This month marks Plastic Free July and I for one am left with a slightly uneasy feeling about the timing of this campaign. An innocent coincidence? Maybe. Or used in the wrong hands, could it provide an opportunity to further humiliate a hardworking, almost necessary member of humanity? I hope not.
Some of you may be switching off already but I implore you to stay with me for a moment. Don’t panic I’m not going to list off a range of depressing statistics. I don’t have to, as I’m sure your subconscious has already dialled up the unfathomable image of the rubbish vortex floating in the Pacific. Instead I want to focus on the potential impact of the campaign on one particular plastic item.
Plastic Free July is a global campaign aimed at helping people solve the problem of plastic waste. Specifically, the campaign aims to educate people about the alternatives to single-used plastic. To date the campaign has been active in 177 countries and inspired over 120 million people to create new habits. I have no problem with the campaign, in fact I fully support it.
Yes single-use plastic is bad, but what about other types of plastic, overworked and undervalued plastic that might get caught up in the well-meaning frenzy? We’ve already witnessed the most public castigation of a piece of plastic we’ve ever seen. Let me remind you.
A few weeks ago, the nation was glued to the front page of the newspaper waiting to hear the verdict of a critical court case. I say, “the nation” but really it was more of a West Australian issue if I’m honest. Anyway, it was a huge deal taking up precious airtime on all the television channels and across various social media platforms.
West Coast Eagles defender Jeremy McGovern was accused of rough conduct when contact from him sent Essendon player Matt Guelfi sliding into the boundary fence. Guelfi was left with injured ribs and concussion, which is never nice to witness nor a good outcome for all concerned. A court case ensued.
A frame by frame review of the event suggested this was not your average fence plant. The footage included vision of a nondescript looking white chair, plastic in nature.
AFL versus a villainous (allegedly) plastic white chair. Who would win?
On the day of the game the chair had been briefed and knew what was expected of it. Located adjacent to the fence, where a security guard was sitting, it had one job to do. To remain in position and render assistance, should it be required. As the pack of players advanced, the chair stood fast. In doing so it meant Guelfi couldn’t use his hands to avoid making head contact with the fence.
After an hour long hearing the jury took 11 minutes to find McGovern guilty and hand out a one-match suspension. The media went wild. Even though the chair was cleared of all charges, the front-page headlines castigated it for its role in the accident.
“Eagles sad, Freo happy, Plastic chair somewhat nonchalant,” read one headline.
Time and time again football players are lorded for their ability to man up and face down a pack of advancing players. And yet there was no mention of the heroics displayed by this little chair as a man four times his size loomed large. Instead he was ridiculed in front of his friends, family and the general public. How would you feel if your honour was called into question with no right of reply? With no legal or media representation of his own … he had no leg to stand on.
This is not the first-time the humble plastic white chair, known as a monobloc chair, has been in the spotlight. Mass produced in the 1970’s the chairs are a common site all over the world. Where would my big Greek, Italian or any other nation wedding, be without them? What about university graduations or even the humble backyard barbie? Think of any social event and they’re sure to be there working hard with no promise of thanks or recognition. Furthermore, when Uncle John takes offence to his brothers comment the humble plastic white chair is usually the first thing to be kicked back, turned over or hurled through the air, for no fault of their own.
Sure, each year thousands of adults end up in emergency rooms after serious chair accidents. People fall when chairs collapse, fingers are severed, hands crushed, bones broken, and spines injured. But these injuries are usually confined to metal or wooden chairs not the sturdy monobloc. Yes, more than 18,000 children are injured each year in high-chair accidents, but this is often due to the child’s inadequate attempts at climbing on or off the chair. To the best of my knowledge this is the first time a plastic white chair has been globally reprimanded for simply staying still and doing his job. But I digress. Back to the football.
As I read on about other AFL cases heard around that time, it was interesting to note that Fremantle player Michael Walters was given a one-game ban for allegedly headbutting Jay Lockhart. Walters, had to wait 30 minutes for his hearing to start due to inadequate video-link facilities at the Dockers’ headquarters. The hearing finally went ahead when an AFL staffer’s mobile phone was switched to speakerphone and balanced in the middle of the tribunal room. I wonder what it was balanced on. A sturdy plastic white chair perhaps?
Here’s hoping our much-lambasted little chair doesn’t have any cousins working at the AFL tribunal or we could be in for an interesting time.
For more information about Plastic Free July go to www.plasticfreejuly.org
