The Case For Environmental Solutions Journalism: Francesca Story in Conversation with Erica Cirino
By Francesca Story
Photo of Erica Cirino for Hakai Magazine
Erica Cirino is a writer, photographer, and wildlife rehabilitator who explores the convergence between humans and the environment with a focus on marine plastic pollution. Her work has appeared in publications such as VICE, The Atlantic, and The Guardian, among others. In "‘Upcycling’ Ocean Plastic Trash Comes into Fashion," she covered 'upcycling' initiatives that aim to reduce marine plastic pollution in companies such as Cape Porpoise Trading Company, TerraCycle, and Parley for the Oceans. I spoke to Erica about her approach to writing this story from a solutions journalism perspective. I asked her about the insights and limitations she discovered during the reporting process about the projects she covered.
What style of journalism and reporting do you usually do?
It all started four years ago, in 2016, when I graduated from Stony Brook University. Growing up, my first job was as a wildlife rehabilitator. I did that from age 15 to 22. I realized that making $8 an hour was not a sustainable career and wasn't as creative as I would have hoped. I took the chance to use my experience as someone who is constantly outside working with dangerous wild animals to pivot to journalism. I became a freelance journalist and photojournalist. One of the first things that happened was that the National Audubon Society asked me to write an article for them. It just took off after that and I've been pitching to as many publications as I can. After four years of traveling across the oceans and from country to country, I finally decided to take a break. Now I focus mostly on plastic pollution but write about wildlife as well.
When did you begin covering solutions stories and why? Did you find the process of reporting on solutions more difficult than other forms of journalism?
I find it so much harder.
None of the answers to environmental problems are straightforward. Or, in some cases, they are straightforward but offer a truth that people just don't want to hear because it makes life less convenient and easy for them. I segued into that direction after a few years in the field. I felt like if I'm writing about problems, there will be people who want to know how they can solve them.
How do we address them? I started with plastic and found alternatives, new innovative materials produced from reusing, returning, and recycling. It was so exciting to explore this and find out the truth. If these solutions exist now, why do we still have a problem?
Is there a solutions-focused writer that you look up to or who has inspired you?
I work closely with Carl Safina, who writes a lot about the conservation of the natural world. He includes some solutions and he is concretely spoken out through testimony at congressional hearings about overfishing, for example. I look up to Elizabeth Kolbert and Terry Tempest Williams as well. These writers are looking at the solutions. These writers question, from a value-based standpoint, how should human values change, rather than what is the next technology to get us out of this problem? What if people just changed their thoughts? What if they thought, "Oh, we don't have to travel everywhere" or what if we stop eating meat? Solutions stories based on values are the most interesting and impactful for me to read about.
For your story on upcycling, how did you decide which projects to look into? What was unique about these companies?
I knew one of the key scientists from the story, Christian, from my sailing expedition. He's a great scientist and friend. After spending 24 days with someone on a sailboat, they become your close friend. Finding those companies, like Parley for the Oceans or Cape Porpoise Trading Company was just a matter of keeping my eyes open and running into people at events. I saw one of their products, a rug made out of rope, and I reached out. If you're a journalist and you see something, make a note of it. I have notebooks filled with things I've collected for my stories. I'm not organized, but I have the information. I know the information I need is in one of my 5000 notebooks. We all have our systems. I keep notes.
What were some limitations that you found when reporting on the story, either of how the solutions were flawed or otherwise?
The founder of Parley for the Oceans wants something good. He wants to address the issue of plastic pollution and has spoken about this message in a lot of events. But if the products are made out of recycled garbage, it is going to be doing the same thing that plastic would and shed microplastics into the environment. Every time one of the Adidas pieces of clothing or shoes is washed, it will do the same thing as plastic would because it is plastic, even though it's recycled. It is better to reuse and recycle, but if we are still making products of upcycled plastic, we need to acknowledge that we also have to start phasing our use of plastic and move to other materials. It was a surprise to find out that it may not be all that helpful.
When you’re interviewing a source, how do you bring out those limitations in your story to be completely transparent?
I try to be very skeptical. If they say their product is great, I ask, “Why so?”
I keep asking the question of why. When I was a kid I remember that my grandfather would always get frustrated when I asked why. It's a matter of pulling out the answer from your source. For the book I'm writing now, I have to be totally skeptical. If one source says one thing, I cross-check with someone different, maybe an independent scientist. I asked the scientists I referred to in the story, like Christian, about the impacts. The concept is great, but the plastic is going to continue being released into the environment and causing problems.
What are some insights you discovered about marine plastic pollution when reporting on this story or about the projects you looked into specifically?
A big takeaway is that so much of the plastic in the oceans comes from our use of it on land and a smaller amount comes from fishing boats, cruise ships, and seafarers. A really recent estimate said up to 23 million metric tons per year of plastic used on land goes into our oceans.
Were the solutions you reported on in this story all successful? If not, why so?
Success is a very subjective term. The companies I reported on have stuck around and grown. People are buying their products. They're forming partnerships that work. I think the most successful is TerraCycle. I remember when I was a teenager I would send all my friends' food wrappers to TerraCycle to recycle them. They would give me money to donate to the nature center where I worked. They're also just established a "loop" platform where they work with supermarkets and major brands and provide reusable refillable containers. That to me is extremely promising. The main takeaway that I've gotten about the plastic issue is not just making new materials to replace plastic but also reusing what we have over and over again in a circular system. TerraCycle is doing this, but it needs to be rolled out on a massive scale. A circular economy seems to be a promising way forward for a more sustainable, just world.
What was the impact of the companies you mentioned?
Cape Porpoise Trading Company kept 40,000 pounds of fishing gear rope collected from oceans and landfills. At the end of a mat's life, when it is washed, plastic still comes off of it. Parley for the Oceans has had a lot of events, education campaigns, and cleanups. They've been pretty successful at putting the message out there. There have been many successful models but not one of them is the key solution. Upcycling is not bad, but we have to remember to stop using plastic.
What were the impacts of your story after publication?
I wouldn't say I made a tangible, measurable impact. I definitely got emails and comments after I wrote the story saying, "I'm so glad you brought up this company because now I'm aware of them and am going to buy their products." Many people have asked me how to send their trash to TerraCycle. I would definitely say the story has led to a boost in awareness. Hopefully, people readers took a message from my story of reusing and upcycling and are moved towards a more circular world.