Each issue, GOOD asks an artist or group to set the tone with a visual representation of the issue's theme.For Issue 009: All You Can Eat, the designers at Rad Mountain depict the personal fitness struggles of anthropomorphized foods.Part 1Part 2Part 3Part 4
In the summer of 2015, Samantha Hansen set foot in the snow-white terrain of Antarctica along with her team of researchers from the University of Arizona and the University of Alabama. They were carrying spades and shovels to scoop out snow from the field and do their task. Their goal was to set up and install seismology stations. Using these stations, the researchers identified a mysterious range of underground mountains sandwiched between Earth’s mantle and core. According to their study, these mountains are five times taller than Mount Everest in some places. Findings were published in the journal Science Advances.
Representative Image Source: Pexels | Hugo Sykes
“Analyzing thousands of seismic recordings from Antarctica, our high-definition imaging method found thin anomalous zones of material at the CMB (cosmic microwave background) everywhere we probed,” said Dr. Edward Garnero, co-author of the study, in a university press release. “The material’s thickness varies from a few kilometers to 10’s of kilometers. This suggests we are seeing mountains on the core, in some places up to 5 times taller than Mt. Everest.” Along with Hansen and Garnero, the co-authors of the paper included Mingming Li and Sang-Heon Shim from Arizona State University and Dr. Sebastian Rost from the University of Leeds. Through global-scale seismic imaging, they unfolded these colossal mountains hidden deep beneath the Earth’s surface.
Deep inside the Earth’s surface, the boundary between its core and mantle has been an environment of curiosity for geologists worldwide. According to Insider, about 2,000 miles under the Earth's surface, temperatures soar drastically, and the material changes from solid rock in the mantle to a “gooey iron sludge” inside the core. Geologists study seismic waves spreading from the epicenter of an earthquake to the inside of a planet, to understand what lurks and happens in the planet’s innards. "Admittedly, to most people, seismic data is probably not that interesting to look at. It is a wiggly line that varies with time. But that wiggly line contains an amazing amount of information!" Hansen told Insider.
Representative Image Source: Sectional view of the Earth, showing central fire and underground canals linked to oceans, 1665. From Mundus Subterraneous by Athanasius Kircher. (Photo by Oxford Science Archive/Print Collector/Getty Images)
This particular study suggested that there was a layer of “ancient ocean floor” squished between the core-mantle boundary. It was subducted long ago as tectonic plates shifted. They called this region the “ultra-low velocity zone (ULVZ).” This zone was denser than the rest of the mantle. Scientists found this ancient ocean floor by scanning the seismic waves reverberating through it, just the way a body is examined through an X-ray or medical scan. “Seismic investigations, such as ours, provide the highest resolution imaging of the interior structure of our planet, and we are finding that this structure is vastly more complicated than once thought,” Hansen said in the press release. “Our research provides important connections between shallow and deep Earth structure and the overall processes driving our planet.”
Representative Image Source: Pexels | NASA
Using a system of sound wave echoes from the core-mantle boundary, Hansen and her team identified unusual spurts of energy within several seconds of examination. Mapping these signals, they compared the layer of this “pencil-thin” material to the thickness of Earth’s layers, which led them to find ULVZ. The ULVZ or mountains they found ranged from less than about 3 miles to more than 25 miles. As per the press release, the discovery of these underground mountains can provide a potential explanation of how heat escapes from the magnetized core. Also, further study of these ancient ocean floor materials could provide insights into how volcanic eruptions happen when the mantle plumes or hot spots travel back to the surface.
This article originally appeared last year.
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File:Pizzaiolo avec sa pizza à la coupe.jpg - Wikimedia Commons
Acts of kindness can brighten someone’s day, but sometimes they don't go as expected. It's disheartening when good deeds are punished. On Reddit, former pizza joint employee u/Huge_Buddy_2216 shared how his manager criticized him for buying dinner for a homeless man. However, the story took a surprising turn when a customer found a clever way to help.
