Howdy everyone! Today, I am embarking on a new personal challenge. I’m not off to run a marathon, bike across a country, meditate for days, or walk for hours (although that is coming up). Rather, I am committing to reducing the waste I produce in a big way. For the next month, I will not purchase any food in plastic packaging. Ideally, this will evolve into purchasing almost nothing packaged but I am starting here with the goal of learning how to further reduce my waste. I have been moving towards this for a while now and after listening to a few episodes of This Sustainable Life, a podcast about leadership in the environment, I decided to make a public commitment.
Unfortunately, as we all know, practically everything is packaged (and most of it in some form of plastic). I am very lucky to have access to a bulk food store where I can bring in my own containers and get everything I need without any packaging. I purchase mostly organic, loose (no packaging) produce and bring reusable bags and/or a cardboard box to carry my groceries. The only things I am still planning to purchase in packaging are plant milk and applesauce but these are only for baking, an important hobby of mine right now. Also, I can get applesauce in glass jars and soy milk in cardboard cartons — still waste but at least reusable and recyclable, respectively. Moreover, I use such small amounts of both of these that one of each will last me quite a while. Some day I will make my own milks and applesauce.
There are a few other things that I see as potentially difficult to source without packaging. I like to have berries, which are almost, if not always, packaged in some form of plastic. Berries provide great macro and micro nutrients so I don’t want to just stop eating them. But I also want to draw a hard line: no plastic packaging. So, until I find a solution, I’ll just be berry-less. Another plastic-packaged item that might be difficult to go without are granola bars and similar snacks. I don’t often have them but once the weather is warmer and I start biking and hiking again, I’ll need to find an alternative that will provide quick calories, and not be too heavy or bulky. There may be other things that I realize are more difficult to avoid than I currently presume but I know its 100% possible to find ways around it.
Again, I recognize I am in a very privileged position to make this commitment. A lot of people don’t have access to bulk food stores. And a lot of people have so much going on in their lives that adding another layer of responsibility is just too much. I also know that living like this won’t save the world — my trash is a minuscule percentage of global waste. I recognize that I produce waste in other ways and I hope to address those too. This commitment is not about changing the world, rather its about living in greater alignment with my values. As someone who is passionate about protecting and conserving the environment, I believe I have a responsibility to act like it.
I think it’s easy for us to talk the talk without walking the walk. Instead, we put it on others to make the changes we want to see in the world. We also feel powerless, like our actions don’t matter. But if I don’t act in accordance with my values, who will? How can I preach sustainability and teach children to love nature while polluting it every day?
This commitment is a personal one. I am not telling anyone to do anything. I am doing this for myself. It feels good to live intentionally, it makes life easier and more fun, and is more cost-effective. Still, I am hopeful that my actions inspire you to reflect on your own behaviors and actions — are they aligned with your values?
I plan to post semi-frequent updates on how this commitment is going. I’ll be fully transparent and share when I purchase anything packaged. I’m really excited to take on this challenge because I think it will enrich my life and lead to even more good stuff!
:)