Every year I try to be better when giving out gifts. This year, however, I had the added challenge of also trying to have a low impact with my gifts on top of getting people thoughtful gifts they would love.
It proved to be a hard challenge, and sometimes I failed miserably. I decided this year that I was going to buy some presents on Etsy. If you don't know, Etsy.com is a site where people can sell their stuff that is either homemade or from a small business. I love buying on Etsy because you can talk straight to the owner/maker, and it is not from a big business that already has built an empire of a corporation. I also liked that I could comment to the shop owner and ask for them to ship without plastic or styrofoam. Both a Fail and Win: Packaging While I did put on every comment on every order from Etsy about shipping, only a couple followed through with my request. Some of them made sense- the wine glass I got for my cousin's girlfriend came wrapped in bubble wrap as to not break it (but the rest was paper and a cardboard box!), but some did not. I bought a facial mask brush for my boyfriend's oldest sister, and it came in one of those plastic packaging bags (however it was just the brush inside, so no added plastic inside). I had to buy a few things on Amazon, which I try not to do anymore, but they usually send us stuff in a cardboard box now, thanks to this article here that I gave our email address to. They will automatically send an email to Amazon to ask for eco-friendly shipping, and have even more advice about Amazon's packaging and shipping. Other things I got in stores as opposed to online; Barnes and Noble, Target, a local bookstore, my own workplace, the Dillsboro Chocolate Factory, etc. I tried doing this when possible, but when you live in a small town and have finals before Christmas it is hard to find the items and times to go out buy locally. All in all, packaging was mostly a success, but I have more to improve upon in the future. I think before I buy anything on Etsy next time, I will ask the shop if they are able to send without plastic or styrofoam before placing my order. I think this will allow me to shop even more consciously. What I Bought People I was also trying to be conscious about what it was that I bought people this year. Only things that could be used over and over again. I tried avoiding things that people would only use once or twice. Getting my boyfriend's oldest sister a spa set, I ordered from vegan/zero-waste companies on Etsy. I got my Aunt a lunchbox she can take to substitute teaching. I bought my Mother a Japanese teapot because she loves drinking tea, and likes to make a pot every now and then. I bought my friend his first reusable straws, and my boyfriend some glass straws. I must admit: some of the stuff I bought had plastic in it. Even though it was not single use plastic, it was still plastic. Documentaries for my Uncle, a Funko Pop for my boyfriend's sister, the lunch box lining, a gift card for my Grandfather: there was plastic involved. It is something I will need to work on for next year. This year was very little single use plastic (packaging), but hopefully next year will be no plastic. What I Received I was grateful to receive a lot of things that didn't have plastic in them this year! I got a Ukulele, some teas that came in no plastic, a mug, scarf and gloves, and more. One of my new favorite finds is what my sister got me. It is a body lotion in a metal container. It came with a lid, and a pump, but when I need more, I can send in the bottle because it is refillable, and they will not send me a pump again. It is vegan, sulfate/paraben/palm oil free, biodegradable, and more. They even have a subscription option, which I might take advantage of in the future. She got me the Rosemary Mint Vanilla Body Lotion from PlaineProducts.com. I did get a few things that are single-use plastics. And you know what? I still love the gifts. They were given to me by people who love me, and I am glad people got me gifts. I think I only got a handful of plastic I will have to throw away eventually. But I also know that next year I will probably get less because I am sure that people will know more about my low-impact journey. No one is perfect, and no holiday can be perfect. It is up to us if the small imperfections ruin our days or our thoughtful gifts from other people. Merry Christmas! I hope you were able to get things that you can use time and time again, and that your holiday was as good as mine. Did you get anything that will help you on your low-impact journey?
