ben Keene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucy has been fighting the environmental cause on the BBC and beyond for a long-time. But her time has come with the swell in interest in fighting plastic and her book captures the scale of the problem and how we can tackle it whoever we are. 8/10

[Kirsty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating, scary, and instructive.

[Susanne Latour · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative, depressing and hopeful all wrapped into one book. Reading this book during a global pandemic was not the smartest choice as I’m sure the use of single use non recyclable plastic is at a all time high with countless single use masks, gowns, disinfectant wipes, takeout containers, plastic cutlery etc. being thrown away on a minute by minute basis. That definitely added to the sad and depressive facts from the book.

The first ~100 pages delves into the history of plastic, the plastic pandemic, and a wake up call on how plastic is destroying our earth and oceans. The Introduction begins with ‘The plastic we throw away in a single year could circle the earth four times’ and leads into ‘by 2050 the ocean will contain more plastic by weight than fish’.

Part 2 of the books discusses ways we can go about reducing our plastic footprint. In the last few years I have made some changes in our household to help reduce our footprint but there is plenty more I can do.

It’s UK based so if you live there it has a few shopping resources for you but being from Canada I will have to do some research of my own. But it does include some global resources for global groups helping to Turn the Tide on Plastic.

[russell barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be honest, I thought this was going to be a dry old read when my mum gave it to me. Which is odd as I love author Lucy Siegle's Observer columns, and I'm well across her zippy-but-detailed style.

As it turns out it took me 2 days flat to read this, including checking out her links to various websites and campaigns. It fair flies with the weight of depressing science on just how much we're fucking up the planet given effervescence and accessibility as Siegle deftly weaves in stories of people and situations, relating everything back to normal, UK life.

An excellent read and even better, one which as you're finishing you naturally find yourself challenging yourself to pass on plastic.

Us? We've already got bamboo toothbrushes, KeepCups and relentlessly recycle, next in line thanks to Dame Lucy is going to be refusing wrapping paper and package free soap. Not sure my inlaws are on board with stopping the conveyor belt of plastic-wrapped biscuits into the house mind...

[Alice Ward · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s taken me a year and a half to finish this book! And I’m a reader who is passionate about plastic pollution!!

Lucy Seigle obviously knows her stuff but it‘s heavy on the non-fic, filling us up on facts and figures for 120 pages before we get to the ‘what you can do’ section. And even that doesn’t highlight anything innovative, adding even more Rs than the three everyone is versed in.

I think environmental campaigns and plastic pollution can be a bit intense and science heavy for the average layman - much better to break it down in digestible and fun chunks like ‘No more plastic’ by Martin Dorey.

It picked up in the second half to be fair, just a shame it took me a year to get to that bit.

[Tasmin · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

What an incredible, fast-pasted & important book!
It is NOT a "how to recycle" guide, it is an eye-opener on how much we as normal people can do but also where bigger powers are at play and how we make them take on the responsibility. It is an amazing beginners book for everyone who wants to make the world a better place. It is not scientific and also not boring, it is short and sweet and still covers so many important things! While I wish there would have been more examples from outside the UK (you could tell just how heavily this book was written for a UK audience) and in general a few more examples on alternatives, I deeply appreciate this book. One of my favourite non-fiction reads for sure!

[Christian Dalton · Rating 4 out of 5]

An important subject matter, somewhat undermined by some simplistic suggestions on how to reduce plastic (avoid using it in the first place, avoid takeaway coffee cups which are difficult to recycle etc.). The editing was also a bit off at points, including one paragraph on lobbying airlines repeated word-for-word two pages later.

I'd like to see an updated version with more contemporary suggestions (they identified coffee capsules being tough to recycle, now there are home capsule compressors for example) or a platform where people can suggest their own methods for reducing plastic use and waste (I always try and pick something up of I see it on a dog walk or on the beach).

[Tilly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars

A tale of two halves.
The first half was very good and informative. I learnt alot. The second half however was filled with pretty basic advice, a lot of which is now out of date. In the last 3 years a lot has changed on the market for plastic avoiders. So don't take all the advice at face value.
A decent book that has a great author but is a bit out of date.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This should be required reading

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book, not only was it informative about plastic waste but it also acts as a 'how to' guide to reduce the plastic in our lives.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a bit more basic than I expected with a majority of the focus being UK-centric.

[Tom Kraft · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice to find a non-fiction that is such an easy reader but full of interesting and profound facts. Enjoyed finding out how shit the UK (minus Wales) is at recycling and how compostable bioplastic is rarely biodegraded. Lots to learn but it really needs to come from the top and without radical change individual user action can only go so far.

[An Te · Rating 4 out of 5]

She make an admirable contribution to the confusion around how best to deal with plastic. it is a start, a good start if you can read this book. This is about ensuring one knows why one does anything at all, to establish good habits. I think the cleansing act of considering how this or does not help is great, at least, I find it helpful. Lucy breaks down the plastic jargon with ease and also presents numerous websites and her own tips for tackling this problem. It'll take time but this is more of the kind of action we need to be taking in this area.

[Courtnee · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent introduction into plastics and its impact on the environment. Easy to read, with references to other helpful sources to assist with decreasing your use of plastics.

[Alex Douglas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an important book with really impressive content and facts that everyone should read! It was interesting learning about the history of plastic in particular and upping my plastic knowledge. Super easy to read and accessible with the majority of the book made up of helpful tips and advice that we can all implement in our daily lives. (The only quibble I have is that it was a bit repetitive and there were lots of typos but that's down to editing rather the content of the book itself.)

[Sofija Kryž · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brief, to the point, non-fanatical and practical. I quite enjoyed this book, especially the advice section. The major drawback - the book is meant for the British audience, so a lot of information links - e.g. where to find a list of local environmentally friendly services may be irrelevant to foreign readers. Other than that - a good, useful read.