Abstract
The paper focuses on the problematisation of plastic within the public sphere. Through a case study of the Jute statt Plastik (Jute not Plastic) campaign that was conducted in Switzerland, Austria and Germany in 1976–1979, we show how ‘a politically mediated process’ can problematise plastic and thereby question consumer values. Jute not Plastic was the first campaign to politicise the public discourse connecting consumption, developmental goals and ecological pollution. Although the materiality of plastic has no fixed meaning in itself, the campaign demonstrates how social representation and sense-making through framing objects and proposing waste-avoiding alternatives can influence ways of seeing plastic. Based on previously unexamined campaign material and using the method of comparative visual analysis, the study shows how the campaign used different visual strategies to frame the jute bag as a morally charged lifestyle product in relation to the plastic bag.
Highlights
Figure A: Main campaign items. left (A1): Jute not Plastic jute bag made in Bangladesh, 1978; centre (A2): Leaflet with further information, 1979; right (A3): the campaign poster ‘Jute – the symbol of a simple lifestyle’, Germany, 1978
Due to the diverse nature of the groups organising the local campaign activities, which included young people from the ecclesiastical milieu as well as politically and environmentally engaged associations, the jute bag appeared in a wide variety of different contexts
Left (G1): Demonstration for ‘1st August Alternative’ on August 1, 1980, in Zürich; centre (G2): A person carrying a jute bag in combination with a vest displaying various autonomy emblems; right (G3): A group of young people identifying as punks gather in front of a second-hand store in Bern in 1978
Summary
Left (A1): Jute not Plastic jute bag made in Bangladesh, 1978; centre (A2): Leaflet with further information, 1979; right (A3): the campaign poster ‘Jute – the symbol of a simple lifestyle’, Germany, 1978. Due to the diverse nature of the groups organising the local campaign activities, which included young people from the ecclesiastical milieu as well as politically and environmentally engaged associations, the jute bag appeared in a wide variety of different contexts.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