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Yesterday was Halloween, which means somewhere around 41 million people went to people's homes, businesses, and events where they were given (most likely) candy. Halloween is fun. Halloween is so much fun, and it allows people to be creative and daring as they dress up in costumes or outfits that make them feel confident. Not only that, but you get great candy and have traditions like carving pumpkins and drinking cider. Fall is a great time of the year, and Halloween is part of that. But let's talk about the scariest part of Halloween. No it's not going to the dentist with your rotten teeth, or a two year old hyped up on candy and awake at 10pm. It's the packaging of the candy you receive; it's plastic. Companies use plastic as packaging because it's easy to print on, it's easy to mold into whatever shape the product is, and more. I guess it might be cheaper, but I can't find any good source on that. Anyways, they use plastic as packaging for most candy. And if they have a mainly paper packaging (like some Sour Patch Kids boxes), they have a plastic bag inside (like some Sour Patch Kids boxes). There are, of course, exceptions, just like any other statistic. Nerds, Dots, Junior Mints, Hard Sweetarts, Mike and Ike's, etc. They have achieved being able to sell candy without including any plastic. And it's time for other candies to have paper packaging too. So much plastic goes into our oceans, most of it from MILES INLAND. Yes, the Reese's wrapper you ate from last night might end up in the sea even though you live 100 miles from it. Our plastic travels distances, and also ends up in our landfills. It tries to break down, and when it finally does, it becomes a microplastic, which arguably is even more harmful because it gets everywhere. Fun fact, they've found microplastics in human poop. So it's up to us. We as consumers need to push companies to have more responsible packaging. They need to consider that their packaging is having a big impact on the environment. If we contact those companies, and only buy candy that doesn't come with plastic, we can steer them in the right direction. Maybe by next year more candies will have plastic-free packaging, or more places will be giving out candies that don't have plastic. You could be the really cool house that gives out canned sodas. But for now, I'll just be munching on Nerds whenever the opportunity arises, and I hope you will be more conscious about the packaging of the products you buy.
From October 26th to October 28th I went on my college marching band trip to St. Louis, MO. A lot of the time traveling can be one of the biggest opportunities to produce more waste than usual. It's also a big opportunity to produce less waste and have a lower impact than usual. If you prepare the right way, and are conscious while traveling, a low impact (and plastic free!) trip will be easily obtainable. For days One and Two, check out this blog post. Day three: The Dome Day three was our performance at The Dome at America's Center. We were relying on the Dome concessions to give us both lunch and dinner. I was a little nervous about that, because I was picturing plastic and dairy, so I brought all my snacks as a backup. The fries came in a paper cup, and the cup was not waxy, meaning that it could be recycled/breaks down easier. I was definitely excited to have found a way around the plastics and Styrofoam that most concessions use. I even noticed that the nachos and pizzas came in paper-like containers as well, instead of their normal plastic. For dinner I had one of their veggie burgers and another fountain drink. I was definitely glad and surprised that they had options for me. Day four: Going Home On day four, the day we left, I got up to eat breakfast at the hotel. When I got there, they had plastic plates out instead of the real ones,
Breakfast was a little discouraging, but I knew the rest of the day would be fine. We stopped at the same mall for a lunch/dinner, so I got Moe's and a Coca-Cola Freestyle drink again. This time, however, we spotted a little stand with bulk candy. They had paper bags to put the candy in, and weighed it by pound. I love sour candies, and it's hard to find them plastic free, so we got some candy. I didn't get a picture because my hands were holding a bunch of stuff. ThoughtsI was definitely excited that the only plastic I used this trip was three plates, two utensils, and one tiny spoon. I also am not that excited, because I was really hoping I would go without any plastic. I know that the plastic I used was for the most part unavoidable, but I also know that I can do better next trip. The next trip I go on, I will have a little more control over where I eat, and honestly I might bring my own reusable plate for hotel breakfast's. All in all, it was a fun and successful trip. I spent a lot of time with my friends and we got to not worry about school for four days. Back to the topic of low-impact living, without bringing things and preparing ahead of time, I would have used more plastics than I did. It doesn't take much time or money to get things to take with you when you travel. I'm sure most homes have containers and to go tumblers. You can bring metal silverware, but I usually go with plastic so that security checks will be easier than carrying a metal fork and knife. If you don't have reusable straws, they are usually cheap, or you could just get one plastic straw and reuse it for as long as you can. Being low-impact while traveling doesn't have to be hard or expensive. It just takes planning and asking people questions when you're out and about. I hope these two posts help you see what you can do on your travels to be conscious about your impact on the Earth. If you have any questions, feel free to comment them.
