What is being done?
My habits
It’s easy to preach for a healthy Earth and chastise people for their “environmental wrongdoings” but that's not my intention. My teaching beliefs involve showing by example to help others understand my perspective and things I do that can be done in other people’s lives. I also show that despite my call to action to deviate from single-use materials, I use them, too. I am teaching myself that no step is too small and it's in those steps where I realize how much I depend on disposable things. I hope to continue the shift to rely on them less.
Reusables
I think my most effective contribution to mitigating marine debris is simply being aware of what I use and come across in my lifestyle. Some cities like my hometown and school location banned plastic bags or charge a few more cents for them. I am proud to support the policy but I’ll admit that it took me time to adjust; going from having your groceries automatically put into plastic bags to walking-towards-the-store-only-to-walk-back-to-the-car-because-I-forgot-my-reusable-bags-in-the-passenger-seat was definitely a transition. Granted, my family and I reused those plastic bags for small trash bins, beach toys, or for whatever icky things we didn’t want to have to touch. But now that I go to a school in a town that doesn’t have plastic bags, I’ve grown accustomed to bringing my own when I shop. If I don’t bring enough, then I just have my purchased items put back in the cart so I can just place them in the car. Before I had a car, I would take the bus or ride my bike to my shopping (which I hope to do again when the weather is nicer). The amount of reusable bags and mode of transportation determined how much I bought at a time. It makes for a pretty good way to regulate how much you buy.
I don’t allow myself to buy coffee unless I have a reusable cup with me. If I don’t, tough luck because it looks like I’ll have to wait until another time. I am not a frequent coffee drinker so opting out of hot bean juice isn’t a big deal. In fact, I usually get coffee as a treat. The point is that I have been making a conscious effort to avoid disposable cups whenever possible. I will confess that there are times when I find myself ordering a drink that comes in a plastic cup; it's convenient if I'm out with friends and I don't happen to have my reusable cup on me. And it's those times where I'm mentally hitting my head against a wall.
Tupperware. I have been reusing containers for a while, but lately I’ve been thinking of bringing tupperware to casual eateries to avoid a take-out container, or worse, a plastic one. Again, I admit to using single-use items when I can't always finish what I order and since I strongly dislike wasting food I ask for a to-go box. There are other cases when I just order my food to-go and my food almost always comes in a squeaky, white Styrofoam clam-shell container. Sometimes I can prevent the plastic bag from coming with it but if I'm not able to hold everything, a plastic bag is simply easier. And yes, I mentally hit my head against a wall in these instances as well.
Repurposing
I love plants. A lot. Living in a location where I don’t have a personal garden, my plants need places to grow. As mentioned in the definitions section of a previous page, it turns out that any sort of container work well for a plant home while disposable take out lids are perfect plant saucers. Click on the pictures below to learn more about the plant and its container.
Currently working on...
It’s easy to preach for a healthy Earth and chastise people for their “environmental wrongdoings” but that's not my intention. My teaching beliefs involve showing by example to help others understand my perspective and things I do that can be done in other people’s lives. I also show that despite my call to action to deviate from single-use materials, I use them, too. I am teaching myself that no step is too small and it's in those steps where I realize how much I depend on disposable things. I hope to continue the shift to rely on them less.
Reusables
I think my most effective contribution to mitigating marine debris is simply being aware of what I use and come across in my lifestyle. Some cities like my hometown and school location banned plastic bags or charge a few more cents for them. I am proud to support the policy but I’ll admit that it took me time to adjust; going from having your groceries automatically put into plastic bags to walking-towards-the-store-only-to-walk-back-to-the-car-because-I-forgot-my-reusable-bags-in-the-passenger-seat was definitely a transition. Granted, my family and I reused those plastic bags for small trash bins, beach toys, or for whatever icky things we didn’t want to have to touch. But now that I go to a school in a town that doesn’t have plastic bags, I’ve grown accustomed to bringing my own when I shop. If I don’t bring enough, then I just have my purchased items put back in the cart so I can just place them in the car. Before I had a car, I would take the bus or ride my bike to my shopping (which I hope to do again when the weather is nicer). The amount of reusable bags and mode of transportation determined how much I bought at a time. It makes for a pretty good way to regulate how much you buy.
