This unit at Freestyle gave us the freedom to document pretty much anything while we explored how to research, interview, tell stories, and communicate messages<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My documentary is on a store in downtown Los Altos called “Right On! Refillery.” As the name suggests, it’s a store where you can bring in old containers and fill them with various bulk products. It’s a great way to reduce the plastic waste that comes from single-use containers. The store also sells many non-bulk products that are ethically and sustainably sourced. You can even bring in specific types items for recycling!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In English class, the path to our final documentary paper was long yet rewarding. Once our topic and subject was decided, we had to schedule and plan our first interview. I interviewed the owner of the refillery, Emily Ting, and got to learn a lot about her store, how she started it, and what her personal views on sustainability were. In addition to the first interview, I was also working on researching my topic and collecting as much information as possible. Eventually, we had to conduct a second interview. I interviewed my chemistry and biology teacher Ms. Pyle to get to know how she practices sustainability in her everyday life. Everything started to come together once we created our outline, the plan for where certain research and interview bits would go. The final step was to actually write the paper, which actually came pretty easily thanks to the outline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Choose to reuse<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 1862, British chemist Alexander Parkes patented an invention that would change the world (Science Museum). His creation was a groundbreaking innovation in consumer products and manufacturing. But today, it has become one of the greatest threats to the future of our planet. Parkes had created the first semi-synthetic plastic, a material whose successors have been found in our water, our food, and even our bodies (Gerretsen). Isabelle Gerretsen, an environmental journalist for the BBC, remarks that \u201cwe may be consuming tiny fragments of plastic with almost every bite we take.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, what are we supposed to do? It\u2019s clear to see how terrible plastic is for the environment, but it\u2019s also quite apparent how much we rely on it. The solution isn\u2019t as simple as getting rid of plastic altogether. If the only way to combat plastic pollution was to completely cut plastic out, we would never get anywhere. Still, there are many places where plastic isn\u2019t actually necessary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Think about all of the products you buy that come in plastic packaging. Shampoo, laundry detergent, toothpaste, soap, and so many more. These products are intended to be used and then thrown out. But think about how much plastic (and money) you could save if you could reuse your containers and simply fill them up each time they were empty. This is the exact idea behind Right on! Refillery, a refill and sustainable product store in downtown Los Altos that provides options for people to combat the growing issue of plastic pollution in their everyday lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chapter one: Microplastics<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Microplastics are synthetic plastic particles smaller than 5 mm in size that do not biodegrade (Lee, Yongjin et al). As stated earlier, microplastics have been found inside of human bodies, in drinking water, and in food (Gerretsen). In fact, you yourself could be putting microplastics into the food you prepare. Did you know that plastic cutting boards can spread microplastics into food? Microplastics can also be spread to food when it is packaged in plastic (Habib, Rana Zeeshan et al).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But microplastics can enter food even before it gets packed up in plastic. Isabelle Gerretsen from the BBC covered the issue of microplastic pollution in crops. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A major way microplastics infiltrate food is through sewage sludge, a type of organic fertilizer made from cleaned municipal wastewater. She reported that \u201cIn 2022, analysis by the Environmental Working Group, an environmental non-profit, found that sewage sludge has contaminated almost 20 million acres (80,937sq km) of US cropland\u201d (Gerretsen). This contamination can have many negative effects on soil quality. According to the National Library of Medicine, \u201cSoil contamination with microplastics can increase water evaporation, increase desiccation cracking, change the bulk density, decrease water stable aggregates, and alter microbial activity\u201d (Prata and Dias-Pereira).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The idea of eating plastic is definitely unpleasant, but the significance of the issue really comes down to the ways plastic can harm ourselves and other organisms. Many of the dangers associated with microplastics are still unknown or being researched. Stephanie Dutchen covered many of the potential health impacts of microplastics in her article \u201cMicroplastics Everywhere\u201d. One major factor contributing to the dangers of microplastics is their very small size. Through the use of models, scientists have discovered two different ways that microplastics are able to enter cells. Research also suggests that the inhalation of microplastics may lead to illnesses commonly caused by other forms of air pollution. Dutchen also covered the dangerous chemicals in and on microplastics such as BPA and heavy metals, substances which are linked to a variety of health problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chapter two: Right on! Refillery<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is estimated that the world creates about 52 million metric tons of plastic pollution every year (Borenstein). Now that you know about the various dangers plastic poses, you\u2019re probably wondering how we can work to bring this number down. Or, if it\u2019s even possible to. Elizabeth Pyle, a science teacher who regularly practices sustainability, believes that current sustainability methods are effective, but that they might not be enough. Her reasoning? Too few people actually choose to practice them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But how, in a world where we rely so much on plastic, can we cut back enough to make a change? This is the issue tackled by Right on! Refillery. Owner Emily Ting describes the store as \u201ca way to eliminate the need to continually buy plastic bottles\u201c and \u201can opportunity to refill most of your household products, by weight, using bottles that you already own.