Environmental campaigner and first female chair of the Surf Rider’s Association, Susie Crick, on why we can't wait for companies to do the right thing.
One of my colleagues [at Surf Rider’s Association] often tells me plastic pollution is a design choice. I agree with that. However, I think we can all contribute to the global solution. Our purchases and wallets have contributed to this overload of single-use plastic that we’ve been seeing over the last few years.
Change is happening, and everyone is on a different part of that journey. Some people do beach cleans, some sign petitions, and some have more time and passion and write to politicians. But most of us have become so dependent on the convenience of single-use plastics that now we’re blind to it. We all need to sit back and realise what part we've played in this plastic dilemma and what we want and can do about it.
You might wonder why I’m so focused on the single-use plastic issue. I live on the beach, love the ocean, and have a strong passion for ending ocean microplastics. What’s out there in the ocean is a direct result of our actions here on land. We have to start changing our practices and our dependence on plastic. When I go into a supermarket, I’m surrounded by these amazingly packaged and beautifully marketed products. But I want to buy what’s inside the packaging, not the package itself.
If it sounds simple, that’s because it is
There is a big discussion on the cost of not using plastic. But it’s quite simple. The cost of inaction further down the line is much, much more. As individuals, we have to make those informed choices whenever possible and know that we have the power to vote with our wallets. Companies produce based on demand. So, if we stop buying or using single-use plastics, those products will stop appearing on our shelves and end up in landfill or the ocean. If it sounds simple, that’s because it really is that simple.
But we can’t rely on companies to do the right thing. To do something for the greater good tends to cost more. That shouldn’t be the case, and many companies, including B Corps affiliates, have bucked that trend. But most processes and companies are set up to do one thing and one thing only: return a profit to their shareholders.
So, if it’s unrealistic to expect corporations to make the changes, it is down to us. That starts at the local level and builds out. As an individual and someone out shopping, you can choose not to purchase something wrapped in single-use plastic and feel good about a choice that hasn’t cost you anything.
Sometimes, you will buy a product, and you don’t have a choice regarding single-use plastic. They will force it on you through product design, laziness, or habit. Well, the thing about single-use plastic is that you are likely to use it in that instant – or maybe a few minutes – and then it gets thrown away. Again, the answer is simple. Just take it back. Chances are you’re still right by the store or shop. Give the corporation the responsibility of disposing of this pointless product. Sure, if it’s just your straw, cup, or sauce sachet, then it’s no big thing. But when it’s hundreds or thousands of people in a store every day, it costs them and then they’ll rethink their processes. Again, if it sounds simple, that’s because it is!
But the beginning of the end of the plastic pollution problem will come around when governments force the manufacturers to own the problem that they are creating. We, as consumers, have to put pressure on governments to put pressure on corporations to restrict the amounts and types of waste they produce and to incentivise waste reduction. Only then will we see real change. I do not doubt that corporations will quickly find a way to change their practice to maintain their profits, and have probably already worked it out.
Just say no to single-use plastics. That may sound weak and small for one person. Well, one person may only be able to do so much, but 8 billion can do so much more.
It has to be stopped at the source
We need to remember that the oceans have no borders. Whether it’s in Australia, the North Sea, or the Baltics, we all live downstream. Once the rubbish is in the sea, it’s too late. It has to be stopped at the source. Although the best entry point for a person who wants to start dabbling in the environment is a beach clean-up, I challenge everyone to dive in deep and get involved, get informed, start writing letters and put pressure on your governments and authorities and international institutions.
In Australia, our policies are not strong enough, which is strange when our people are informed. We have a mismatch with a government pretending that climate change is not happening. Our population in Australia is small, but our land is vast and full of incredibly rich minerals. We’re so reliant on the mining sector. It’s why we do well as a country. Those mining companies wield power and influence of our government. Consumer actions can’t do much about that, so we need to start putting pressure on governments to force the big corporations to clean up their act.
You would be amazed how much power a four-year-old has when they see it with their own eyes
When it comes to action, it’s a generational issue. Education has to start young, and we have to ensure children understand what is happening from the outset. I’m talking preschool age. You would be amazed how much power a four-year-old has when they see it with their own eyes; down on the beach, there is rubbish. They don’t like the fact it’s easier to collect bottle caps and lolly sticks than seashells and seaweed.
I work in a preschool where we go to the beach and do beach cleans; that’s how we start them on that journey. You’d be surprised by the number of parents saying that now they go to the beach and the child only wants to collect rubbish. Well, that’s a good thing! It shows good stewardship and respect for the natural world, which, frankly, is lacking in the parents’ generation. Kids don’t want to see their beaches polluted, and they’re doing something about it.
When you talk to children about the environment and climate change, you quickly realise that the youth has got it right. They don’t want to inherit our convenience and dependence on single-use plastics. When you stand alongside your children, you find your voice because you’re suddenly invested so much more in their future. And what parent doesn’t want to do that for their kids?
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity - 16th June 2020