On 10 March, you reported on a study showing that microplastics may impact plant photosynthesis, putting hundreds of millions at risk of starvation, part of your continuing important coverage of the damage caused by plastic.
A few days later, on 14 March, an article suggested ways to reduce your use of plastic: “Get milk delivered and always buy refills: 20 simple ways to cut down on plastic (and save money)” . All well and good. However, a few days after that, on 17 March, there was a glowing five-star review of the Otty Original Hybrid mattress . This uncritically noted that the mattress is compressed in the factory and delivered in a box, “encased in metres of sturdy plastic” to stop it expanding during transit, but this fact was not mentioned again, even in the section purportedly examining the sustainability of the product.
There seems to be a lack of coherence here: a clash between reports on the reality of pervasive plastic pollution and the often superficial nods to “sustainability” that form part of contemporary consumerism.
Samuel Bruce
Mitaka City, Tokyo, Japan
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