The journey of turning a little witch into a Lorax.
I feel preachy but I can't help it. Once you start feeling the weight of the crumbling world around you, you can't un-feel it. I feel like I'm at odds with so many things. I try to make myself more aware and environmentally conscious. I reflect constantly on my life decisions, whether it's buying more plastic-wrapped items or driving to work, when I could be riding my bike. I see unnecessary waste everywhere. I'm not perfect and I'm far from where I want to be, but I feel like noticing and reflecting is the first step.
Some ways I've been evolving into a more environmentally conscious being:
#1) Banning plastic bags in my house
I will carry items piled high in my arms before I accept a plastic bag from a store. I have over 30 reusable bags stashed around my vehicles and house. I've shared those bags with family members and, while trying not too be too annoying, really urge them to use them any time to substitute for plastic.
I'm also not going to sit here and pretend that I don't have a bag-full of plastic bags sitting in my house that I've accumulated throughout the years I've been shopping for myself. Though, I haven't been adding to that pile since I've become more aware of this issue. I've also been harassing Alexander to convert to reusable bags only. He does a good job at remembering most of the time, and when he doesn't - I make sure to remind him, gently but firmly. I believe that every state should ban plastic bag use, because they are extremely unnecessary and I feel like people have just become comfortable with depending on them and change is hard.
#2) Not buying single-use plastic containers
I will dehydrate before I buy another plastic water bottle... That's a little drastic, but you get the idea. I've been a stickler on buying anything that involves a single-use plastic container (water, tea, soda, etc.) I try to have two water bottles in my vehicle, as well as one in my bag so that I can fill them up at the artesian wells or a gas station, if I'm not around the lake. If I do have a plastic water bottle, I use it as many times as possible before it gets recycled.
#3) Not indulging on extra plastic accessories/toys
I've been *trying* my hat at turning into more of a minimalist. Raised in a family that frequently buys love (not everyone, but a select few), it's hard to shift that way of thinking. Materials are essentially meaningless, but in this society the popular belief is quite the contrary. It's important to have the newest, shiniest, and fanciest. I've been sucked into that way of thinking as well. I still have issues with some things, but I am actively recognizing and in turn, altering my outlook on materialistic ways.
One way that I've semi-helped the planet:
1) For the first year of my youngest son's life we used cloth diapers. It makes so much sense, it was so easy and I felt great about saving money and also not having a thousand disposable diapers in the garbage can on any given day. Around the time he turned a year old, he started breaking out in rashes. My sister-in-law told me that when she looked into cloth diapering, she read about having to strip the diapers due to build-up from just regular wash cycles. I tried stripping the diapers (following Wikihow and various other cloth diaper website recommendations) twice because maybe I did it wrong the first time, but every time he pees in them, even a little, it stinks like it's soaked and he starts breaking out into a rash. It has been one of the hardest things for me to let go and if anyone reading this has any other suggestions to try to make it work, please send any advice my way!
On that note, I would like to add 3 more steps that I'm *working* on bringing into my life to be more eco-friendly:
#1) Eliminating plastic ziploc bag use and replacing with reusable containers
This one has been tough for my household because Alexander packs a lunch (yay! saving money!) and uses ziploc bags for his sandwiches. My goal is to get him a lunchbox-friendly reusable container for his sandwiches - I just need to execute that plan. Otherwise, for freezer meals, I have reusable freezer-friendly containers for when I feel motivated to meal plan.
#2) COMPOST!
So, I've never thought about it fully before, but my family has been into what I like to call "lazy man's composting". We never threw food in the garbage, it was always dumped out across the road. I grew up in the middle of nowhere, so no - it wasn't in any neighbor's yard. We also never worried about bears because they were constantly around anyway and we always seemed to have at least one big dog. I've looked into composting and discussed it with some people and I've been overwhelmed. I've started to collect my coffee grounds, instead of throwing them in the garbage or dumping them down the garbage disposal (*whoops*). I have a spot behind the house where I throw them out into the woods and hopefully that can be the beginning of something beautiful!
#3) ALWAYS REMEMBER A REUSABLE CUP
When coffee-shopping, I have not been that great at remembering any sort of reusable cup (I have about 20 travel mugs and probably over 50 regular mugs, so there is no excuse). I do rinse out and recycle the one-use cup that they give out, but my goal is to completely eliminate even that recyclable waste.
Why Change?
My change in heart of the consumerist mindset deals majorly with the environment. Attending Northland College, I was surrounded by eco-friendly messages and lifestyles. It began to open my eyes more.
In 2016, I took a trip out to Standing Rock in South Dakota, where the stand-off regarding the Dakota Access Pipeline was taking place. It was a mind-altering experience. So many people coming together, and fighting alongside one another for the same cause - to protect the water. Living next to the biggest freshwater lake on the planet, I've grown up taking water for granted. If our water becomes unusable, we become nothing.
Planet Earth, Our Planet, or any of those documentaries regarding the planet and the decline of the natural wonders it holds are definitely recommended as a tool to kick your butt into eco-friendly gear. There are so many beautiful places on this planet and it is our responsibility to protect and nurture our nature.
This is giving me another idea for a different blog post, so I'm going to wrap this one up now and tune in next time if you're interested in any more nature discussions...
If you happen to be reading this, the goal is to also reflect. So here is some food for thought:
*What are things you've been doing that are considered eco-friendly? **What are things that you can start doing to help protect our planet?
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