living mindfully
This post is a long time coming. It has both inspired and been inspired by some of my recent pottery design ideas (see above). It is September after all and in the spirit of #sustainableseptember and #secondhandseptember I finally felt it was time to sit down and get this post in order!
In the past two years I have, step-by-step, day-by-day been making small efforts to make more thoughtful decisions. Most of the swaps I have made were relatively easy, affordable and truly made me feel better. The most notable mood-boosting swap came after switching my plastic bubble wrap and styrofoam peanut packaging to all paper packaging for shipping out my Forged & Found orders. Not only is paper the obvious eco-friendlier choice, it also looks great and makes me feel good when I have to spend an entire day packing orders. Below I have listed a guide of sorts for beginners. They’re all things that I finally managed to change in my home after the couple of years I have been on this journey. And that journey is still happening! I suspect it will be lifelong and I welcome that.
Living more mindfully in your daily life does not have to be complicated or an all-or-nothing effort. It is really about taking small steps and making changes one at a time. I am by no means perfect, or even close to it, but I wanted to share these tips and resources for reducing waste, phasing out plastic use and making eco-friendly swaps. We can always strive to be better and even just adopting one of these tips into your routine and consciousness is a great step in the right direction.
In The Kitchen
-Swap out paper napkins and paper towels for cloth. You can easily find cloth towels & napkins second hand.
-Swap out bottled dish detergent and plastic sponges for blocks of soap & bristle brushes.
-Make your own cleanser in a refillable glass spray bottle.
-Use glass jars for bulk/pantry items (bonus points if you use reusable ones like cleaned out marinara or apple sauce jars).
-Use a refillable water bottle
-Use a travel mug for coffee
-Use cloth bags for grocery shopping and invest in a pack of mesh produce bags
. Buy bulk and avoid packaged goods when possible. Get into the habit of collecting your kitchen scraps and composting them. You can compost in your own backyard or look into composting in your community. Many farmer’s markets collect compost.
-Try to be mindful about how much waste/trash you are producing. In lieu of traditional trash bags, start using compostable ones.
In The Bathroom
-Swap out traditional and recycled brands of toilet paper for bamboo TP. Bamboo is one of the world’s fastest growing plants, capable of growing up to three feet in 24 hours. It requires little water, no fertilizer and regenerates on its own after cutting. The more regularly bamboo is harvested, the faster it grows.
-Stop buying shampoo & conditioner in plastic bottles. Find bulk shops where you can refill glass bottles. If can’t find a bulk shop, try to buy the biggest size bottle of whatever product you need in order to reduce your plastic waste. Better yet, switch to shampoo and condition BARS.
-Use bar soap made with natural, simple ingredients (that comes unwrapped or is wrapped in paper-that you can compost or recycle) to wash your face & body and ditch plastic pumps and containers of body wash.
-Stop using toothpaste in a plastic tube. Instead try paste that comes in a glass jar, recyclable metal tube, or in tablet form!
-Choose bamboo toothbrushes over plastic. They can be composted!
-Find deodorant that comes packaged in cardboard tubes or glass jars.
-Skip buying disposal razors and cans of shaving cream and invest in a safety razor and shaving soap.
-Never buy tampons or pads again. Instead invest in a silicon menstrual cup and/or period underwear.
Before investing in anything new you can always just start by becoming aware. Taking time to notice how much plastic and waste you are producing each day/week/month is a great first step in working towards changing your habits. Try to pay attention to any patterns that result in unnecessary waste, areas that you want to work on improving and think of ways that you might be able to cut back. Becoming aware is a powerful first step in any practice. Remember not to be too hard on yourself. You can’t completely change overnight. But if you focus your attention on being better, each day/week/month your old habits will start to change.
Here are some resources for more reading, suggestions and shopping:
INTERSECTIONAL ENVIRONMENTALIST