The employee shared that he was working at a well-known US pizza delivery chain store in the early 2000s. He wrote, “For anyone who has ever worked in the US food service industry, you're probably familiar with what a failing dumpster fire of a restaurant looks like. On many nights it was just me and one driver taking care of the whole restaurant.”
He further shared his grievances as he mentioned that he did not have any breaks during his shift. He said in the post, "Breaks were out of the question because the restaurant would be completely unattended, the recent franchise buyers were complete and total idiots who would show up unannounced to yell at me, and the overwhelming majority of our customers ordered once and then never again. We had pizza deliveries taking 90+ minutes, people bringing them back to the store ... it was a nightmare."
Representative Image Source: Pexels I Photo by Jvxhn Visuals
After talking about his workplace's toxic environment, the employee goes on to narrate how one day a homeless man walked into the store to enquire whether the shop had any leftover pizzas. He wrote, "Well, 11 pm rolls around as I'm kind of standing by the phones watching the clock tick down, and a homeless man walks in. He introduced himself as Ricky and asked if we had any leftover pizzas that nobody picked up."
Representative Image Source: Pexels | Photo by Budgeron Bach
The employee mentioned that he apologetically informed Ricky that there were no leftovers. But, since he was in a good mood, he asked him what he wanted. The user described the incident saying, "He says he likes the meat lovers' pizza. Since he isn't a sociopath like some of our customers, I say I'll be happy to make him one. Ricky at this point is so thankful that he sits down in one of our chairs and starts bouncing up and down like a little kid."
Representative Image Source: Pexels I Photo by Polina Tankilevitch
The former employee had also paid for the pizza on behalf of the homeless man which cost him 12 dollars, equivalent to the wages of an hour and a half at the shop. He calls the transaction a "Good deal." Soon, things took an ugly turn as the manager arrived. "As the pizza comes out of the oven, in comes the area manager - the brother of the franchise owner. He begins shouting as usual and accuses me of stealing from the store,” he wrote.
The user talks about Henry, who is a regular customer at the shop and witnessed the commotion. He narrates, "The area manager shouts a bit more, calls me a liar, says the count better be right that night, and leaves." Soon both Ricky and Henry get their respective pizzas and leave the store with the duo spotted having a chat outside the shop.
The employee then explained how Henry devised a clever plan to help feed Ricky. "The next night, Henry calls me for an order. This was unusual because he was generally a once-a-week guy. I also found it unusual that he ordered a meat lovers' pizza instead of his usual supreme. I took it, made it, and 20 minutes later Henry called again apologetically to cancel it. I say OK. In a bizarre coincidence, Ricky rolled in right around that time asking for a pizza. I just so had one that was going to go uneaten sitting under the heater."
Representative Image Source: Pexels I Photo by Pixabay
The so-called "coincidence" soon started to take place every night as the user narrated, "Henry would call, order a meat lovers' pizza, and I'd make it. Henry would then call again and cancel and Ricky would coincidentally roll in. Every night, same time. You could time it to the second. This went on for months." Unfortunately, the clever scheme finally came to an end after one of his colleagues snitched on him and reported the full story to the manager. In the end, the user shared that the restaurant went under about a year later.
The heartwarming post went viral and gained around 8.5k upvotes with over 200 comments. u/Ashshaun commented, "Good people doing good for the sake of being good. I love it. Besides if a business can't cover the loss of 1 pizza a day (when most pizza places will give their employees free food anyway) they don't deserve to be in business." Another Reddit user expressed, "This. I've had to deal with homeless people more than a few times when I worked retail. You want a meal? I got you. I just wish I could have helped more. They usually have some nasty problems."
You can tell a lot about a country from its currency. In Suffolk, England, at the site of a future nuclear power station, archaeologists were granted a "rare and fascinating glimpse" into the region’s history after unearthing a bundle of coins dating back to the 11th century.
