My Plastic Diet

Heather Stapleton

Heather Stapleton isn’t one to shy away from adventure or a challenge. As the Central IRL Community Engagement Coordinator with One Lagoon, she brings bold energy and fresh ideas to everything she does, including her recent contribution to Treasure Coast Almanac’s spring cover story, The MRF Experience: Hope, Chaos and Hard Truths, where she takes readers on an eye-opening journey through the real story of recycling on the Treasure Coast.

Heather’s path is anything but ordinary. With degrees in Environmental Studies, Political Science, and French from Indiana University, she launched her career by serving three years in the Peace Corps in one of the world's most under-resourced countries. Since then, she’s tackled every role with the same fearless curiosity—from her 16-year tenure as Education Director at the Environmental Learning Center to stepping up as Executive Director of the Vero Beach Heritage Center and Citrus Museum.

She’s also a talented actor, singer, and a beloved local performer known for her spirited readings of The Lorax to wide-eyed groups of children along the Treasure Coast. Whether she's leading environmental initiatives or bringing stories to life, Heather approaches it all with creativity, purpose, and a bold sense of joy.

So, in 2024 when she announced on social media that she intended to go on a plastic diet by giving up consumption of plastics for Lent, "I'm shocked" said absolutely no one who knows her. But everyone was curious to see how this would go.

I was so overwhelmed with my visit to the MRF (Material Recovery Facility) that I decided then and there that I would go on a plastic diet and help others who are interested in trying the same. For three months, I put myself on a strict plastic diet. I did not eliminate plastic, but I made serious reductions. To stay accountable, I talked about it and posted my progress and challenges on social media. Everyone was supportive and encouraging. Some people shared tips and others started making changes, too! With each successful switch I felt empowered to try more.

And try she did. She posted and posted, and more and more people followed. It was a shared journey full of twists, turns, wins, losses, discoveries, and above all, a revealing mutual experience with the inexorable role plastics have taken on daily life. Here are just a few of the key behavior changes she pursued in her efforts to reduce consumption:

• Taking reusable containers to both the deli and the butcher counter, which was admittedly awkward at first, but everyone got used to it.

• Making my own carbonated beverages at home.

• Shopping at more farmers markets and local farm stands where not everything is prepackaged in plastic.

• Shopping at specialty counters that only use plain butcher paper, but with care. I learned quickly that many butcher papers are lined with plastic.

• Using powdered laundry detergent in a cardboard box. Not all, but many of the laundry sheets use polyvinyl alcohol.

• Buying cooking oils in cans rather than plastic. Why not glass? It turns out where we live even glass is not truly recycled. It's just ground up and used as a layer in the landfill.

• Using shampoo and conditioner bars instead of liquids in plastic bottles. These are also cost effective because they are highly concentrated and often last longer than liquids.

• Avoiding prepackaged snack foods. This one was the hardest for me!

• Staying on the “look out” - I found a popular brand toilet paper wrapped in paper instead of plastic wrap at a standard grocery store.

Heather's dedication to her plastic diet was both inspirational and informative to all who followed and still is today. In fact, she has developed her plastic diet into a webinar you can register for and attend on June 4 HERE. But the key message Heather leaves us with is this:

A more sustainable future is not about recycling more, but about reducing our reliance on plastics and being mindful of what we consume. To anyone feeling overwhelmed by the idea of reducing plastic waste: start small, stay consistent and share your journey. Your choices matter, your actions make a difference, and your voice can inspire change.

Sometimes a single voice can build a wave of change. You may not be ready or even able to take on all of the challenges presented by a world rife with plastic but small actions here and there can add up with time. Take this moment to think about just a few small actions you could take to reduce your consumption of plastic — now share it with a friend.