---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Obviously plastics have served very…"
description: "\"Obviously plastics have served very important purposes and been incredibly convenient but as we begin to witness the long-term consequences of the chem..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d60/edward-norton-2203_alternatives_obviously-plastics-have-served-very-impo_1793447.jpg"
---

#  Obviously plastics have served very important purposes and…

![“Obviously plastics have served very important purposes and been incredibly convenient but as we begin to witness the long-term consequences of the chemical components leaching into our water and our bodies, we're going to be forced to look for alternatives to how we package goods and food.” quote by Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d60/edward-norton-2203_alternatives_obviously-plastics-have-served-very-impo_1793447.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d60/edward-norton-2203_alternatives_obviously-plastics-have-served-very-impo_1793447.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d60/edward-norton-2203_alternatives_obviously-plastics-have-served-very-impo_1793447.jpg)

> “Obviously plastics have served very important purposes and been incredibly convenient but as we begin to witness the long-term consequences of the chemical components leaching into our water and our bodies, we're going to be forced to look for alternatives to how we package goods and food.”

[Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Plastics are convenient but harmful; their chemicals leach into water and bodies, prompting a need for alternative packaging.

**In simple terms:** Plastics are useful but toxic, demanding new packaging solutions.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize sustainable packaging.

Themes

environment health technology consumerism

Mood

concerned urgent

Type

advocacy informational

When to use this quote

- food packaging
- water filtration
- regulatory policy

Key Concepts

chemical safety material innovation

Questions to Reflect On

- What alternatives can replace plastics safely?
- How can consumers drive change?

A Different Perspective

Transition may be costly and technologically challenging.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Alternatives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alternatives/) [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Chemicals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chemicals/) [Components](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/components/) [Components Leaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/components-leaching-1965983/) [Consequence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consequence/) [Consequences Chemical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consequences-chemical-1965982/) [Convenient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/convenient/) [Goods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goods/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-term/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Obviously Plastics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obviously-plastics-1965981/) [Packages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/packages/) [Plastic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plastic/) [Plastics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plastics-1094824/) [Plastics Served](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plastics-served-1965980/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [Term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/term/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) [Witness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/witness/)

## Related quotes

> [A problem not so well understood is the growing presence of plastics in the marine food chain. If we don't make big changes fast,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-winton/a-problem-not-so-well-understood-is-the-growing-presence-of-plastics/)

[Tim Winton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-winton/)

> [I just want to say one word to you-just one word ..."plastics!" ... There's a great future in plastics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buck-henry/i-just-want-to-say-one-word-to-you-just-one-word-plastics-there-s-a/)

[Buck Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buck-henry/)

> [Recycling more plastics can help local businesses and expand jobs while supporting the goals of sustainability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-de-leon/recycling-more-plastics-can-help-local-businesses-and-expand-jobs/)

[Kevin de Leon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-de-leon/)

> [In future, lots of things will be made from beans and fibres grown on the farmers' fields. This new science is called chemurgy. Plastics,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-williamson/in-future-lots-of-things-will-be-made-from-beans-and-fibres-grown-on/)

[Henry Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-williamson/)

> [When geologists announced the beginning of a new geological epoch, the Anthropocene, humans destroying the environment, one of the main things they pointed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/when-geologists-announced-the-beginning-of-a-new-geological-epoch-the-2/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [When geologists announced the beginning of a new geological epoch, the Anthropocene, humans destroying the environment, one of the main things they pointed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/when-geologists-announced-the-beginning-of-a-new-geological-epoch-the/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [As sustainability becomes more and more of a concern, we're going to see more plastics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-lynn/as-sustainability-becomes-more-and-more-of-a-concern-we-re-going-to/)

[Greg Lynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-lynn/)

> [Plastics, as a material, are very nasty, but as an alternative to, let's say, a brick, which seems really natural, they start to look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-lynn/plastics-as-a-material-are-very-nasty-but-as-an-alternative-to-let-s/)

[Greg Lynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-lynn/)

> [It will be very hard to convince everyone in the world to handle their plastics responsibly, but what we humans are very good in,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boyan-slat/it-will-be-very-hard-to-convince-everyone-in-the-world-to-handle/)

[Boyan Slat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boyan-slat/)

