Hey guys, I’m so glad you came back! Once again, I want to add my disclaimer. I’m not an expert, just a human being trying to raise awareness. If my stats or information are incorrect, please let me know so I can fix them. If you missed part one, no biggie. I was just talking about regenerative agriculture and its benefits. Proper farming practices are just one piece of the puzzle, but like I said last week, you don’t have to be a farmer to make a difference.
Single-use plastics and food waste are other issues. I get it. Zip-lock bags are wonderful and convenient. Tap water isn’t as appealing as bottled water. Sometimes I forget I have food in the fridge, and it goes bad. And honestly, my pork chops were inedible and better off in the trash. I really do understand, but I was shocked by the numbers.
According to one source I found, America wastes about 133 billion pounds of food a year. You can help by only buying what you intend to eat, composting, and taking home food at restaurants. My dad and his wife keep containers in their car sometimes, so when they go out, they don’t have to use the styrofoam or plastic ones that restaurants give you.
Now that we’ve covered food, let’s move on to what we drink. It’s time to talk about bottled water vs. tap water. According to an article from the Natural Resources Defense Council, there are pros and cons to both. Some houses have lead pipes that can potentially contaminate the tap water, and some bottled water is just tap water in a bottle. There’s also the fact that bottled water can have microplastics in it from the packaging.
So, if you are worried about tap water… Get a Brita pitcher or tank like I have and treat yoself to a nice reusable water bottle. Brita also makes water bottles with filters in them. I have one of those, and I love that I can fill it up anywhere and know that I’m drinking filtered water. But bottled water is just 1 of many single-use plastics.
Let’s talk about laundry. The average American family uses approximately 13 bottles of liquid laundry detergent per year. Nationwide, this contributes to nearly 700 million to 1 billion plastic laundry jugs being discarded annually. That’s a lot! And I was using detergent, fabric softener, AND scent boosters.
My laundry smelled amazing, but at what cost? So, I looked for something more sustainable. I switched to Earth Breeze laundry detergent sheets, and I love them. They come in little sheets, and you just throw them in with the clothes, and they dissolve in the water. Exactly the same clean that I got from detergent. I quit using the fabric softener and scent beads. My laundry doesn’t smell as strongly of lavender and vanilla when it’s clean, but it’s clean, and that’s enough for me. It didn’t end with plastics though.
Paper products are another household item I want to talk about because deforestation is another very real threat. I switched to bamboo toilet paper and paper towels, and while it may not be the best toilet paper and paper towels I’ve ever used, they’re definitely not the worst, and they get the job done. If you want to make sustainable paper product purchases, look for an FSC certification or anything that certifies a low environmental impact.
Another switch I made happened when I learned you should replace your toothbrush every 3 to 4 months, and I thought that was kind of wasteful. Thankfully, my dad’s wife introduced me to the Nada toothbrush. It’s aluminum, and you just replace the heads. Don’t throw them away. You send them back, and they will recycle them for you. It’s a bit pricier and something I may have to phase out when my rent increases, but it is a good option if you can afford it.
There are sustainable alternatives for a lot of things if you know what to look for. Maybe showering every other day instead of every day to save water. You can also donate to eco-friendly causes if you have the financial means to. I like to donate to the World Wildlife Fund, but there are lots of good organizations out there.
I know this is all a lot. Do your research, ask questions, and be curious. You don’t have to do it all. You don’t have to change your lifestyle overnight. Just think of one thing you can do to make a change. You may think you are just 1 person, and you can’t make a difference, but 100 people doing just 1 little thing adds up.
I’ll see you next week when we are going to talk about ecosystems. I’m sure you’ve heard of them, but how much do you really know? Tune in to find out.
Sincerely,
LIBD
But I’m busy and poor