At the Sizewell C (SZC) development area, Oxford Cotswold Archaeology unearthed a lead-wrapped package—possibly a purse—filled with 321 mint-condition silver coins issued between 1036 and 1044. The hoard has a contemporary value of 320 pence, which OCA says would have been a "significant amount of money" at the time and probably belonged to someone of "local clout, perhaps a wealthy farmer," as opposed to someone of "national importance or super-elite status." It’s unclear why the stash was never retrieved.
OCA writes that the coins were issued during the reigns of three English kings, Harold I ("Harefoot"), Harthacnut, and Edward the Confessor, with the vast majority from the former. The most recent coins, created at the beginning of the Edwardian era, are all of the "PACX type," from between the summer of 1042 and 1044. There are four total designs present, also including the "Jewel Cross" and "Fleur-de-Lys" from Harold I, and the "Arm-and-Sceptre" from Harthacnut. OCA notes that coins were often reissued with design changes—partly to protect against forgery, partly to create a fresh supply of coinage, and partly as a taxation method.
Andrew Pegg, the archaeologist who found the coins, told the BBC he was physically "shaking" upon the discovery, calling the hoard a "perfect archaeological time capsule." He added, "The information we are learning from it is stunning and I'm so proud to have added to the history of my own little part of Suffolk."
Damian Leydon, the site delivery director at Sizewell C, said the project offers "a rare and fascinating glimpse into Suffolk’s rich history, deepening our understanding of this part of Britain." They plan to partner with the OCA to make the discoveries "as accessible to the public as possible."
Ancient currency is a fascinating way to view history, preserving elements of culture and government. Writer Cory Frewing talked about this for The Geographical Bulletin, a scholarly double-blind peer-reviewed journal out of Gamma Theta Upsilon (GTU), the International Geography Honor Society, in 2020, noting, "[C]oinage can be utilized for pursuing nationalistic ambitions and other centripetal forces that strengthen a State. Likewise, coins can also act as preservers and conveyers of national culture. Religion, language, values, and history have all been prominent subjects on coins from around the world since the Classical Era."
One of my favorite examples is the Roman "EID MAR" (or "Ides of March"), a rare issue of the famous denarius coin by Marcus Junius Brutus following the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BC—a major event in human history. One of these was actually sold in 2023 for a record price of $720,000.
According to the United States Mint, the Coinage Act of 1792 designated that all coins must have an "'impression emblematic of liberty,’ the inscription 'LIBERTY,' and the year of coinage on the obverse side." The reverse of gold and silver coins needed to feature an eagle along with the inscription "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA." The 1792 "half disme," widely considered the first U.S. coin produced under the Coinage Act, featured a portrait of a woman on the front with the inscription "LIB PAR OF SCIENCE & INDUSTRY (meaning "Liberty: Parent of Science & Industry"). This predates the Latin phrase "E PLURIBUS UNUM" ("Out of many, one"), introduced in 1795, or "IN GOD WE TRUST," which first appeared in 1864.
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The Bride & Her Girls | Missy, Stephanie (Maid of Honor) and… | Flickr
The privilege (and the pressure) that comes along with being asked to be the maid/matron of honor or the best man at a wedding is immense. You've got parties to plan, rings to keep track of, and most importantly, speeches to make that will hopefully inspire love in a roomful of friends and family.
So, when that speech lands with the crowd in a less-than-desirable way, it can be difficult for the anxious bride and/or groom. Whether it's nerves, too many tequila shots, or just plain poor planning, it's something to which many of us can relate.
Now, there are times when no amount of nerves or alcohol can account for a speech so terrible. But if there is a silver lining, it's likely that it gave the entire wedding party and guests something to bond over.
Many Redditors shared their cringe-inducing but very funny maid of honor experiences, and they absolutely do not disappoint.
One person posted a thread titled, "Maid of Honor speech gave me physical cringe." They describe a woman who seemed to have issues with not being the center of attention in her family. She was quite vocal about how she truly felt about her sister—the bride.
