In honor of Earth Day I have created a list of things not to ignore
Recycling is Bullshit.
Only about 9% of those nestle plastic water bottles and coke cans you toss are actually recycled, it’s cheaper to dump plastic in landfills than to recycle. Poor fishes.
Solution: Reduce/stop buying products in single-use form; opt for reusable, reach out to companies and raise concern about the growing pollution crisis and inquire if they have a plan for their part in the problem.
*Loop is a company that is dedicated to helping solve the plastic crisis. They have a milkman model; products are delivered and empties are shipped back to the company. Loop had a partnership with Coco-cola before failing to meet the first product deadline. Loop also faces a lawsuit for stock manipulation and false claims about their technology.
*Ulta and Loop launched a partnership in March 2021
Sustainable Consumerism isn’t Conscious Consumerism.
Clean beauty has been trending, so has sustainability. It appears like a beneficial thing, but under the microscope there are many problems that have risen in the communities. Such as thrift shopping gaining popularity has people on the lower spectrum of income with less variety. And big companies advertising clean beauty products that won’t harm your skin are packaged in plastic that will harm the earth. People easily get addicted to buying makeup and not finishing products before indulging in another, creating lots of waste.
Solution: Don’t buy things you don’t need. Watch styling videos and create some new idea’s with what you already have. Borrow from a friend. If you are on the higher end of the financial spectrum, support sustainable businesses that pay their workers a fair wage. Unsubscribe from those millions of subscription boxes that leave you with thousands of miscellaneous items; choose one box. There are clean beauty products with sustainable packaging that you can purchase, here, here and here are some options. Please finish your mascara tube before browsing.
*You don’t have to buy sustainable, just make sure your purchasing new when your products are empty and not being gluttonous
The West isn’t rationing water…yet.
A t-shirt can be organic cotton with a cool Betty Boop graphic printed on it, but it’s not the most sustainable plant a business can choose. Opt for bamboo or hemp options, way less water to produce products. And, it takes a lot of water to hydrate an animal that will be slaughtered.
Solution: Research materials sustainable businesses use in their textiles, ask for options of items in water-conscious materials. Reduce animal consumption, add more plant-based alternatives into your diet.
You’re eating plastic.
There is so much plastic in the ocean that whales and seagulls stomachs are jammed with pollution when examined. Fishes eat micro plastics, other fishes eat those fishes, and so on up the chain to the human stomach. The commercial fishing industry kills bycatch, unwanted fishes that are caught when trying to obtain a specific target, among the bycatch that are killed and flung back into the ocean are dolphins and sharks. The specific species that is targeted is tuna. This is fueled by the demand for it. Sharks are endangered, if one part of the link breaks, the whole chain falls apart.
Solution: Buy local or stop consuming fish. Research the ethics of fisherman/fisherwoman you are sourcing your food from. Donate to organizations that are protecting ocean life.
Plastic straw deception.
Yes, plastic straws will degrade into micro plastics and cause pollution and harm to aquatic life but the biggest danger they face isn’t straws. Fishing equipment that is made from plastic and dumped, creates most of the ocean waste that threatens ocean life. Whales are big enough to consume the nets and ropes, others aren’t so “lucky” and they are consumed by the plastic. Cigarette butts are the most littered item in the world.
Solution: Don’t trust organizations that are magnifying problems only directed at the consumer to fix. There needs to be individual, communal AND global change. And quit smoking.
Fast Fashion has been demonized, so why aren’t we seeing influencers wear repeats?
80% of all clothes is thrown into the landfill. 80%-90% of donated clothing and items also end up in the landfill. Before that, third party companies can purchase textiles for other uses, such as car seat filler or a developing country can purchase some clothing and hope they are in good condition to resell in their markets. The second hand clothing industry poses threats to ways traditional clothing is made in places like Africa.
Solution: Challenge yourself to wear the same outfit for a week, try a capsule wardrobe, wear the same shirt in the next 4 content pieces you create; challenge yourself to make the looks different.
What are some things you can do now to produce less waste?
- Don’t buy unless you need, the most sustainable whatever is the one you already have
- Clothing/item swaps; ask your circle if they can make use of this thing you don’t need anymore, ask your neighbor if they have any extra yarn they don’t need instead of buying a new ball
- Basic Energy Saving Gentle Reminders: Turn lights off after leaving an empty room, don’t leave water running for dishes (fill the sink up), don’t leave the water running while you brush your teeth, your car engine doesn’t need 10 minutes to warm up; it takes 30 seconds
- Before parting with it, can it be upcycles into something else? An old chair can be painted to look fresh and be used as a shelf for some books to sit on or a plant can rest on it
- Wear your clothes a couple more times before throwing them in the wash, especially jeans; they have a lot of wear. Run the machine when the load is FULL
- Reuse containers and jars, that Becel bowl can be converted into a candy tray or a place to store your nails and bolts, stickers would do justice in jazzing it up. An old jar of spaghetti sauce makes an aesthetically pleasing planter
- Don’t throw it away! Used coffee grounds can be made into body scrub or added to plants and you can also add pasta water and rice water (make sure there’s no salt) to your plant babies
- If you are making something, look for reclaimed pieces you can use first before purchasing new (cheaper too)
- Whenever you’re critical of the impact you can make, ask yourself if you didn’t do the things you are, how much waste would be added to the landfill? If you use a reusable coffee cup and get coffee everyday, that saves 365 plastic lined cups from entering the landfill (not a good covid example, but still, it paints the picture)
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Plant a tree, a couple planted 2.7 million in 20 years
- Your purchases are votes for the world you want to live in. Buying plastic is a vote for plastic, buying reusable is a vote for reusable
- Please do not litter, the Earth will curse you
cimpathetic