I cannot stand when people throw a plastic water bottle
in the trash. I feel the need to pull
them aside and give them a long winded rant, equal parts scolding and
preaching, about their role in the environment.
(I recommend everyone buy themselves a Contigo stainless steel insulated
water bottle, a little pricy but worth it!)
When I do bring up sustainability in conversation almost every one, no
matter their habits, laments the lost cause that is our home planet. I too am guilty of this. When overwhelmed it is easiest to throw up
your hands and walk away. You and I
aren’t Atlas, but this Earth is a ball too precious to drop. I don’t have solutions to our crises. What follows are the small ways I make a
difference in my home.
A
well known but underutilized option to curb our garbage production is
composting. When most people think of
composting they see a large pile of rotting food, flies buzzing angrily, and
peeved neighbors complaining. In
reality, composting is clean and odors are kept to a minimum. In my family we use a tumbling
composter. Imagine a barrel on its side
with two circular doors each leading into a compartment. To start composting successfully the
compartment should be given a few shovelfuls of dirt, old leaves, loam, grass clippings,
etc. Then you can start adding your food
scraps. What I like best about the
tumbler design is that there’s no need to turn the pile, just give the barrel a
spin and the compost is mixed. After
decomposition works its magic you are left with fresh, nutrient dense soil that
can be used alone or added to other soil as a fertilizer. Composting can be as basic as a pile on the
ground, to our tumbler model, to smaller indoor containers that can be kept on
the kitchen counter top. In the same pioneer-esque
vein as composting, consider rigging up a clothes line. Nothing beats the smell of summer sun in
cotton.
One
of the first habits of mine I noticed repeatedly creating senseless trash was
drinking with disposable plastic straws.
So I set out to find a greener alternative that didn’t involve me
sacrificing my beloved straw habit. A
quick internet search showed me I had three options; ditch straws altogether
which I’d already nixed, switch to metal straws which were a promising
alternative, or use plastic straws that were dishwasher safe and came in many
colors. The vibrant colors won out and I
bought a package of five reusable straws.
They continue to work like a charm.
After each use they get cleaned in the dish washer and once every other
month or so I gather all my straws, boil them, and scrub them with a sippy-cup
brush to make sure they stay fresh. I
also have switched to reusable snack bags for my lunches and longer shifts at
work. They come in two sizes, big for
sandwiches and small for snacks. There
are many brands available on line, but I prefer the bags that close with zippers
as opposed to Velcro.
My
next attack on garbage may be a little tmi, but all is fair in saving our
Earth. Reusable cloth pads or other
reusable methods of menstrual protection enable women to greatly reduce their
bathroom trash each month. These
alternative methods also tend to be much healthier for their user. The bathroom in general is a great place to
make other environmental changes.
Bajillions of toilet paper roles get trashed each year when they are
effortless to recycle. Recyclable
containers like hand soap and shampoo bottles are tossed without a second
thought. If recycling in the bathroom is
a new concept for you consider putting a clean and small recycling bin right in
the bathroom as a convenient and easy reminder.
Think outside the bin too! Orange
pill bottles, the box your toothpaste comes in, and broken hair clips are all
recyclable.
To
help my family cut down on our unsustainable habits I’ve taken to posting
sticky notes where I see we can improve.
One sticky note lives on the washing machine reminding us to choose the
single rinse option. Another sticky note
lives above the outlet in which my mom charges her laptop, reminding her to
unplug it when she’s done. My sister has
a similar note above her phone charger.
I’ve also been working with the same sister to reduce the time she
leaves her car idling. Perhaps I’ll have
to leave a sticky note on her dash…
When
I was a little girl I remember reading The Lorax and not entirely
catching the message but understanding enough that “unless someone like you (or
me) cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”
We can thanks Dr. Seuss for that gem of good advice. We need more Loraxes and less Onclers if our
home is to remain safe. No matter the
odds, don’t turn your back on the Earth.
My momma always said to leave something better than how you found
it. Recognize yourself as a citizen of
this Earth and work to leave her better than when you arrived.
