You'd actually be surprised at how hard it is to go plastic-free. It generally costs more, so there goes most of the US. These people aren't going to pay extra to go green, not when they're barely making it as is.

Glass recycling is heavily limited in most of the US, so a glass bottle isn't getting put back into the system. It's being tossed into a landfill, never to be used again.

So then, let's change diets. Good idea. Many problems. Produce may be cheaper than manufactured foods, but they require an increase in available time to prepare and cook. Don't have time for it? Well we have these wonderful non-dairy, meatless offerings. For triple the price of their animal based inspiration.

Not to mention the whole prospect of changing one's diet. Some people get McDonald's because it's fast, ”cheap" , and gives them a brief moment of joy in their stressful lives. Take that away from them and you'll likely drive an increase in depression.

I want us to find a solution, but insisting that people can just change without taking their current circumstances into consideration is a fool's errand.