I don’t allow myself to buy coffee unless I have a reusable cup with me. If I don’t, tough luck because it looks like I’ll have to wait until another time. I am not a frequent coffee drinker so opting out of hot bean juice isn’t a big deal. In fact, I usually get coffee as a treat. The point is that I have been making a conscious effort to avoid disposable cups whenever possible. I will confess that there are times when I find myself ordering a drink that comes in a plastic cup; it's convenient if I'm out with friends and I don't happen to have my reusable cup on me. And it's those times where I'm mentally hitting my head against a wall.
Tupperware. I have been reusing containers for a while, but lately I’ve been thinking of bringing tupperware to casual eateries to avoid a take-out container, or worse, a plastic one. Again, I admit to using single-use items when I can't always finish what I order and since I strongly dislike wasting food I ask for a to-go box. There are other cases when I just order my food to-go and my food almost always comes in a squeaky, white Styrofoam clam-shell container. Sometimes I can prevent the plastic bag from coming with it but if I'm not able to hold everything, a plastic bag is simply easier. And yes, I mentally hit my head against a wall in these instances as well.
Repurposing
I love plants. A lot. Living in a location where I don’t have a personal garden, my plants need places to grow. As mentioned in the definitions section of a previous page, it turns out that any sort of container work well for a plant home while disposable take out lids are perfect plant saucers. Click on the pictures below to learn more about the plant and its container.
Currently working on...
- Remembering to leave a reusable cup in the car for any instance where I'm out and about and would like a beverage to-go
What is currently being done by others
There are a multitude of "life hacks" that have taken the internet by storm which are ways to repurpose common items to create a function that makes life easier. For example, one life hack is to remove the strawberry stem with a straw! (Maybe that's why they're called strawberries...)
Speaking of straws, reusable straws are trending, albeit slowly. It's difficult to get away from something so indispensable in the food industry. However, one trend that will never go out of style is the mason jar and their infinite uses. There are even some instances where people have been able to fit years of trash into one mason jar. I am not saying that we should all do that because that would be the equivalent of going zero to one hundred in a matter of seconds and that's a bit drastic (we would definitely see changes if we did do that though). Rather, I am letting you know that it can be done and is not impossible to ditch the disposables. Other people have blogs and videos (here's another video told by a mother which gives insight to living trash-free in a family) to help those wanting to reduce their waste but don't know where to start. Of course, there are countless resources on the internet to help you find a starting point. I can't provide them all so I selected a few to share.
Countries are finding ways to change the game around plastic bags. Like the United Kingdom banning plastic bags in a movement called the "The Blue Planet Effect". Or this effort to create plastic-like bags out of yucca. Some local cities near you may have already added either an extra cost to using a plastic bag or removed them from food stores.
Sometimes things have to go backwards before moving forward. At the start of 2018 the United Kingdom proposed a "latte levy" which was essentially an extra cost to buy coffee in a disposable cup to provide incentive for customers to bring their own reusable cup. However the ban didn't get support from the Government because going 100% waste-free is not realistic due to ever present contaminants.
There are a multitude of "life hacks" that have taken the internet by storm which are ways to repurpose common items to create a function that makes life easier. For example, one life hack is to remove the strawberry stem with a straw! (Maybe that's why they're called strawberries...)
Speaking of straws, reusable straws are trending, albeit slowly. It's difficult to get away from something so indispensable in the food industry. However, one trend that will never go out of style is the mason jar and their infinite uses. There are even some instances where people have been able to fit years of trash into one mason jar. I am not saying that we should all do that because that would be the equivalent of going zero to one hundred in a matter of seconds and that's a bit drastic (we would definitely see changes if we did do that though). Rather, I am letting you know that it can be done and is not impossible to ditch the disposables. Other people have blogs and videos (here's another video told by a mother which gives insight to living trash-free in a family) to help those wanting to reduce their waste but don't know where to start. Of course, there are countless resources on the internet to help you find a starting point. I can't provide them all so I selected a few to share.
