As I continue to examine different areas of my life to make sustainable improvements, as well as share these with others, I am starting to see the changes. I am also becoming even more aware of unsustainable daily decisions and thinking more about how these decisions are described and how best to call attention to them.
I considered myself to be reasonably aware prior to beginning this accelerated sustainability journey, but I continue to find areas for improvement. For years, I have been devout about recycling, composting and offsetting my carbon emissions from flights, and driving as little as possible (which selfishly is just fine with me as I really dislike driving). Now when I need to use a taxi, I use an app which allows me to order an electric taxi. I read a lot, but now use my local library a lot for audio and e-books, rather than buying a new copy. I’ve gone paperless on all of my accounts and have unsubscribed from magazines and catalogs. I’ve switched to renewable energy and I am planning to install solar panels after my roof replacement which is due in the next year or so. I have switched all of my lightbulbs to LED and I try to rely upon natural light where possible. I also wash most laundry in cold water and air dry, which is better for our clothes anyway. I’ve begun using only powdered laundry detergent, and buying concentrates of cleaning products which allows me to add water at home, therefore reducing the carbon emissions of shipping products which are composed largely of water. I use a water filter at home to avoid buying bottled water. We eat a mainly vegetarian diet (with limited amounts of fish/seafood), and I buy organic and local food wherever possible. I’m passionate about avoiding food waste as well as unnecessary packaging, so I try to buy from the bulk section or buy something in recyclable packaging.
Lately I have started to think more about how the vocabulary we use to describe things can make an impact. For example, I’ve begun using the term “landfill” instead of a more general term such as “trash”, “rubbish” or “garbage” because I feel “landfill waste” draws needed attention to where things end up when you throw them away. Instead of using plastic bags for landfill waste, I now use compostable “biobags” which are not nearly as sturdy as plastic bags but break down much more quickly. So quickly in fact that I do have to double-bag them, but only once a week, since we are now down to one small bag of landfill waste each week.
I’ve also become more conscientious about the types of companies I buy from as well. I was already trying to support small and local businesses when possible. Now I’ve also begun to try to buy from certified B Corps. For example, when I needed a new daypack/backpack for weekend hiking trips, I bought from Patagonia (an easy choice as they’ve been a longtime favorite for ski and winter sports clothing). I like tea from Teapigs and Pukka, also both B Corps, and I pay a little extra for home paper goods from Cheeky Panda.
More importantly, I have tried not to buy new things at all where I can avoid buying something or buy something second-hand. I bought two new-to-me chairs from someone who had them unused in storage for years, with plans to reupholster them in new fabric. This was perhaps an ambitious project and is taking much longer than I anticipated, but the reward is that I will have two beautiful antique chairs which I could not purchase anywhere else.
The biggest and most time-consuming change so far has been divestment of fossil fuel investments and reinvesting the proceeds into renewable and clean energy investments.
However, that change is dwarfed by the next big sustainable improvement I’m planning, which is to measure my lifetime carbon footprint. The bulk of this will be from the frequent business and leisure travel that I’ve done. This project will be a lot of work and I expect that it will take me several months to do a calculation of my lifetime emissions and then pay to have them removed.
The hardest part of all of this is speaking out and speaking up. I have made more of an effort in this area to ask others to make changes, such as requesting alternatives to plastic where possible, and equally, complimenting cafes, restaurants and shops who have made sustainable choices.
Writing about these changes is encouraging to me, because it shows me how far I’ve come, and how much more improvement I know that I’ll make with each new discovery for sustainable changes.
Suggestions are most welcome!