"Honestly, we’ve heard enough about my sister for one day. I’m a little sick of it.”
She then outed her sister's pregnancy, which, according to the Redditor, no one knew about except the bride and groom. "I can’t wait to meet the little one." Gasp.
Understandably, the comment section was active. Many even wondered why family members are often automatically put in the wedding party. One shared, "This is why I'm a firm believer that siblings/family do not get an automatic spot in the bridal party. Of course, thankfully, this tradition is dying down, and most siblings in the bridal party were chosen to be there."
In another Reddit thread entitled, "The worst speeches I've ever heard" on the subreddit "Wedding Shaming," people share their brilliantly awkward speech horror stories.
One user shares this strange gem: "At the last wedding I went to, the Maid of Honor very, very obviously loved the bride as more than a friend. The words 'love story for the ages' were used. She also mentioned how it would be them in a different lifetime. She openly wept at the idea of her husband having her for the rest of their lives without the Maid of Honor. It was awkward."
Everyone's great except the groom
The Groom - The Wedding Of Christell & Jon - Hestercombe G… | Flickrwww.flickr.com
Another user shared, "My sister made a horrible speech at my other sister's wedding. The groom's brother made his speech first. It was exactly what you would want—warm, funny, talked about their childhood, how they grew into adults, and the like. My sister was next, and right off the bat, she made an unfunny joke insulting the groom. She insulted the groom a few more times, insulted me, and extremely overplayed her relationship with our sister."
E-Bay or E-Harmony?
eBay | eBay, Gift Card, 1/2015 by Mike Mozart of TheToyChann… | Flickrwww.flickr.com
It's not always the Maid of Honor. Sometimes, it's the officiant. Someone commented, "How about this one: The couple has been married before, both divorced, and she has one son. The wedding official at city hall said in his speech, 'You have told me you two found each other on E-Bay. Well, that figures, because that's where you find used stuff, right?—Oooh, it was a dating site! My bad!'"
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How your perceive your time alone could impact your perception of it.
A new University of Michigan experiment published in Cognition & Emotion is showing that sometimes labels do matter. They have found that people who are experiencing solitude are less lonely when they refer to it as “me-time” rather than “isolation.” They have found that just labeling it as “me-time” improves the person’s perceptions and boosts positive feelings, regardless of where the lonely period is taking place or any activity being done.
In two separate studies, Micaela Rodriguez and Scott W. Campbell examined how “me-time,” “isolation,” and other terms used to describe time alone impacted a person’s emotions, behavior, and perception during their solo experiences. The first study had 500 U.S. adults assigned to one of five labels to describe alone time: me-time, time alone, solitude, being alone, or isolation. Each person’s rating on their assigned term was based on several aspects, including how positive or negative the term itself felt, the perception of that term’s impact on a person’s well-being, and whether the participant would actively seek out or avoid that type of alone time. The participants were also encouraged to share their experiences associated with the term they were assigned. The results revealed significant differences among the terms, with “isolation” being the less desirable and “me-time” being the most sought after, given that the latter time is implied and associated with other terms such as “self-care” and “relaxation” while “isolation” leaned more towards social exclusion.
What is good alone time versus unhealthy alone time?Photo credit: Canva
The second study had 145 undergrad students complete a survey measuring their baseline beliefs about alone time and its association with self-esteem, loneliness, and social support. They were then randomly placed into a 30-minute period of solitude framed either as “me-tme” or “isolation.” These sessions were in a self-selected location in which the participants weren’t allowed to use their phones or the internet, but could do non-social activities such as writing, reading, or drawing. After their solo session was completed, they rated their emotions and the experience, while describing the thoughts they had during their experience alone. They then reassessed the beliefs they had about alone time prior to the session. The results found that the participants who were told to have “me-time” had more positive feedback than the people who were told to have 30 minutes of “isolation,” even though there was no difference between the two in the study other than linguistics. Many of the “me-time” participants did the same activities during their alone time as the “isolated” participants, but there was still a difference in how they perceived their sessions.
