When I first started to become a more conscious consumer, I didn’t think about how sustainability could work into my everyday routine. I randomly bought purple hemp shorts on Etsy and then felt like a clown when I put them on. I bought silicone straws after talking with a passionate expert on plastic pollution even though I don’t even use straws, except for smoothies (silicone doesn’t work for smoothies.) And my first purchase from the Package Free Shop was moisturizer that came in a tin, small reusable cloths, and a reusable silicone bag. Needless to say, I wound up hating the moisturizer and I eventually had to throw it out after it developed some weird black mold on it. I also don’t know where those reusable cloths went and I’ve probably used the silicone bag a handful of times. And those poor straws are probably stuck in a drawer somewhere. I had the desire to reduce my personal waste, but struggled with how I could tailor a low-waste lifestyle to my personal circumstances. Just buying plastic-free products or sustainable clothing isn’t going to be helpful if you’re not going to use it. This summer I decided to start improving my personal sustainability habits, but in a more strategic way. Here are some helpful tips and tricks I’ve learned throughout the process.
1.) Do a personal waste & sustainability audit:
Before making any changes, evaluate where you produce the most waste or are the least sustainable. For me, I realized that I was using paper towels for everything. Small water spills, wiping food or water off of my face, wiping my hands dry, household cleaning, you name it. Therefore, I decided to use a bunch of small towels I already had at home to dry my hands off or clean up messes. For heavy duty cleaning, I use an absorbable micro cloth made from viscose from Trader Joes’, which you just rinse out when you’re done using it.
I also decided to take a second look at my water usage. After seeing an “Explained” episode about excess water consumption, I decided to become more purposeful about how I use this finite resource. For me, this meant taking shorter showers and not always flushing the toilet (when it’s yellow let it mellow, when it’s brown flush it down.) I also recently decided to purchase reusable makeup remover cloth pads after realizing how many disposable ones I was throwing away. For me, these changes made sense for the life I live now. I’m not really focusing on reducing my waste outside of the home yet because I haven’t been going out much due to covid-19.
Focus first on an area that’s easy to tackle and won’t require much effort, but will also make an big impact on your life. Do you use lots of plastic water bottles? Do you leave your electronics plugged in even if you’re not using them? Is the tea you drink every day come in plastic baggies? Think about the unsustainable behaviors you engage in daily and then choose one or two things to focus on. Once you accomplish that, then move onto your next goal.
2.) Re-style the clothes you already have
Even though I love sustainable fashion, purchasing clothes from ethical companies or even vintage shops isn’t attainable for me right now. This is because I’m a recent college graduate looking for a job in the middle of a pandemic and I know that a lot of people are in the same boat as me. One of the things that has brought me joy this summer has been looking through my closet and creating outfits. For me, fashion is a creative outlet and I don’t believe you need to shop for something new in order to be fashionable. I’ve recently had a lot of fun challenging myself to create “decade outfits” using the clothes I already have in my wardrobe. I was successful in creating a 70s’ Stevie Nicks look and an 80s’ look inspired by the Tv show The Goldbergs. There are many ways to wear a piece and I think that tucking a shirt in, wearing it with a different pair of pants, or using a belt can create an entirely new outfit. This is a great way to start to become a more sustainable fashionista without investing the money if you can’t afford it.
3.) Outline zero-waste steps you want to take within the next year
I think that by outlining the changes you want to make in your life, you will have a clear visual picture and roadmap towards personal sustainability. It’s easy to watch zero-waste youtube videos and be like, I want to make all these changes, but then feel overwhelmed and not sure of what to implement first. I currently have a list of about 12 changes I want to make within the next year and what change I want to implement for each month. After the current changes I’ve made recently have become habitual, I’m going to move onto the next change on my list. For instance, I’m hoping to switch to cloth napkins/handkerchiefs by the fall and have a more sustainable period routine by the end of the year. In the long run, I’m hoping to create a zero-waste toolkit, look into beauty products with more sustainable packaging, and perhaps even create my own DIY cleaning products. These things will come into their own time and it’s important to be gentle with yourself.
4.) Recognize that individual sustainability won’t solve climate change or environmental injustice
Even though it’s important to try to change our habits, me using a reusable cloth to take off my makeup doesn’t compare to a Green New Deal, creating laws that prevent exploitation of workers, or banning fracking. You can easily spend all your time trying to avoid creating waste in your life, which I believe to be counterproductive. Does your utilities company want to frack in your town? Who’s running in your district that supports climate change mitigation policies? Is there an environmental issue in your community you could call your representatives about? Volunteering your time towards environmental causes you’re passionate about can be an excellent way to create systemic change in your community. It’s important for all environmentalists to recognize that sustainability shouldn’t be all about us and our personal actions, but is rather about bettering our community as a whole.
5.) Self-Compassion
Please be kind to yourself and have self-compassion when you’re not perfect. What you see on social media is a highlight reel of people not making mistakes and many people aren’t vulnerable enough to share their screw-ups. You know what? I still flush the toilet sometimes after I pee because it’s so automatic in my brain. I also still use paper towels on occasion or take a long shower after a hard day. There are also situations that are outside of your control. For instance, I was thirsty when I went to acupuncture, but because of the pandemic, my acupuncturist only had plastic water bottles available. Do you think I remained parched? Nope, I took the plastic water bottle and recognized this as a situation outside of my control.
What matters the most though is that I’m taking steps towards improvement. I’m learning to celebrate the steps I’ve taken to improve, instead of getting down on myself. Treat your journey to personal sustainability with kindness and don’t compare your journey to that of other people. And remember to also save enough energy to focus on systemic climate change action and community change. The planet needs you to take care of yourself and your mental health first.
XOXO
Alexandra
Frozen Lavender 