Plastic Soup

Running score

The time given me to submerge myself in the Plastic Soup was too short to be able to study all aspects of it—all the problems that come with plastic waste, and all the available solutions. Not even a whole life would be enough to do that … Therefore, I don’t see this moment as the end of the project, but as a mid-term, half-time score. Everything I have written so far can be seen as a first exploration. In my blog, I will continue reporting what did not make it into the book.

During my quest, I successively got dispirited, and became enthusiastic and inspired. I became dispirited because of the facts—how bad the pollution already is in our oceans and seas, on the Earth, and amongst animals and ourselves. When I started the book, I still thought that although there’s a load of plastic in the sea; it’s just a question of cleaning it up. But then I discovered that the plastic soup, for the large part, consists of microplastic—plastic particles that are hardly visible to the naked eye. And finally, I realized that the greatest problem isn’t the plastic itself, but the toxins that are processed in it, and the toxins that attach to the plastic in the sea, all of which have inflicted a great deal of damage to our environment and health on land and in the seas. But just when I thought that we would never find a way out of this, I became convinced, after the discussions, that together we could solve the problems. If we could bring together all the people I interviewed, we can make the world cleaner and transform plastic—a true wonder material.

At this point in the investigation, in order to recap, I want to list all the points. ACT assumes that each ‘Inconvenient Truth’ can be matched to a ‘Convenient Truth’ (a solution that is already available or that is still to be developed).

I will list the ‘Inconvenient Truths’ I encountered during my travels and then place the ‘Convenient Truths’ against them.

Those who can, and should work on the ‘Convenient Truths’ are the consumers, scientists, business community and industry. I also see a role for the government. Although personally, I am not a big supporter of too much legislation, a few rules have to be implemented and adhered to in order for something to change. Certain people and companies with money and power who have nothing to gain from change, can still be an obstruction.

Table - Inconvenient vs. Convenient Truths

In brief, there is still a lot to do … But luckily a lot can be done. And there are more and more people that want to participate!

I also want to take this opportunity to thank a few people that have been important to the realization of the book and the blog.

Firstly, Maria Westerbos who through her passionate enthusiasm welded the whole act together and instilled confidence in me to get involved in the Plastic Soup.

Dave Cooper and Vincent Janssen Steenberg were indispensable for the project. They almost simultaneously translated my blog-entries and interviews and while writing, provided me with comments, ideas and enough music to compile a Plastic Soup soundtrack.

Of course I am very grateful to all who participated in the interviews in this book and who had to put up with my barrage of questions.

Frances de Jong was, as always, steady as a rock providing all my texts with much needed corrections at break-neck speed.

Marc Suvaal made it my most beautiful book so far—it’s always a great pleasure to work together with him.

And finally, I would like to mention the publisher, who has written this book just as well as I did, and the baby—because I want to make the world a better place for her.

Let’s go change the world!

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