Is anyone else living with the dawning realisation that a decision you made years ago has been slowly fucking up your life in a way that can’t be reversed, or is that just me?
There are many reasons to reduce food waste. Obviously, waste in general is bad. But in addition to wasting the food itself,
the resources that went into producing the food are also wasted. And if the uneaten food goes to a landfill,
it generates methane (a powerful greenhouse gas) as it decomposes. Food waste happens at many points in the process. Sometimes a particular crop cannot be sold by
the farmer because it has been damaged by weather or uncontrolled insects. Grocery stores discard food that cannot be
sold because it has spoiled before being purchased or because produce is “ugly”
and no one wants to buy it. Another
source of waste happens in homes and restaurants, when people do not eat all the
food they buy. While most of us cannot
control what happens at the farm or in the food processing chain, we can
control what happens to the food we buy.
Here are some ideas:
·
Plan your meals before you go to the grocery
store so you don’t overbuy. Then stick
to your plan.
·
Use your freezer for leftovers or if your eating
plans for the week change. The frozen
leftovers are great for lunches or those days when you don’t feel like cooking
something new. Learn what can be frozen
and what cannot.
·
Keep an eye on the freezer, refrigerator, and
pantry to make sure that items in the back are not getting too old to eat. Put new food in the back and bring the older
food to the front where you will see it first.
·
Shop the “last chance” section of your grocery
store and watch for items that are on sale because they are nearing their “sell
by” date. Be sure to eat them before
they spoil.
·
Learn the difference between “ugly” and “spoiled”
produce so you know when it’s okay to buy.
Ugly fruits and vegetables have blemishes that do not affect the quality
of the item but reduce the visual perfection that consumers want. Spoiled produce is not “ugly” – it’s spoiled
and should be thrown away or composted.
·
Take your own reusable container to restaurants
so you can take your leftovers home without generating the waste of a temporary
“to-go” box.
~grow your own vegetables–some can be done in hanging pots or indoors, if you can’t have a garden.
~buy vegetables at a farmer’s market-that way you’re helping local businesses.
~use reusable bags whenever possible.
~use beeswax wrap instead of plastic wrap to store and cover foods.
~consider going vegetarian or even vegan. if that’s too much, try going one or two days a week without meat.
~do yoga, either day or night, to help control breathing, calm your mind, and strengthen your muscles.
~pack your own lunch instead of going out for lunch.
~cook your own meals, whether you live alone or with other people.
~bake your own bread, it’s much cheaper and healthier than store bought bread, which is filled with preservatives.
~sit down at a table to eat without distraction, i.e. don’t watch TV or look at your phone the whole time.
~drink tea instead of coffee.
~take care of a plant, even just a little succulent or terrarium.
~use a reusable water bottle or coffee tumbler rather than a single use bottle.
~take a bath every once in a while instead of a shower. use epsom salt or a fun bath bomb and relish the warm water all around you.
~journal weekly. at the end of the year, make a list of things that happened month by month so you can see how you grew as a person.
~don’t buy things just because they’re on sale, you sorta like them, or you think “one day.” think about whether or not it would spark joy for you a couple months or a year from now.
~be kind to yourself. write on your mirror all the good things about you that aren’t necessarily appearance-related.
~strive to give at least one genuine compliment to another person each day, one that doesn’t focus on appearance.
~live mindfully-pay attention to your body, mind, thoughts, feelings. what sparks joy for you?
Me, taking another large swig of alcohol while staring at my bank account balance: all I want in life is to live on a modest, rural plot of land just out of town in a tiny house with many dogs, grow my own food and fill the rest of the space with native forest, and be completely off-grid, why is this too much to ask?
Oh, how times have changed! The industrial revolution marked a shift in our quality of life: new machinery meant factories, and factories meant mass production of goods which created competition and advertising. People began to want more stuff. But things were far from easy. World War I and II brought famine, poverty, and incomprehensible hardships. People needed to be resourceful. Products needed to last because no one could afford new ones - almost everything was a luxury.
Fast-forward to today, globalization has put everything at our fingertips. Advertisements tell us we want - no - need more. We are living in excess because everyone else is, too. Even if we can’t afford something, with a tap of our credit card it’s in our hands.
Many of us may not have to decide between a new pair of shoes and dinner for the family… but we do have to worry about global warming, resources drying up, landfills running out of space, and plastic killing our oceans. So I thought it’d be fun to take a look at how our everyday products have evolved. Maybe we could learn a thing or two from our elders!
Razors
Why?
