This fall, I began to deep dive into the sustainable “trend”. I am finally beginning to properly educate myself on a topic that I have always been passionate about (the environment). I have been surprised in both directions - how deep we have really dug ourselves into trouble, and how tiny changes made from one individual can actually make a huge impact. For example, did you know that:
“if British Columbia (Canada) could just shift 1.5% of its overall consumption per year to local sources the province would supply 80% of its food needs be 2030" and, "If all food was localized, the reduction in emissions would be roughly equivalent to households shifting their diet one day per week from red meat and dairy to a vegetable-based diet”
Above Quotes: Antony & Samuelson, 2017, p. 394 Power and Resistance: Critical Thinking about Canadian Social Issues
Meaning if we ate local food for about 3 and a half days out of the whole year, we would individually be reducing emissions from the highest polluting industry (agriculture) by a substantial amount.
Small individual steps to change emit great power! These are only a few examples from one view point of ways in which easy habit changes stir a grand role in the scheme of things.
However, many people view (as I said in my opening sentence) the sustainability culture as a “trend” where people do not practice what they preach and lose interest once its the “next season”. Which in many cases can be true. However I believe that even if you are following a short lived trend, sustainability as the trend is the best possible case. In a capitalistic driven society a lot of ways in which we live goes hard against trying to make an environmental difference and these “trends” are so important as we are visually seeing ways in which living sustainably can be possible in the capitalist society.
SO with some background on how these small steps that YOU chose to make really matter, consider making these steps, as no consumer decision is politically neutral.
I wanted to share some SMALL steps that I have been taking - beginner to beginner - (or maybe you are an expert and can give me more feedback and advice!) onto the path of living sustainably.
Saving Mason Jars
We are always bringing in a seemingly endless amount of jars. Pasta sauce, pickles, peanut butter… when we began to start saving these we actually found we were bringing in too much and now only save the larger containers. But yes simple step, when you are finished with the contents in the jar (like you would do anyways), then put it in the dishwasher (or wash it by hand, we have all been there) and voila a brand new storage container. I use these mason jars as replacements for what would have been plastic bags when buying bulk. Some examples are: nuts, rice, quinoa, dried berries, peanut butter and even unwrapped Naak bars. I like storing mostly dry goods in these but it really is limitless and so easy to start making a habit of. It also feels so good going into the bulk store with my glass containers!
No Plastic Bags OR Reusing
Bring cloth bags to the store
In my city (Victoria) plastic bags are actually banned. Meaning that they do not even sell them in store so if you did not bring your own bag you usually have to buy highly priced paper bags. I wish this would be implemented in more cities as I do believe this helped in literally training me to remember my bags (otherwise it would be impossible for me to carry everything home). Even if you currently are buying 5 cent plastic bags in your hometown, those cents add up quick. Do the earth and your wallet a favour! Bring your own bag.
Not wrapping veggies
I hardly know why we do this? Wrap every single vegetable in a flimsy plastic bag? Other than messy veggies such as beets, vegetables can be left out of plastic. For beets (etc.) I will bring a paper/plastics bag that I have saved from a previous purchase to put them in instead of using so many plastics every single time.
Reuse seemingly unavoidable plastics (for now)
Here are some specific items where I am having the hardest time: bagels and rice cakes! Both of these come in plastic bags; bagel prices go up a substantial amount to buy individually at the bakery and I have yet to find plastic free rice cakes (which are an easy go to snack for me). SO what I do FOR NOW is keep these bags and use them as a garbage bag in the bathroom, or use them to store other items afterwards until they are truly worn out. Then AT LEAST this plastic I am still striving to cut out is getting FULL use not just one use then tossed out. This is a temporary step to take on the path of a goal to completely eliminate plastics.
Staying clear of plastic containers
Hopefully the money you begin saving from not buying bags every single time begins to add up because to be completely transparent this one might be the hardest step BECAUSE it does take a bit more investment sometimes. To try and slowly eliminate plastic from my lifestyle I have become hyper aware of what contains plastic and it is a lot. For example, choosing the boxed pasta or the glass oil container - however sometimes it is a higher priced option compared to the plastic choices unfortunately.
Go Natural
Here I am beginning in the washroom. I am slowly finding sustainable options such as no pong deodorant, bamboo scrubs, bamboo toothbrushes, reusable razors, original skincare and other companies that have sustainable options or products.
Did you know that our regular deodorants include ingredients such as paraben and aluminium that actually clog our pores? Ditch the plastic contained unhealthy routine for a tin all-natural deodorant.
We’ve tested it on the sweatiest, smelliest people and it literally eliminates armpit odour. We don’t believe in snake-oil cures, we believe in science. No Pong creates a pH environment that smelly armpit bacteria can’t survive.
One of my favourite changes I have made this year is switching to No Pong, and as a very sweaty person I can vouch for this! Make your order in the month of January and receive 10% off your first order with the code MADISONS10 - simply click the pink text of their name above to browse the site!
Reduce Meat Intake
Vegetarian? Ovo-Vegetarian? Freegan?
This is SUCH an important point.
There are so many titles you can undertake for this topic, however simply cutting out just a small amount of meat or dairy goes a long way. Every time you decide on an option over meat saves an insane amount of water, emissions, GHG’s (seriously the statistics are pretty shocking). I have been struggling to find a title for myself as I try to be vegetarian however end up eating eggs sometimes on my own or some chicken when my boyfriend prepares it with love for me (hehe). I know it's easier for me than others as I simply do not enjoy meat for the most part. Which is why I always just want to highlight the weight of being conscious of your own consumption, and how every choice you make goes a long way!
I hope that you found some tips in here that you can take on in your own life. I encourage you to choose ONE that stood out to you the most and start today. Remember, every single small choice holds a huge amount of power.
References
Antony, W., & Samuelson, L., (2017). Power and Resistance: Critical Thinking about Canadian Social Issues, Sixth Edition. Fernwood Publishing Co., Ltd.
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