So what does this mean? Many folks who spend a lot of time on their own might be wondering if it’s healthy for them, especially those who enjoy it. Knowing that the right labeling of their alone time could impact their outlook on it, but at the same time there are studies out there showing that living alone and lack of social interaction increases the risk of depression and dementia in adults. So positive or negative labeling aside, what is healthy “me-time” and unhealthy “isolation”?
Exercising by yourself could be good for your body and mind.Photo credit: Canva
Well, it kind of depends on the purpose of your alone time. There are benefits to it, such as taking moments of self-reflection and letting your brain defragment/decompress. “Healthy” alone time can include working out, reading, doing something creative like painting or sculpting, or spiritual practices like meditation or prayer.
In terms of “unhealthy” alone time, well, that depends. It’s not the same amount for everyone given the different reasons for alone time and a person’s personality. However, a general metric is that folks that spend over 75% of their time alone tend to be experiencing loneliness rather than enjoying or working in solitude. If you turn down an invitation from friends, ask yourself why. If its due to a lack of confidence or a negative self image, that’s different than turning it down because you’re “peopled out.” If you are experiencing heavy periods of alone time and find yourself spending it in bed, thinking negatively about it, or experiencing negative self-talk during it, just labeling it as “me-time” probably won’t remove those issues.
How you spend your alone time could indicate whether it is healthy.Photo credit: Canva
If you are indeed experiencing loneliness, you may want to reach out to friends and family to shake things up in your routine by scheduling a lunch or doing a needed errand together. If that doesn’t feel possible, many people consult a therapist or counselor that can help create a plan to reduce loneliness or find its root source. In short, it may be helpful to reflect upon what you’re experiencing when you’re by yourself to see if it's beneficial for you.
Whatever the case, the fact is that when it comes to feeling alone, you’re not alone.
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We look back at 5 of the most hilarious 'Saturday Night Live' auditions.
Saturday Night Live is a comedy institution, and no one would expect auditioning to be a cake walk. But over the years, numerous cast members have opened up about how terrifying and painfully awkward that process can be.
The final auditions are typically held at Studio 8H in Midtown Manhattan, where SNL is filmed, with a small crew of top brass in attendance—and getting a laugh is apparently no easy task. Not to mention the sheer peer pressure of it all: "I get in the evaluator, and net to me is a guy with tons of props," Bill Hader told Howard Stern, recalling his experience. "I go, 'I don’t have any props.' [It was] Andy Samberg—that’s when I met Andy Samberg! He told me that he was looking at me, like, 'Ah, that guy doesn’t need props!'" (It should be noted that some future stars, like the great Mike Myers, manage to bypass the audition process altogether.)
With all of those fear factors in mind, it’s kind of amazing that anyone does well. But tons of SNL performers were already primed for live TV—and luckily for us, we have the footage to prove it. Ahead of a massive, three-hour 50th-anniversary special, which airs Sunday, Feb. 16, we decided to revisit some of the sketch show’s most hilarious auditions. (Remember: They’re not all publicly available. If only we could see Eddie Murphy do his thing…)
Dana Carvey (1986-1993)
Dana Carvey is a combustible comedic force who could improvise nonsense for an hour and make it funny. And his SNL audition is no exception, filled with impressions that aim for dead-on realism (then-current cast member Dennis Miller), amplified silliness (Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous host Robin Leach), and borderline-surrealism (a "senile" take on Robin Williams’ wacky stage persona). It also features a nod to Carvey’s younger brother, Brad, whose sheepish voice and body language wound up forming the basis of Garth Algar, part of his Wayne’s World sketch (and films) with Mike Myers.
A comedic Swiss Army knife with an everyman face and the robust voice of a veteran broadcaster, Phil Hartman was nicknamed "The Glue" by his cast mates for holding the show together. He showcased exactly why during his jaw-dropping audition, doing characters that ranged from a grizzled private eye to a wacky product pitchman to an incompetent German impressionist. This 11-minute video doesn’t quite cover all of Hartman’s talents, but it comes close.
