No Time to Waste

Sabrina Shankman’s Perspective (“I Tried Eliminating Plastic Waste. Then Came the Barbie Dreamhouse,” January 21) perfectly illustrates how individual consumer efforts and commitments are frustrated, and ultimately overcome, by systemic packaging practices. Until we pressure the producers of consumer goods to stop spewing mounds of packaging, which are largely not reusable or recyclable, our individual efforts to reduce plastic will remain insignificant. Individual responsibility and effort ARE important, but directing them at systemic change is critical. When will we Americans learn that corporate practices shape our lives as much as, if not more than, individual action?

Irene Maksymjuk

Boston

Buy Nothing groups on Facebook are actually pretty great. I’ve found new homes for many of the toys and gear my kids have outgrown — sometimes with other families, sometimes with child care providers and teachers looking for supplies. They’re a really valuable community resource.

rafibomb posted on bostonglobe.com

As it is, the plastics industry has pulled a stunt by making us blame ourselves for our sins, rather than them for pushing their products on us! Programs like glass bottle and aluminum deposits work great and should be updated to index inflation. A similar program could be in place for recyclable plastics. So, if you had to pay a $20 surcharge on the Barbie house, but got your money back if it was given to a disposal/recycling service, maybe it wouldn’t be so hard for us all to do better?

Andrew Martens posted on bostonglobe.com

In ’88 I exercised our Massachusetts right to file legislation “by request” and wrote . . . the law requiring plastic containers be labeled with the “chasing arrows” to encourage recycling.

For years, it was one of my proudest accomplishments — until I became aware of the deplorably low level of actual recycling that [Shankman cites] in the column (and until I visited Bali and saw for myself the horrific price people in the developing world pay for plastics that we throw away). Now I’m trying as best I can to follow [her] example and minimize my own use of single-use plastics . . . . I think a deposit on ALL plastic containers . . . would help, but I suspect it will take more Draconian measures!

WDStephenson posted on bostonglobe.com