Annie Leonard: The Story of Stuff
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By Lauren Barack -- School Library Journal, 02/24/2010
Activist Annie Leonard, author of The Story of Stuff (Free Press, 2010), may have spent more than 10 years traveling the world exploring the absurdity of our throwaway culture—but it took less than two years for her 20-minute documentary about consumption, consumerism, and the environment to turn into a grassroots success with 7.5 million views and 10,000 daily visits to her Web site. Leonard chatted from her Berkeley, CA, office about her next project, why she’s no fan of digital stuff, and about her book due out this month.
How did you manage to break down this complex cycle into very tangible terms?
I have been to college and graduate school, but I am not one of these intellectual wonks. I normally say things like, "duh." For years I would read journals that I loved, but I would never write or talk like that. But I read stuff from Paul Hawkins and for years felt intellectually inadequate, that it was such a bummer I was not an intellectual because then I could write these earth-shattering documents. But then I realized that normal people get turned off by those big words—and if I talk like a normal person, more people will get interested. I’m not deepening the conversation, but I feel my job is broadening the conversation. I feel like I’m translating for these braniacs.
Were you surprised that so many young students have seen your film?
I am totally surprised that so many teachers are using it in schools. It was nowhere on my radar screen. It’s a wonderful surprise. It’s definitely used more in the high schools and colleges. But a second grade class just sent us a 15-foot collage on The Story of Stuff, so lots of younger kids are using it too. I think it could be used for kids of any age but it needs a skilled facilitator.
Do you think some of the material may be too scary for young children?
It is scary, it is really scary. And I want people to know there are toxins in their products and in their bodies. My 10-year-old daughter looks at labels to see if there is PVC in things, and she’s been doing that since she was very young. It’s important to allow them to be carefree children, but we also don’t want them to be sucking on PVCs. My daughter’s [then] second grade teacher saw a child putting a pencil in his mouth in class, and she said, “We don’t put pencils in our mouths. What else don’t we put in our mouths?” And someone said shoes, and my daughter said neurotoxins.
Why aren’t you a fan of digital stuff, like media devices?
I’m ambivalent about it. On one side—it provides a great opportunity for dematerialization. Think about the actual physical materials used for the production of 200 albums that’s now shrunk to a postage stamp. At the same time we’re overobsessed with the latest creation of trendy digital products, and that is turning into garbage, which is growing at 300 times the rate of regular garbage. We’re on a treadmill of buying new gadgets and we really need to clean up the electronic industry. Europe has taken a much stronger stance, and prohibits a whole range of toxins that we still permit. I would like to see the producers of digital devices apply the same aggressive innovation that they apply to style and function to reducing the environmental health effects of these things.
What can kids do to help?
Young people need to resist the desire to chuck out their cell phone just because they came out with the latest style and color. The average life of a cell phone is just 12 months. Sure cell phones are small—but look at all the upstream waste. It’s a mess. Another thing is how enticing it is for kids to spend hours and hours alone sitting in front of a screen. We need to unplug more and spend more time in nature.
Are you planning a sequel to the movie?
I am making a bunch of new movies. What we found out is that people are ready to have this conversation. People want to keep talking about this. So we’re redoing the entire Web site and doing more movies. We’re going to be releasing the story about climate at the beginning of December before the Copenhagen Climate Conference and then release the story of bottled water and electronics and personal care products like sunscreen and lipstick, starting in 2010 before the book on The Story of Stuff is released on March 9.
What should viewers expect to see in the book that’s not in the film?
It’s much more detailed, and there are a lot more personal stories. I did spend literally a decade going to where all this stuff is made and dumped. I met some seamstresses in Haiti making Disney pajamas. And I went to Bangladesh where hazardous waste had been mixed into fertilizer, and met with a farmer who put this on his farm. It was so heartbreaking. So there will be more personal stories, and also more examples of how people can get involved.
Sounds pretty grim.
It’s pretty depressing, but I continue against all evidence to remain enormously hopeful, and one reason is people are doing so many wonderful things. So throughout the book we have signs of hope—where people are doing great work, along with their contacts and Web sites.
