At Womanswork, our gloves have always been about connection — connecting people to their gardens, their land, and the natural world they love. That connection is exactly why we’ve been proud members of 1% for the Planet, directing a portion of every sale toward organizations doing the hard, unglamorous work of protecting our environment. And one of the organizations we’re most proud to support is Beyond Plastics.
We wanted to take a moment to tell you about them, about a book they’ve just published that we think every one of you should read, and about a little giveaway we’re planning on social media very soon.
Who Is Beyond Plastics?
Beyond Plastics is a nationwide project based at Bennington College, founded and led by Judith Enck, a former Regional Administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Judith has spent decades in environmental advocacy, and her organization’s mission is clear and uncompromising: to end plastic pollution everywhere.
They do this through education, policy advocacy, and grassroots organizing — working with communities, legislators, and everyday people to reduce the production and use of plastic at the source. Not just nudging consumers to recycle more (we’ll get to why that’s largely a myth in a moment), but pushing for real systemic change.
We’ve been lucky enough to spend time with Cathy Jenkins from the Beyond Plastics team, and we came away from that conversation energized, educated, and more convinced than ever that this is work worth supporting.
The Plastic Problem Is Bigger Than You Think — Especially for Outdoor and Garden Lovers
Here’s something that might surprise you: your clothes are likely one of the biggest sources of plastic pollution in your life.
Roughly 60% of all clothing fibers today are plastic-based — polyester, nylon, acrylic. Every time a synthetic garment is washed, tiny microfibers break off and travel through wastewater and into rivers, lakes, and oceans. In fact, textiles are the largest single source of primary microplastics, accounting for nearly 35% of global microplastic pollution. One gram of synthetic fabric can contain up to 3.7 million individual fibers, and up to 70% of a garment’s lifetime microplastic emissions happen in the first five washes.
As a company that makes outdoor gear — products used in gardens, in nature, by people who care deeply about the health of the soil, the water, and the living world around them — this isn’t abstract to us. It’s personal. The land our customers tend so lovingly is being impacted by plastic pollution in ways that most of us are only beginning to understand.
This is part of why we believe so strongly in what Beyond Plastics is doing. And it’s why we want to point you toward their new book.
The Book: The Problem with Plastic
In December 2025, Beyond Plastics published The Problem with Plastic: How We Can Save Ourselves and Our Planet Before It’s Too Late, written by Judith Enck and journalist Adam Mahoney.
This isn’t a book that leaves you drowning in despair (though it will wake you up). It’s a clear-eyed, deeply researched, and ultimately hopeful look at how plastic became so embedded in our lives, what it’s doing to our bodies and our planet, and — crucially — what we can actually do about it.
The book covers things like:
- Why recycling alone cannot solve the crisis — and why the plastics industry has spent decades convincing us it can
- How plastic pollution disproportionately harms lower-income communities and communities of color
- The frightening reality of microplastics in the human body, now found in organs including the brain
- Practical, actionable steps for individuals — including a “household waste audit” to track and reduce your own plastic footprint
- How to get involved in the collective advocacy that actually moves the needle
Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org, called it an essential handbook for anyone wanting to make a difference. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Elizabeth Kolbert described it as a book that shows real solutions are within reach. We couldn’t agree more.
You can purchase the book directly here. It’s available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook. If you have a local independent bookstore, we’d especially encourage you to order it through them.
Win a Copy — Follow Us on Social Media
We love this book so much that we’re going to be giving away copies on our social media channels very soon. Follow us to enter — it’s one of the most meaningful giveaways we’ve ever done, and we hope the book finds its way into the hands of readers who will be moved to act.
Why This Matters to Us
We started Womanswork because we believe the people who garden, grow, dig, plant, and care for the land are among the most thoughtful and dedicated stewards of the earth. You notice the small changes others miss. You pay attention to what’s thriving, what’s struggling, and what needs care. You celebrate growth, understand that meaningful progress takes patience and effort, and recognize that the smallest actions can have a lasting impact. Whether you’re tending a backyard garden, cultivating a community space, or nurturing the land around you, you help create healthier ecosystems, stronger communities, and a more sustainable future.
Our 1% for the Planet commitment is one way we live our values at Womanswork. It reflects our belief that caring for the earth requires both intention and action. That’s why we support organizations like Beyond Plastics, whose work combines education, advocacy, and practical solutions to address one of today’s most pressing environmental challenges and help create a healthier future for all.
We hope you’ll read the book. We hope you’ll share it. And we hope you’ll join us in supporting the work of creating a world with far less plastic in it — for our gardens, our water, our bodies, and the generations who’ll tend this land after us.
With love and dirty gloves,
The Womanswork Team
Womanswork is a proud member of 1% for the Planet. Learn more about Beyond Plastics and follow them on social media @beyondplastics
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