Getting Started is the Hardest Part
If you're like me, you probably spent a long time in blissful ignorance about the dangers facing our planet. And, if you're like me, you didn't know that there is more to sustainability than simply recycling, using energy efficient lightbulbs, or using the clothesline instead of turning on the dryer. So today's post is going to address an aspect of our lives so huge, that it can leave you scratching your head about where to start. And that is plastic.
Remember the "Three R's" that we learned in elementary school? Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. The order they're presented is important, especially in the context of plastic - we should be reducing our plastic use, and reusing items (like yogurt containers) before tossing them in the recycling bin (after cleaning them out, of course!) And what's more, only about 9% of plastics are being recycled in North America, according to the EPA. You can find sources for this claim and more in this really cool video by Kurzgesagt. And the kicker is that, even if you are recycling, there is a huge amount of contamination in household recycling, which causes recyclables to end up in landfills anyway. For example, any food left on otherwise recyclable packaging can be soaked up by paper, preventing it from being recycled.
So, if recycling isn't being consistently done correctly, then it's not a solution to our plastics problem. It becomes a way for us to feel we are doing our part, without ever seeing the truth behind the scenes. And if you do recycle correctly, maybe you imagine that your singly-used water bottle is going to be turned into another water bottle, or yogurt cup, or maybe even a couple of drinking straws, but that is not the case. Plastic recycling is typically downcycling, where the plastic is turned into a less-useful version of itself. Think of pillow stuffings, clothing, or plastic car parts. And these things can't be recycled. This is why it's important to reduce our use of plastics, rather than relying on recycling as a means to get rid of our waste.
Okay, that was the heavy, hopeless, scary part. Now for the fun part! Some suggestions on taking down the biggest plastic culprits in our lives! Yay!
Step 1: Water bottle
Please for the love of God get a reusable water bottle and bring it with you everywhere. There is literally no reason for anyone to need plastic-wrapped bottles of water. Please do this.
Step 2: Leave the house prepared
Maybe you watched to the end of the video I linked above, and then you would know that cotton bags need to be used somewhere in the ballpark of 7000 times to offset the amount of resources used in producing them, compared to plastic. So get out there and use those 17 bags we know you have sitting in the trunk of your car. If you think you might buy something, put yourself in a position to refuse plastic bags, cutlery, straws, etc.
Step 3: Food packaging
I could tell you to buy reusable, organic-cotton produce bags, but as per my point above, why use more when you could use less? Do your bananas, which already come bunched together, really need a bag? Those two red peppers you're buying, will it be the end of the world for you (or your cashier) if they get separated in your cart? I think not. And if you can, I recommend shopping for vegetables at a farmer's market, to support your local farming scene, but more on that in a later post.
Step 4: Buy in bulk
Buying one BIG bottle of shampoo is less wasteful (and generally more economical) than buying two small bottles of shampoo. Same goes for yogurt, hummus, deodorant, cleaning supplies. And if you can get it at a bulk store and bring your own containers? Even better.
Step 5: Personal care
I am like you. I love having 47 tiny bottles of lotion and rotating between them for years. But I will not buy tiny lotions anymore. Now I have a vat of lotion that I can refill at a selection of local soap shops. I started washing my hair every other day, instead of every day. If I wash my hair half as much, I am using half the amount of plastic shampoo bottles that I otherwise would have. Or, you can get package-less shampoo bars from shops like Lush, and lather away guilt-free. By the way, if you need those tiny lotions, I recommend buying them in containers that can be washed out and reused easily, instead of in squeeze tubes. One of my tiny lotion jars now holds a natural deodorant paste (which actually works really well!) I think we tend to see our personal care products as something we need, and that's how we justify having so many of them.
Step 6: Buy locally
My roommate is boycotting Amazon. And it's not hard to see why. Even disregarding the news about how they treat their warehouse workers, the packaging they use is frustratingly wasteful. I once ordered a roll of tape which showed up in a 9" by 13" bubble wrap envelope! What the hell! It could have been packaged in a reusable (and recyclable) cardboard box, but these ever-present bubble mailers are utterly useless once you've opened them. So, if you can, and I understand that it's not possible for every single item, try to buy it from an actual brick-and-mortar store. This can drastically cut down on your consumption of single-use-plastics, assuming you remember your reusable bags!
These are the basics. And I cannot stress enough how every little bit helps. It does, and it motivates the people around you. I will be honest, we buy plastic tubs of yogurt. But we stopped buying the individual cups, and I think that is progress. So make progress in any way you know how. I'm just here to provide options.