> [From the time I started taking photographs, I started working with plastics. I've always treated plastic like it was marble or gemstone or fine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-simmons/from-the-time-i-started-taking-photographs-i-started-working-with/)

[Laurie Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-simmons/)

> [Take something you really don't think about: Plastics in the ocean. I mean plastics in the ocean have an enormous ecological effect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/take-something-you-really-don-t-think-about-plastics-in-the-ocean-i/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [“Manufacturers have long chosen plastic for their products on the basis of price and functionality., But creating a more sustainable relationship with plastics will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-freinkel/manufacturers-have-long-chosen-plastic-for-their-products-on-the/)

[Susan Freinkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-freinkel/)

> [Big messages come in small packages. All it may take to restore someone's trust in life may be returning a lost earring or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-naomi-remen/big-messages-come-in-small-packages-all-it-may-take-to-restore/)

[Rachel Naomi Remen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-naomi-remen/)

> [Happy endings come in different packages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-f-wright/happy-endings-come-in-different-packages/)

[Jason F. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-f-wright/)

> [Unlike return, however, risk is no more quantifiable at the end of an investment that it was at its beginning. Risk simply cannot be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-klarman/unlike-return-however-risk-is-no-more-quantifiable-at-the-end-of-an/)

[Seth Klarman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-klarman/)

## More by Edward Norton

> [I don't feel insecure about any of this work anymore. Maybe I don't have what I had when I was younger. I'm not really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/i-don-t-feel-insecure-about-any-of-this-work-anymore-maybe-i-don-t/)

[Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/)

> [ As an actor, if you step to the side and you look at \[Thornton's performance\] technically, and you try to imagine doing what he… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/as-an-actor-if-you-step-to-the-side-and-you-look-at-thornton-s/)

[Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/)

> [It's better for people to miss you than to have seen too much of you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/it-s-better-for-people-to-miss-you-than-to-have-seen-too-much-of-you/)

[Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/)

> [You can't control everything that comes to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/you-can-t-control-everything-that-comes-to-you/)

[Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/)

> [The incentive for business is not, and cannot, be anything other than the root incentive for all business: they must profit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/the-incentive-for-business-is-not-and-cannot-be-anything-other-than/)

[Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/)

> [My greatest hope is that we transcend the most fearful thing, which is that we are rapidly degrading the ecological systems on this planet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/my-greatest-hope-is-that-we-transcend-the-most-fearful-thing-which-is/)

[Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/)

> [David Fincher is probably the best comprehensive director in terms of being a manger of a process that must drive forward. He has such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/david-fincher-is-probably-the-best-comprehensive-director-in-terms-of/)

[Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/)

> [Sometimes their oppression of emotion and the weird way it comes out is more interesting than painting it in bold primary colors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/sometimes-their-oppression-of-emotion-and-the-weird-way-it-comes-out/)

[Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/)

> [The thing I'm absolutely convinced of, no matter how crazy - technological the world is getting, is that people feel more connected through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/the-thing-i-m-absolutely-convinced-of-no-matter-how-crazy/)

[Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/)

> [Making really great music, making really great films, writing great books is an antidote to all of that. And, as people, as artists, some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/making-really-great-music-making-really-great-films-writing-great/)

[Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/)

> [I like music, but I need to get outside more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/i-like-music-but-i-need-to-get-outside-more/)

[Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/)

> [I've always liked the idea of taking old dramatic ideas and devices and making them feel relevant or contemporary or whatever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/i-ve-always-liked-the-idea-of-taking-old-dramatic-ideas-and-devices/)

[Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/)

> [I don't think you should sit around and wait for people to give you an opportunity to express yourself or do your work, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/i-don-t-think-you-should-sit-around-and-wait-for-people-to-give-you/)

[Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/)

> [To cite my own alma mater, it's shocking to me that Yale University can teach what it teaches at the Yale School of Environmental…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/to-cite-my-own-alma-mater-it-s-shocking-to-me-that-yale-university/)

[Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/)

> [I had a huge advantage with Edward Norton because he's directed a movie before, so one thing he appreciates is how hard my job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/i-had-a-huge-advantage-with-edward-norton-because-he-s-directed-a/)

[Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/)

[Explore all 179 Edward Norton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/)

