A Life Without Plastic Gadgets and Decor

Wee plastic deer for your shadowbox by ModsLuvRockers on Etsy.

I know there are a lot of people who hate plastic. Maybe not the plastic itself, but perhaps the way in which it's made. Industrialism hasn't always been a clean and eco friendly process. In fact I have heard the horror stories of many years ago people working in big plastics factories. I've heard the whispers of lawsuits -- some of all the women becoming infertile. Some of the workers having lung cancer from the asbestos. Some from the side effects of the formaldehyde.

Wait little kitty, is that melamine you are drinking?  From TheIdConnection on Etsy.

I want to say I know those whispers are true, because if you pick up an old Plastics Encyclopedia, say from 1941, your eyes will bug out as you watch workers handling balls of asbestos with their bare hands, no gloves and no masks. Other workers manually stirring large vats of hot steamy chemicals without a face mask.

PostCardsfromtheEdge on Etsy offers this chemical post card. Old chemical plant.

What were they thinking? I would think that back then gloves and masks of some sort (even if they did look a bit big and rubbery) were available! Were the factories just not giving them or workers just not wearing them?  I don't know.

Chemicals dumped in nearby lakes or streams, polluting the water and giving people within a radius the ill side effects of them. Whole towns in fact, perhaps some without knowing.  Factory smoke not filtered, smog, hurting our ozone. Is this to blame for the hot weather of today?

Today of course there are so many more precautions companies take TODAY as they have learned from the mistakes of YESTERDAY but sadly at our relative's expense. New laws and safety precautions and awareness of what can happen have forced higher standards and safety measures.  Today, they have found a way to make factories. I can't imagine a world without plastics.

Plastic is everywhere. These letters are plastic. Look at your decor!  These at VintageJane on Etsy.

I am looking around just one room of my house as I type this. Maybe I'm a clutterbug but I've counted some things that are plastic or plastic type products just here in my living room!

Plastic lampshade on my lamp.
Plastic curtain rod on my window.
Plastic decorations on another lamp.
Plastic cup I'm drinking out of.
Plastic gadgets on the table.
Plastic Tube on some cream for my dog.
Plastic bookmark for my book.
Plastic cellphone cover and case.
Plastic keys on my keyboard, and case cover on my laptop.
Plastic all over my window air conditioning unit.
Plastic for the tv, ac, and cable remote.
Plastic casing on my tv.
Plastic housing for my cable box.
Plastic dog toys strewn about.
Plastic train car someone gave me. (decoration).
Plastic - Fiberglass Nystrom mannequin decoration.
Plastic picture frames.
Plastic clock on the wall.
Plastic pet steps.
Plastic light cover.
Plastic light switch.
Plastic cords on everything.
Plastic plug covers.
Wait, that's plastic on the bottom of my slipper!
Oh no, my bra has plastic hoojie-mabobs on the straps!
Ack! It's everywhere!
Okay, enough, plastic, plastic, plastic!

If I look hard enough maybe I'll find some more.  Imagine, a world without plastic? What would we do?   Look around you, count the plastic you can see, how much is there?