An incomplete guide to being ‘green’ while actually living in this world
Being green is cool, and you can too!
If you’re reading this I’m guessing you have some interest in being more sustainable. I’m writing this blog to say we can do a little better, but we don’t have to give up what makes life joyful. Actually, it’s counterproductive to do so. Joy is important. Being green is cool, let’s just reconnect with why and spread the word! I will share a few steps I’ve taken, a few I haven’t and where I see this whole sustainability movement going long-term from your house to world-wide!
How can I be sustainable but not stinky?
A lot of common mythology around sustainability involves giving up things. We all know the guy or lady who skips showers in order to save water, or engages in some other self-deprecating action. While saving water is a noble goal, abstinence is not the best method because it only conserves a little. As most people need to shower to go to work so it’s not replicable or desirable. Most importantly it diminishes the credibility of sustainability as a whole if we have to neglect ourselves. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Sustainability is a way of improving our lives while improving our impact on the environment. Big business has to change too, a lot of the time you simply can’t spend the time to figure out where everything you buy is sourced, what packaging it comes in, or how far it traveled to reach you. Convenience is also an important part of the equation. So let’s take a look at a few improvements you can make to your day to day that will make you happier, healthier and subsequently, more sustainable.
Every party ends up in the kitchen!
Ever throw a party and everyone gravitated towards the kitchen? Better question: have you ever been to a party that didn’t? The kitchen, or more broadly food, is at the center of our lives. Whether you love to eat or are focused on a diet, our world revolves around food. After all, you are what you eat. In sustainability terms, your waste is usually what you don’t eat. There is a lot of plastic in the kitchen, and it’s not good for us. Plastic keeps things fresh, which is great, but new studies are showing that little micro-plastics are finding their ways into our food, which is not so great. There’s a good in-depth rundown of how to eat less plastic by consumer reports you can check out. Assuming we can all agree that eating less plastic is good for you, let’s take a look at some small steps.
One of the first things I did was to replace clingfilm and one-use plastic bags in the kitchen. Convenience is key here. There’s a reason why many Americans use plastic bags or freezer bags, they’re super convenient! Want to still keep things fresh, but ditch the one-use plastic? Start with Etee. I can thank Facebook’s algorithm for marketing these to me, but I genuinely love Etee’s beeswax based food wraps. They keep things fresh, they look great and stick to any bowl/plate or by themselves are a quick, easy way to wrap your food. For me the best part is that I can reuse them, they last about a year with a little light washing, and then I get new ones. Because they’re bio-degradable I don’t have to worry about it. Most of all, I’m protecting myself and my loved ones from eating anything that’s not food!
There are a million other ways to adapt your kitchen to a new greener lifestyle and be better for it that I will go into on a subsequent blog. I bring up Etee because they are affordable, fun and are coming out with more reusable products to simplify life. Sustainability in your personal life should come with added benefits. Let’s all remember that this is about convenience too. There are lots of options, so anything you select to improve your kitchen should improve it on every level.
Everybody Poops
Impolite to say, but it’s a fact of life. A recent Charmin ad said it’s impolite to talk about what goes on in the bathroom, so they sing about it. This is funny, however, the problem with Charmin is that they get an ‘F’ rating for environmental impact. This is because their paper comes from chopping down virgin forests to make toilet tissue, and then wrapping it up in plastic. If you don’t think about forests in Canada when you go, you probably should reconsider. It seems insane to me to decimate old growthforest, which should be converting CO² to Oxygen and providing habitat for animals and using it to shit with. Still, that is the state of play when it comes to major brands.
Luckily there are awesome brands that are changing this by offering recycled, bamboo and other alternatives. No its not recycled toilet paper and they often are more convenient for you, they get shipped to your house! I’ve tried a few subscription services like this. I’m hunting for the softest one, but so far I like ‘Who gives a Crap’, which donates proceeds to building toilets in the 3rd world. I’ve also used ‘reel’ bamboo paper. Both are delivered, but you can also find ‘A’ rated brands in your supermarket like Green Forest, 365, Natural Value, Earth First, Seventh Generation and Trader Joe’s brand. I’m a firm believer in making small changes like these that you can set and forget. Be sure to pick something that makes you happy, a bathroom is an important place after all!
Cleanup, Cleanup everybody Everywhere
Given that I’ve just talked about the kitchen and bathroom, it’s only fair to end with cleaning. Let me let you in on a secret. You are currently paying way the fuck too much money for soap! Dish soap, all-purpose cleaner, bleach and that’s not to mention sponges and all the other items we use for cleaning. Most of this stuff comes in use and throw-away bottles. But there is a revolution coming that will benefit everyone!
The first thing is the sniff test. Go into any supermarket and sniff Seventh Generation or Method soap. Now go smell Lysol. If you preferred the Lysol, congratulations, you’re one of those weirdos that like the smell of bleach. The rest of us can agree that we like natural smells that don’t give you a chemical headache every time you use them.
Now I am aware that the above options come with a larger price tag, so I went looking for some better options. As a millennial, I prioritize convenience, so there are some excellent delivery options to make your life easier! Even though I’ve written a blog post on sustainable alternatives to household goods, I’d actually prefer not to think about this stuff every-day! CleanCult is an amazing service that sends you refills for all your products. The reusable bottles look better than traditional products too, I promise you! Other subscription services include BlueLand, Grove Collaborative, and Branch Basics.
Better Today than Yesterday and Better Tomorrow Still!
Ultimately, there are a million things to worry about in life. Reducing plastic and figuring out maximum sustainability is probably not everyone's life ambition. Still, I think that there are some truly amazing products coming out that make homes more liveable, beautiful, economical and yes, sustainable. There are also things that you can’t do on an individual level, and it’s important not to despair! For example, I haven’t cracked the code on trash bags. Mine are plastic and filled with things that might make a true environmentalist blush. I get take-out, it comes with plastic. I buy lots of products that don’t yet have a sustainable alternative. Still, common-sense changes make a big difference. I’m proud that I have a slightly better impact on my environment, and to spread the word so that you, dear reader, can too! As we transform our consumer habits, big business is starting to pay attention. Unilever, a major consumer goods company has committed to reducing virgin plastic use by 50% by 2025 and using 25% recycled plastic in its packaging. Major brands at P&G are participating in a pilot program with Terracycle’s ‘Loop’ which creates a milkman type service where you ship reusable containers back to the company to be cleaned and refilled. There are lots of changes that are a response to consumer’s changing appetites. Let’s make sure that we vote with our dollars to make a change, while making better lives for ourselves.
