Discontented with diapers she had to use on her baby girl, actress Jamie Lee Curtis came up with her own user-friendly design. In 1987 she even filed a patent for her invention. She would probably be a very wealthy woman by now had she accepted offers from different manufacturers to commercialise her design. But of green mind long before it was fashionable to be eco-conscious, she turned down the fat cheques because none of the options presented to her were biodegradable.

This was a bold move at a time where politics were focused on free market, money and technology, not on clean air and the future of the planet. Back then, the wealthiest had a lifestyle worthy of Dynasty, driving large cars and living in ostentatious mansions. Today’s richest look tight in comparison as they look for energy-saving ways to build their perfect eco-friendly lodge cabins and spend less on petrol by investing in hybrid cars.

Back in the Eighties, the concept of recycling was vastly ignored and litter was covering pavements and streets. Skies around the world were filled with smoke and people were getting sick by proximity. And as they were not aware of the damage caused by pollution they were getting sicker. Then, in 1986 the Chernobyl nuclear disaster stroke and disturbing images of ravaged lives started to haunt the West. It was clear that progress was going too fast to be monitored.

By the end of the decade, people like Jamie Lee Curtis felt concerned about the environment and started to raise awareness. Protecting the planet was a mission people with glamorous lives were now endorsing. Singer Sting was campaigning for Amazonian tribes threatened by sprawling mining businesses and Band Aid had already set the tone for big-scale charity work. But it would take nearly 20 years for recycling to be hip and not just a hairy-legged sandal-wearer’s hobby.

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