You know in the movies where Tom Cruise, or Hanks, or Sellick talks about sticking it to the man? And it sounds cool because you evoke an image of one honest guy trying to face the machine? For a while that monster was Wall Street, then it was Oil…well now it’s Plastics. Right this moment, in an office somewhere, a bunch of old, rich men in expensive suits are trying to think up ways for you to consume more plastic. Pay attention to any marketing campaign right now, or watch a commercial with an analytical eye while waiting for The Voice season finale. Corporate America pays billions of dollars a year to monitor what you’re Googling, what you’re buying, what, when, how, and why you spend your hard-earned money. Before you get paranoid the U.S. government is tracking you, specifically, take a breath. Relax. They’re not. 

They’re just trying to figure out consumer patterns in order to create packaging and products that will make your life presumably easier, simpler, and better.

Right now, it’s all about convenience.

We use an obscene amount of plastic packaging right now. It’s been the butt of many a joke on SNL… the toothbrush with more safety and security precautions than Ft. Hood. The Russian doll illusion about a small purchase packed in a box, in another box, in another box, and finally, a bigger, better, brighter box. Giant companies spare no expense when it comes to packaging. If it sells, it doesn’t matter. Let’s talk about soda, the most popular item purchased in American grocery stores.  (Yes, that is a startling fact, but it will have to wait for another article another time.) If soda is indeed in high demand with the American consumer, wouldn’t it be economical to package it in large quantities? But think… how often do you see people buying a 2-liter bottle? Probably not as often as you see them buying a 12-pack of cans. Why? Because a can is more convenient. And although cans are made predominantly from aluminum, plastic materials are heavily involved. And now, to add insult to injury – half cans are available for your purchasing pleasure. Half the liquid, double the packaging. Why does this matter? And what does this have to do with fitppl? Both incredibly valid questions. We, as the free-thinking consumer, need to start thinking for ourselves. We need to see past clever marketing campaigns or packaging that draws the eye – because these are the tricks employed by the Plastics Industry that keep you distracted and not thinking about how they’re single-handedly responsible for a large amount of the damage we’re incurring on our planet. fitppl is built on the platform of reform. We want to minimize our plastic footprint, and that starts with thinking for ourselves - and not letting Plastics do it for us. Our mission is to use little to no plastic. We use handcrafted wooden spoons to replace a plastic scoop. We package our products in kraft paper materials (that do use a small amount of plastic in the lining of our packaging) but our aim is to find a way to eliminate plastic use completely. It might seem odd that we’re admitting to some plastic use when we’d rather be 100%...but we’re about transparency. We have nothing to hide.

Our mission isn’t to villainize plastic – it’s to wake us up! Let’s start being aware of how much excess is being used in the name of Packaging and let’s make choices based on our beliefs, not on our need for convenience. This is a movement, not a marketing technique. This is a lifestyle, not a fad.

Eliminate plastic from your life where you can, and you reduce the power of the industry. Educate yourself on the irrevocable damage it’s inflicting on our environment, and start making changes. It’s our Earth. It’s our home. And if we’re not kind to it, it will not be kind to us. Which is a shame, because it’s the only home we’ve got.