Men first began to shave a very long time ago. In 4th century BC Alexander the Great is documented suggesting his men shave so enemies couldn’t grab their beards during battle. However, woman have not been shaving for quite as long. Razors were common for modern men by the 20th Century, but King Camp Gillette the razor salesman wanted to expand. He saw room to double his profits by catering to women so in the 1920s when styles were changing to raised hemlines and short sleeves, Gillette saw his moment. He began advertising to women, suggesting their now visible skin should be shaved.
The move from the reusable safety razor to disposable razors was a matter of convenience. To stay competitive, companies needed to market the fastest, smoothest shave. Razors became plastic and were being made with multiple blades.
Safety razors are making a comeback! I’ve had mine for nearly a year and it works great. Not only is it more affordable than disposable plastic razors, it will also last me the rest of my life!
Shampoo
Why?
Shampoo was first invented in the 1930s. Before then hair was washed about once a month, every 2 weeks at most. Castile soap was recommended and split ends were clipped off. Shampoo became popularized in the 1960s and 70s. Companies began to suggest consumers shampoo their hair more frequently.
Nowadays it is commonly accepted that we should wash our hair every 1-2 days. But there are many people that are questioning this concept and choose to shampoo less frequently. Shampoo works by removing natural oils from your hair. The more you strip these oils, the faster your body tries to replace them; thus your hair gets oily faster. So the more you wash your hair, the more you need too. Which means the less you wash your hair, the less you will need to!
If you aren’t ready to quit shampoo, many companies make shampoo and conditioner in bar form to reduce plastic packaging!
Diapers
Why?
The first disposable diapers hit the market in the 1940s. These diapers were created for the convenience of mothers as hand washing diapers took up a lot of their time. Disposable diapers didn’t become popular until the 1960s but environmental concerns and cost have seen a surge in consumer demand for cloth diapers.
Today, cloth diapers are becoming more popular because they are less expensive and more eco-friendly than disposable diapers.
Grocery Bags
Why?
Grocery bags were first invented when a store owner noticed that his customers’ purchases were limited by the number of items they could carry out of the store. He developed the first grocery bag, which evolved into a simple paper bag. Customers commonly brought cloth bags with them to the grocery store rather than paying for a paper bag.
In the 1970s, grocery stores began to switch to plastic bags. Plastic bags were controversial at first and many consumers preferred paper to plastic. However, in 1982 Safeway and Kroger switched from paper to plastic to lower costs, enabling plastic bags to take over.
Today, many municipalities are starting to ban plastic bags. Instead opting for paper or cloth bags. The era of plastic grocery bags might soon be coming to an end!
Plastic Packaging
Why?
Before plastic, products were transported in glass jars, tin cans, or newspaper. Glass bottles and jars were refilled when products ran out, tin cans were sent to the landfill, and old newspapers were added to the fire to heat the home. Cellophane Tape was the first plastic packaging to be invented. It became common in the 1930s in grocery stores and bakeries. Ziploc sandwich bags and tupperware containers were developed in the mid 1940s. By the 1950 plastic bottles were becoming popular. Because plastic was an exciting and affordable convenience, it took many years for the consequences of plastic to be realized.
You would be hard-pressed to avoid plastic in your day-to-day life in the 21st century. It’s common knowledge that plastics don’t break down, contain toxins, and are overtaking our oceans - yet we can’t deny our dependence on plastic. The good news is there are many alternatives to plastic that can work just as well for everyday items. The more we, as consumers, resist plastic, the more incentive companies will have to create alternatives.
Paper towels
Why?
Paper towels are another thing we always used to go without. They were first marketed in 1931 but didn’t take off until the 1950s. The main reason these replaced reusable dish cloths? Convenience.
Today there isn’t much resistance to paper towels. Many compost facilities accept paper towels, otherwise they do end up in the landfill. I personally don’t buy paper towels because I don’t feel I need them but there are definitely worse things in the world if you’re not ready to quit the habit!
What does the future look like?
The answer to that is in our hands. As a society, we’ve retired our resourcefulness for the sake of convenience. We have become accustomed to ‘things’ being dispensable. We live in a world where success is synonymous with having more clothes, expensive cars, big houses, and things to fill them with.
At times it can be easy to forget that all these things ultimately come at a great cost to the earth. Take a moment to consider your lifestyle. What do you need? What truly makes you successful? What brings you the most joy? Chances are the answer to these questions doesn’t come from a shopping mall. We all love comfort and convenience but at what cost?
Changing the mindset of the collective starts with you and I. Every decision we make has a ripple effect on the people around us. Your actions have a bigger impact on the world than you might ever know. So if you feel overwhelmed at the thought of our future planet, remember that the power resides within you and you can make a difference.