Happy traveling! From October 26th to October 28th I went on my college marching band trip to St. Louis, MO. A lot of the time traveling can be one of the biggest opportunities to produce more waste than usual. It's also a big opportunity to produce less waste and have a lower impact than usual. If you prepare the right way, and are conscious while traveling, a low impact (and plastic free!) trip will be easily obtainable. Preparation One of the biggest things to creating a low impact trip is preparing for it. The biggest dilemma of single use plastics is food. Candy, snacks, restaurants, and more could potentially come with plastic if you aren't familiar with the brand/company. Here’s what I packed in my bag to prepare for a plastic free, low impact, St. Louis All of these things I stored in my backpack for on the bus. The Stasher bags and paper bag hold snacks that I got at my local health food store, which has a bulk section. The big empty container is for leftovers at restaurants. I absolutely love my Patagonia foldable bag, and carry it around with me on all my trips. It's perfect to put in my backpack, then unfold and stash stuff in it to leave the bus/hotel and walk around. The things unlisted are my Vaseline lip balm, two Endangered species chocolate bars (paper and foil for the packaging), and a oil roll-on for face moisture and cuts. Not pictured is my gigantic water bottle I carry around, and the utensils that are inside of the case. Day One: travel
I live in on campus at a smaller university. Here's how I live a low-impact life while at college. Housing I live in a single dorm room, but I do share a bathroom with one other person adjacent to me. In my room specifically, I try to turn off all lights when I can, but I do leave a fan running, because my cat lives with me and the smell of cat lingers more if I don't have the fan running. I wish I could open a window, but she has bad allergies, so I only get to open the window once in a while. For lighting, I open the blinds during the day, and use one lamp at night to light the room, instead of the giant fluorescent light in my ceiling. For cleaning, my toiletries, food storage, and more, I use the typical run-of-the-mill plastic free/low-impact replacements. Food I don't eat animal products, but thankfully there is a vegan station in the upstairs caf, where I can eat on reusable plates, utensils, and cups. This is my preferred place of eating. The downstairs area of the caf gets a little tricky. Whenever I go to Starbucks, I make sure to bring my reusable cup, or buy a glass bottle of Teavana. The only other two places I eat are Moe's or Which Wich, because they have vegan and plastic free options. I get my sandwhich at Which Wich wrapped in foil and put in a paper bag. At Moe's I typically get a burrito, because ordering anything else means they will put your food in a plastic container. A burrito guarantees foil and a paper bag as well. I know I can also go to Freshen's and get a smoothie in my own cup, but I rarely ever do. Because I am not in control of making my own food, I unfortunately do not have much access to locally grown foods. The other options in the downstairs caf include Chick-fil-a (which I can't eat and uses Styrofoam for their cups), Panda Express (there are no meat free options for an entree at Panda, and the food comes in either plastic or Styrofoam), and an Aramark run Comfort Corner, which has different kinds of stuff, but it is hard to tell what food I can eat. Transportation Most of my classes are in walking distance, but for anything else on campus I use the campus-run CatTrans, which have routes all over campus. I use the CatTrans to go to one of my classes a couple miles across the four lane, to my car if I had to park far away, or to marching band practice. I am definitely glad for the use of public transportation so that I do not have to walk or drive. For off campus things, I usually try to grab a ride, but I do have a car on campus to drive to teach marching band at the local high school, or run out to the store when no one can take me. I try to use my car as little as possible. Classes For notes, I use the RocketBook Everlast, so that I can keep reusing one notebook, and not waste trees while I do so. I do have manuscript paper I uses sometimes, but I do not use that all the time. If I ever have to turn in something I write in class, I usually write it in my recycled-paper notebook. I really want an iPad Pro and Apple pen to take notes on OneNote, but we will have to see about that, because I am still on the fence about it. Thoughts I personally find it easy and simple to live a low-impact lifestyle in college. I don't have to drive every day, which cuts down a lot of carbon emissions. I may not be in control of where my food comes from, but I can choose to eat the things that produce either zero waste, or plastic free waste. Plus most of my food is made in bulk which also cuts down on waste and emissions. I know there is always room for improvement though, and am constantly figuring out ways to cut down my footprint and plastics. Some of my biggest problems are shower time, laundry, and my cat's litter/food. When I do drive, my car is not the best for the environment, however, I am trying to save up for an electric car one day within the next 5 years. Even though I am not in charge of my food, I'd like to contribute more to local farmers and their products. I also am trying to buy as little as I possibly need, and trying to buy second hand as often as I can. These are just some of the things I do on a daily basis to live a low-impact life. I know we all can be on the path to a low-impact life as soon as we start making conscious changes in our everyday life.
Coming soon is a two-blog post about my band trip to St. Louis, Missouri and how I travel with as low of an impact as possible! |
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December 2018
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Just looking out for the Earth and everyone who lives on it. |