In future posts I'd love to sing the praises of my local soap dispensary, and brag about veggies I've bought at farmer's markets, or maybe go more in-depth about the impacts of "fast fashion", but for now, I hope this is enough to get the ball rolling. I encourage you to check out your local resources for recycling (you should still do it!!) and for package-less products.
Until next time,
Kat
Remember the "Three R's" that we learned in elementary school? Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. The order they're presented is important, especially in the context of plastic - we should be reducing our plastic use, and reusing items (like yogurt containers) before tossing them in the recycling bin (after cleaning them out, of course!) And what's more, only about 9% of plastics are being recycled in North America, according to the EPA. You can find sources for this claim and more in this really cool video by Kurzgesagt. And the kicker is that, even if you are recycling, there is a huge amount of contamination in household recycling, which causes recyclables to end up in landfills anyway. For example, any food left on otherwise recyclable packaging can be soaked up by paper, preventing it from being recycled.
So, if recycling isn't being consistently done correctly, then it's not a solution to our plastics problem. It becomes a way for us to feel we are doing our part, without ever seeing the truth behind the scenes. And if you do recycle correctly, maybe you imagine that your singly-used water bottle is going to be turned into another water bottle, or yogurt cup, or maybe even a couple of drinking straws, but that is not the case. Plastic recycling is typically downcycling, where the plastic is turned into a less-useful version of itself. Think of pillow stuffings, clothing, or plastic car parts. And these things can't be recycled. This is why it's important to reduce our use of plastics, rather than relying on recycling as a means to get rid of our waste.
Okay, that was the heavy, hopeless, scary part. Now for the fun part! Some suggestions on taking down the biggest plastic culprits in our lives! Yay!
Step 1: Water bottle
Please for the love of God get a reusable water bottle and bring it with you everywhere. There is literally no reason for anyone to need plastic-wrapped bottles of water. Please do this.
Step 2: Leave the house prepared
Maybe you watched to the end of the video I linked above, and then you would know that cotton bags need to be used somewhere in the ballpark of 7000 times to offset the amount of resources used in producing them, compared to plastic. So get out there and use those 17 bags we know you have sitting in the trunk of your car. If you think you might buy something, put yourself in a position to refuse plastic bags, cutlery, straws, etc.
Step 3: Food packaging
I could tell you to buy reusable, organic-cotton produce bags, but as per my point above, why use more when you could use less? Do your bananas, which already come bunched together, really need a bag? Those two red peppers you're buying, will it be the end of the world for you (or your cashier) if they get separated in your cart? I think not. And if you can, I recommend shopping for vegetables at a farmer's market, to support your local farming scene, but more on that in a later post.
Step 4: Buy in bulk
Buying one BIG bottle of shampoo is less wasteful (and generally more economical) than buying two small bottles of shampoo. Same goes for yogurt, hummus, deodorant, cleaning supplies. And if you can get it at a bulk store and bring your own containers? Even better.
Step 5: Personal care
I am like you. I love having 47 tiny bottles of lotion and rotating between them for years. But I will not buy tiny lotions anymore. Now I have a vat of lotion that I can refill at a selection of local soap shops. I started washing my hair every other day, instead of every day. If I wash my hair half as much, I am using half the amount of plastic shampoo bottles that I otherwise would have. Or, you can get package-less shampoo bars from shops like Lush, and lather away guilt-free. By the way, if you need those tiny lotions, I recommend buying them in containers that can be washed out and reused easily, instead of in squeeze tubes. One of my tiny lotion jars now holds a natural deodorant paste (which actually works really well!) I think we tend to see our personal care products as something we need, and that's how we justify having so many of them.
Step 6: Buy locally
My roommate is boycotting Amazon. And it's not hard to see why. Even disregarding the news about how they treat their warehouse workers, the packaging they use is frustratingly wasteful. I once ordered a roll of tape which showed up in a 9" by 13" bubble wrap envelope! What the hell! It could have been packaged in a reusable (and recyclable) cardboard box, but these ever-present bubble mailers are utterly useless once you've opened them. So, if you can, and I understand that it's not possible for every single item, try to buy it from an actual brick-and-mortar store. This can drastically cut down on your consumption of single-use-plastics, assuming you remember your reusable bags!
These are the basics. And I cannot stress enough how every little bit helps. It does, and it motivates the people around you. I will be honest, we buy plastic tubs of yogurt. But we stopped buying the individual cups, and I think that is progress. So make progress in any way you know how. I'm just here to provide options.
In future posts I'd love to sing the praises of my local soap dispensary, and brag about veggies I've bought at farmer's markets, or maybe go more in-depth about the impacts of "fast fashion", but for now, I hope this is enough to get the ball rolling. I encourage you to check out your local resources for recycling (you should still do it!!) and for package-less products.
Until next time,
Kat
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