For my money, Ferrell’s versatile (and somewhat insane) audition is the best of all-time—possibly the reason SNL released it in full on their YouTube channel. Almost all of his bits wound up on the actual show: a riotous impression of Chicago Cubs announcer Harry Caray (here reading lines for a play), a seemingly normal adult playing with cat toys with the mannerisms of an actual feline, and (my favorite) a parent whose gentle requests for their child to "get off the shed" gradually morph into in-the-red rage.
As one of the most eccentric and brilliant comic voices from 21st-century SNL, it’s fitting that Fred Armisen probably clinched his audition by portraying a character no one else on Earth would have attempted: a percussion-wielding, catchphrase-loving Venezuelan nightclub comic named Fericito. Armisen, who himself is half-Venezuelan, recalled in the Peacock documentary SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night that Fericito was a loving homage to Puerto Rican-American artist Tito Puente. "I used to go see [him] in concert, and he would make these little jokes," he said. "'Did you feel it? Not you—her!' [Shrugs.] It was almost like a little mini-obsession: 'What is this thing he does? I wanna try it. I wanna try a little of that.'"
A master of cartoonish voices and wild shapeshifting, Kristen Wiig brought her A-game to the SNL audition, presenting multiple characters that wound up as staples on the show. In this clip, you can see her workshop Aunt Linda, the outraged and overwhelmed woman who finds herself reviewing movies at the Weekend Update desk, and the melodramatic Target checkout lady who becomes overwhelmed by the scent of a customer’s candle.
There are some days when you’re just looking for a nice, positive laugh. A lot of comedy films out there that are biting, snarky, and mean-spirited. That’s not bad on its own. Such comedy allows people to laugh at the angry parts of life. But those comedies don't always fit the mood you want when you’ve had a harsh day or a day filled with rage-baity news. On the opposite end, you probably aren’t in the mood for anything that’s too corny, preachy, or have that “we’ve all learned something today” motif that makes you roll your eyes.
Fortunately, there are some movies out there that have positive feel-goodness but don’t sacrifice quality laughs to keep up with the light vibe. Here are a few movies that are able to keep the balance between genuinely funny and genuinely lighthearted.
The Princess Bride
While the film can fall under romance, fantasy, adventure, and other categories, a primary bent throughout The Princess Bride is its ability to be all of those genres and a comedy, too. While the film is a fairytale love story with swashbuckling it’s peppered with several lighthearted and, more importantly, funny jokes and gags that keep it balanced from being too saccharine. As film critic Roger Ebert said in his review, “While younger viewers will sit spellbound at the thrilling events on the screen, adults, I think, will be laughing a lot.”
This Wes Anderson movie about a young refugee’s rags to riches story as life as a bellboy at a luxurious hotel provides some cozy moments and quirkiness that have become Wes Anderson’s trademark. However, there are plenty of madcap jokes and scenes that bring about legit laughter during an otherwise sweet story set during darker times. As the New York Times puts it, “This movie makes a marvelous mockery of history, turning its horrors into a series of graceful jokes and mischievous gestures.”
Hunt for the Wilderpeople is directed by Taika Waititi, known for What We Do in the Shadows and Thor: Ragnarok among other loud and fun comedies, but what sets this movie apart is that it sounds outright cheesy on paper. The film is ultimately about a foster child and his guardian that are total opposites finally bonding together while surviving nature and avoiding the authorities. Yet the father-figure/surrogate son connection feels genuine and not sickeningly sweet due to some of the crasser-yet-not-mean-spirited laughs, making it an “off-kilter charmer” according to The Guardian.