## More Alternatives quotes

> [I am very sad that some designers are still using real fur when the fake alternatives are so effective and so easily obtainable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twiggy/i-am-very-sad-that-some-designers-are-still-using-real-fur-when-the/)

[Twiggy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twiggy/)

> [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/)

[Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/)

> [I strongly reject any conceptual scheme that places our options on a line, and holds that the only alternative to a pair of extreme…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/i-strongly-reject-any-conceptual-scheme-that-places-our-options-on-a/)

[Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/)

> [Conventional agriculture has never succeeded in feeding the world, and it's never produced anything good to eat. For the future, we need to look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-barber/conventional-agriculture-has-never-succeeded-in-feeding-the-world-and/)

[Dan Barber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-barber/)

> [ \[When asked how it felt to be a female prime minister:\] I don't know: I've never experienced the alternative. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/when-asked-how-it-felt-to-be-a-female-prime-minister-i-don-t-know-i/)

[Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/)

> [If one could have a wish, or an alternative life, I would've liked to have been John Lennon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-oldman/if-one-could-have-a-wish-or-an-alternative-life-i-would-ve-liked-to/)

[Gary Oldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-oldman/)

> [THE REAL PURPOSE OF HOLOCAUST REVISIONISM IS TO MAKE NATIONAL SOCIALISM AN ACCEPTABLE POLITICAL ALTERNATIVE AGAIN.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-covington/the-real-purpose-of-holocaust-revisionism-is-to-make-national/)

[Harold Covington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-covington/)

> [Men since the beginning of time have sought peace...military alliances, balances of power, leagues of nations, all in turn have failed, leaving the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/men-since-the-beginning-of-time-have-sought-peace-military-alliances/)

[Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/)

> [Buddhist words such as compassion and emptiness don't mean much until we start cultivating our innate ability simply to be there with pain with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/buddhist-words-such-as-compassion-and-emptiness-don-t-mean-much-until/)

[Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/)

> [The mission of Christian humility in social life is not merely to edify, but to keep minds open to many alternatives. The rigidity of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-mission-of-christian-humility-in-social-life-is-not-merely-to/)

[Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/)

> [Maximise the alternative forms in which a user might receive a service, and the alternative sources of supply.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-chipp/maximise-the-alternative-forms-in-which-a-user-might-receive-a/)

[Don Chipp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-chipp/)

> [In the last few years, the very idea of telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth is dredged up only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-musto/in-the-last-few-years-the-very-idea-of-telling-the-truth-the-whole/)

[Michael Musto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-musto/)

> [Altermodern is an in-progress redefinition of modernity in the era of globalisation, stressing the experience of wandering in time, space and mediums. The term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-bourriaud/altermodern-is-an-in-progress-redefinition-of-modernity-in-the-era-of/)

[Nicolas Bourriaud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-bourriaud/)

> [If the system exhibits a structure which can be represented by a mathematical equivalent, called a mathematical model, and if the objective can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-dantzig/if-the-system-exhibits-a-structure-which-can-be-represented-by-a/)

[George Dantzig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-dantzig/)

> [We must commit ourselves to an 'all of the above' energy approach, with a major focus on increasing domestic production and expanding alternatives fuels,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-roskam/we-must-commit-ourselves-to-an-all-of-the-above-energy-approach-with/)

[Peter Roskam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-roskam/)

[Browse all 1,463 Alternatives quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alternatives/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Obviously plastics have served very important purposes and been incredibly convenient but as we begin to witness the long-term consequences of the chemical components leaching into our water and our bodies, we're going to be forced to look for alternatives to how we package goods and food.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Edward Norton"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/obviously-plastics-have-served-very-important-purposes-and-been/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Alternatives"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/obviously-plastics-have-served-very-important-purposes-and-been/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d60/edward-norton-2203_alternatives_obviously-plastics-have-served-very-impo_1793447.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d60/edward-norton-2203_alternatives_obviously-plastics-have-served-very-impo_1793447.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d60/edward-norton-2203_alternatives_obviously-plastics-have-served-very-impo_1793447.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Obviously plastics have served very important purposes and been incredibly convenient but as we begin to…” — Edward Norton",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Edward Norton",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Obviously plastics have served very important...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/obviously-plastics-have-served-very-important-purposes-and-been/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/obviously-plastics-have-served-very-important-purposes-and-been/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