\u201d The process of buying from the refillery is simple: bring in your own empty container, purchase one from the store, or take one of the free containers donated by other customers. Then, you can fill it up with one of their many products. The price is determined by weight, so you can get as little or as much as you want. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Refill stores and refilling bottles are not new concepts. Emily told me about her own history with refilling: \u201cI grew up in Massachusetts and we were part of a co-op and, this is when I was a kid, you know 40 years ago, and we refilled things at our food co-op\u201d (Ting). Emily thinks that even though refilling isn\u2019t a new thing, we\u2019ve moved so far away from it as a culture that it feels novel to people. As more refill stores such as Right on! Refillery open, the ability to reduce plastic waste by refilling gets much more accessible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Right on! Refillery doesn\u2019t just stock bulk products for refilling, they also sell a variety of other sustainable products from local vendors. Emily told me about some of her favorite products, including a day and night facial cream from a San Jose woman-owned business called \u201cRebrand.\u201d When I came to visit, she was preparing samples of \u201cDandelion Chocolate\u201d, a San Francisco, ethically sourced chocolate company with eco-friendly packaging. The refillery also offers sustainability services beyond just things you can buy. Featured in the store are recycling boxes for specific products such as hygiene items, as well as various resources on recycling plastic in general.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When choosing vendors for the refillery, Emily takes care to ensure that \u201cour products are all closed loop in how they\u2019re being sent to us, and how we\u2019re reusing containers, and how the vendor is reusing containers, and that the vendors also have priority for plastic free in their own supply chain\u201d (Ting). Emily\u2019s goal with her customers is to have them participate in a \u201cclosed loop\u201d, too; containers getting continuously reused and refilled such that little to no waste ends up being produced. It\u2019s for sure better than a loop of buying, using, and throwing away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chapter three: Sustainability<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An important step to becoming sustainable is to understand what it actually means. Most people probably have a general idea of what the word \u201csustainability\u201d refers to, but putting it into words brings a lot of clarity into the discussion of what we need to be doing to help the planet. Emily explained sustainability to me as being conscious of how your choices affect the world. As she puts it, \u201cThinking about what you do [and] how what you do impacts the world around you.\u201d Ms. Pyle defined it in a more broad sense. Drawing from the root \u201csustain,\u201d, she describes sustainability as acting in a way that can be \u201csustained\u201d over a long period of time. This means making choices, such as reducing plastic waste, that will allow our planet to survive well into the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, with sustainability becoming more important and easy to practice, the question remains as to why more people aren\u2019t practicing it. I posed this question to both Emily and Ms. Pyle, and their answers were shockingly similar. As Ms. Pyle puts it, \u201cA lot of people don’t have empathy as one of their top priorities of, well, what about a better world for the future generations, or me in 30 years? They think about right now, \u2018I want to buy this plastic thing, and I want to throw it away, or I don’t care about using plastic water bottles\u2019.\u201d And according to Emily, the biggest threat to widespread sustainability is \u201cconvenience, and the fact that a lot of people are focused on that, and things like fast fashion, and Amazon and getting things quickly.\u201d Oftentimes, being sustainable isn\u2019t the most easy or convenient option. But for the future of our planet, it tends to be the best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The future of plastic pollution and sustainability doesn\u2019t have to be so hopeless. Even if it doesn\u2019t seem like anybody else is trying, your actions are still important. Every bottle you choose to refill is one less bottle in a landfill or the ocean. And when you make the choice to live more sustainably, you\u2019re influencing those around you to do the same. As Emily told me, \u201dWhen you do things as an individual and you make sustainable choices, your friends see it, your kids see it, [and] your peers see it\u201d (Ting). Whether it be refilling containers, cutting back on single use plastic, or voting on sustainable legislation, protecting the environment is something we all have the power to do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Works Cited<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Age of Plastic: From Parkesine to Pollution.\u201d Science Museum, 11 Oct. 2019, www.sciencemuseum.org.uk\/objects-and-stories\/chemistry\/age-plastic-parkesine-pollution. <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Borenstein, Seth. “The world creates 52 million tonnes of plastic pollution a year, study finds.” Globe & Mail [Toronto, Canada], 5 Sept. 2024, p. A7. Gale In Context: Global Issues, link.gale.com\/apps\/doc\/A807297958\/GIC?u=los42754&sid=bookmark-GIC&xid=1dbbe0f0.<\/a> Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dutchen, Stephanie. \u201cMicroplastics Everywhere.\u201d Harvard Medicine Magazine, 3 Mar. 2025, magazine.hms.harvard.edu\/articles\/microplastics-everywhere. <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Gerretsen, Isabelle. \u201cHow Microplastics Are Infiltrating the Food You Eat.\u201d BBC News, BBC, 5 Jan. 2023, www.bbc.com\/future\/article\/20230103-how-plastic-is-getting-into-our-food.<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Habib, Rana Zeeshan et al. \u201cMicroplastic Contamination of Chicken Meat and Fish through Plastic Cutting Boards.\u201d International journal of environmental research and public health<\/em> vol. 19,20 13442. 18 Oct. 2022, doi:10.3390\/ijerph192013442<\/p>\n\n\n\n