Some of the older folks reading this article already are having the song “It Had to Be You” running through their heads as soon as they saw the title. This 80s romantic comedy questioning whether or not men and women can be “just friends” goes beyond the premise to deliver some quality jokes, great quips, and that one scene that is so well known that it was turned into a mayonnaise commercial for the 2025 Super Bowl. While When Harry Met Sally... is a love story, it stands above the pack of most rom-coms due to its grounded nature and ability to show the ugly, struggling parts of a relationship. It’s a film that believes in love wholeheartedly without being lovesick. As put in a retrospective review on Film Magazine, “For a film steeped in the authenticity of real modern life, it had a total fairy tale ending, yet it worked so bloody well.”
While on the surface it appears as a run-of-the-mill children’s film starring a CGI character, Paddington 2 is somehow very earnest, sweet, and honest while also providing quality laughter and witty jokes that even make the most cynical adult giggle. Seeing Hugh Grant as a scene-chewing actor turned thief makes the movie a riot alone. A film doesn’t get a 99% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes for just being a quality movie made for kids.
Emma Beddington, a writer for The Guardian, had a challenge: Try to live one month without any single-use plastics and record her progress each day. Her experience was more difficult than she could have imagined.
Sure, you could use reusable bags to carry groceries and buy fresh produce instead of packaged veggies, but virtually everything else in the store had some form of plastic packaging, whether it was a bag of chips, sliced bread, a jug of milk, and packed cuts of meat (luckily for the last one, she’s a vegan).
While she was able to achieve her shopping by inconveniently buying reusable paper or cloth bags, wrapping, etc. then shopping from specialty shops and bakeries that don’t use plastic containers or bags, she still fell short after nearly two weeks of mindfully running around and finding places and items that were plastic-free . While she was shopping for supplies for a night of cocktails, she blanked out and accidentally bought ice in a plastic bag.
But who could blame her? Throughout the globe, single-use plastic is a part of nearly every consumer product or the packaging. Even if you take away the food in the average grocery store, there are several products that use non-reusable plastic packaging or containers such as laundry detergent, toothpaste, dish soap, shampoo, and more. Even paper products such as toilet paper and paper towels are sealed in plastic wrap. Even if you do find a place in which you can purchase items with a reusable bottle, container, or bag, it’s often a specialty store for specific items and you’d have to find other shops in your area or online that can refill your supplies with the containers you provide. It’s nearly impossible to escape single-use plastics in the modern world.
Even non-fast food restaurants contribute to the single-use plastic problem.Photo credit: Canva
It’s an ever-growing problem, too. According to the Smithsonian, 85% of U.S. plastic waste in 2021 went to landfills instead of being incinerated or recycled. Even recycling the very few types of single-use plastics that are able to be recycled don’t do much. Those plastics are typically repurposed for other single-use plastic items like soda bottles that eventually end up in landfills anyway.
It’s not just harmful to Earth’s health, but our health, too. Discarded plastic bottles and food containers found in our oceans and lakes eventually turn into microplastics that can be found in the fish we consume and in our tap water. These microplastics have been linked to increases in risk of heart disease, liver disease, and other health problems. A 2024 report by CNN showed that the human brain samples from cadavers contained a spoonful of microplastics in each one.
Even recycled plastic ends up in a landfill eventually.Photo credit: Canva
So what can a person do about all of this? Well, there are small ways you can individually help by refilling and using metal water bottles, coffee tumblers, cloth grocery bags, and containers while also buying products and supporting businesses that use green alternatives to single-use plastics whether they come from farmer’s markets or online. In terms of the bigger picture aside from voting with your wallet, you can start or contribute to letter campaigns to companies saying that you would buy their products more often if they provided alternative ways to purchase or collect them without single-use plastics or disposables. If you feel moved, talk to your local, state, and federal representatives about this issue and with enough people they could introduce a bill to help bring more attention, awareness, and action towards this global problem.
Using a reusable metal water bottle is one small yet impactful way to reduce plastic waste.Photo credit: Canva
It may not seem like much at first, but big change usually starts with small, determined, and inconvenient actions.