Talking Rubbish - The Recycling Podcast How brands got us hooked on plastic, with Saabira Chaudhuri
Aug 14, 2025
Saabira Chaudhuri, author of 'Consumed' and former Wall Street Journal reporter, dives deep into how brands lured us into the plastic trap. She explores the historical quirks that made plastic the preferred choice, the rampant rise of single-use plastics post-WWII, and the misguided recycling narrative. Saabira also highlights the environmental fallout and discusses what we could do differently if we started fresh. Her insights challenge us to rethink consumer habits and advocate for meaningful change in the plastic industry.
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Plastic Rewired Everyday Consumption
- Saabira Chaudhuri traced plastic's rise through brands, showing it rewired consumption and enabled new markets.
- Plastic's portability and low cost fundamentally changed everyday behaviour and market growth.
How The Plastic-Lined Coffee Cup Changed Habits
- Saabira uses the disposable coffee cup example to show plastic's effect on mobility and markets.
- Adding a plastic lining turned coffee into America’s largest selling drink in the 1950s.
Disposable Nappies Shifted Potty Training Ages
- Disposable nappies reshaped parenting norms and raised potty-training ages significantly.
- The material's comfort reduced incentives to toilet-train early, altering child development timelines.