Countries are finding ways to change the game around plastic bags. Like the United Kingdom banning plastic bags in a movement called the "The Blue Planet Effect". Or this effort to create plastic-like bags out of yucca. Some local cities near you may have already added either an extra cost to using a plastic bag or removed them from food stores.
Sometimes things have to go backwards before moving forward. At the start of 2018 the United Kingdom proposed a "latte levy" which was essentially an extra cost to buy coffee in a disposable cup to provide incentive for customers to bring their own reusable cup. However the ban didn't get support from the Government because going 100% waste-free is not realistic due to ever present contaminants.
Now this is the kind of instruction and initiative that I would love to see from companies that produce the single-use waste. Tell me how to dispose of things and where to go for more information. Visit the site below if you need help distinguishing what icons mean (copy and paste URL into browser). http://how2recycle.info/
What you can do
This is just a sampler of what you can do if you don't already have ideas:
This is just a sampler of what you can do if you don't already have ideas:
- Aside from eliminating disposable items and properly disposing of things that cannot be reused, knowing that a little goes a long way is a good starting mentality.
- Another great place to start is investing in reusable belongings like bags and cups/mugs. They tend to be fairly inexpensive and you can buy ones with or without patterns and they can even be customized! I always like that personal flair to express yourself through your reusables.
- Or if you don't want to spend the extra money investing in a reusable item, you can still perform the act of reusing your plastic bag from Thursday's lunch to pick up trash you find on your hike or a walk on the beach which will reduce what enters the marine system. Of course, safety is important so I would suggest garden gloves to pick up trash because they are reusable, they will protect you from some germs, and their thickness will help you if/when you come across broken glass and other sharp objects. Make sure to wash your hands afterwards if you aren't using gloves. Again, safety and health first.
- Make the extra effort to rinse and separate your recyclables and be conscious of the types of trash you produce. It can be a hassle, I know. But anytime you begin a habit it's going to be tough. Just give it time and before you know it you'll be recycling without giving it a second thought.
- Say you don't want a straw when you're ordering drinks at restaurants. Better yet, invest in a reusable straw and show it off to whoever is taking your order so they (hopefully) remember to not give you a straw.
- Start a discussion with friends. Share the idea on social media using hashtags like #ZeroWaste, #StrawsSuck, and #RefusePlastic. Maybe people will be interested in joining you on your journey to reducing disposable things from the usual routine.
- This tip is more advanced or if you have a passion for using your first amendment. Having an active voice in a community is difficult both in the sense of a daunting task as well as the accessibility to the platform to speak. An idea to try is to strongly suggest less wasteful options to stores that have excessive packaging. I'm not sure how much they will change from that but maybe they will consider if there are many people suggesting the same thing?
In conclusion?
Did everything I say in my marine debris plug make me an activist? Perhaps. All I can say and do is accept whatever worldview you hold and hope that you take into consideration what I had to say. Even if it doesn’t sway you of your decisions, I’d be happy to know that you at least respected my stance and plea to #DitchTheDisposables.
If you want to continue the conversation, suggest an idea, or simply want to say hello, you can contact me via the "Contact" tab on the side menu. Thanks for reading!
Did everything I say in my marine debris plug make me an activist? Perhaps. All I can say and do is accept whatever worldview you hold and hope that you take into consideration what I had to say. Even if it doesn’t sway you of your decisions, I’d be happy to know that you at least respected my stance and plea to #DitchTheDisposables.
If you want to continue the conversation, suggest an idea, or simply want to say hello, you can contact me via the "Contact" tab on the side menu. Thanks for reading!