As the author begins the No Impact project, he sneezes and is in need of a tissue. It is in this moment that he realizes how difficult the project will be. The tissue is a symbol of the way our culture has created comforts that are good in the moment but that are not good for our planet. It is also a symbol of the way in which the author, and we as a whole, have to look for different solutions to our problems. Beavan begins to use a cloth to avoid having to use paper products.

Plastic bags are a symbol of the most common consumer product and one that causes irreparable environmental harm. In addition to choking turtles and wreaking havoc in sea life, little pieces of plastic wind up being eaten by fish and then end up in our food supply. They also float into trees. Therefore, these items, which we hardly consider, are a blight upon our planet. The plastic bags are the ultimate example of a throwaway product that we do not need and that makes our impact on the planet unsustainable.