As condensed as I tried to make it, it first starts off with a list of environmental concerns and why certain things matter, followed by a list of tips & solutions to those concerns as well as some other things I've learned. They also answer questions I very often hear (though some of them weren't directed at me but my nosy self would like to answer them anyway!). These lists are copy-pasted from my Listography page :
Problems With Plastic & Other Waste
- plastic, made from fossil fuels, take a lot of energy to create and dispose of. An estimated 29% of U.S greenhouse gas emissions result from the manufacturing and disposal of plastic goods. 60-80% of marine trash also comes from plastic, which has been continuously killing all kinds of sea animals and birds who mistake them for food. [Images and stills by Chris Jordan below: Laysan albatrosses on Midway Island, with consumed plastics - including cotton buds - remaining intact even while their bodies are decaying.] A sad example is the whale in Thailand that recently died from swallowing 80 plastic bags.
- firstly, recycling is not the solution to plastic pollution - reusing or not using them at all is! Unlike aluminum or glass etc that can be recycled again and again, plastic gets downcycled every time they are recycled, meaning their quality decreases each time until they can no longer be recycled and have to be discarded into the landfill or worse - the ocean. Wherever they end up, they won't disappear or integrate themselves naturally or beneficially back into the environment, unlike things like paper of course, and burning off plastic would no doubt release gases toxic to us and the environment --> greenhouse gases --> direct contribution to climate change! While the most common single-use plastics are in the form of take-away cultery and bags, they also include the sneakier, less obvious items such as juice bottles, toothpaste tubes, food packaging at groceries/convenience stores and granola bar wrappers.
- pushing waste towards the landfill is bad because they aren't designed to break things down but only to store them. Though garbage there might decompose it'll take an extremely long time due to lack of oxygen in the compressed space there (and if something is plastic it'll of course stay there for at least 200 years) and bacteria in the mix of all this garbage produces a lot of methane and greenhouse gases ---> again direct contribution to climate change! Which is why waste-sorting is important - so that compost can return naturally to the soil, recyclable things like glass don't get wasted, and so as much waste as possible gets kept out of landfills. This goes hand-in-hand with the importance of avoiding single-use plastics.
- An estimated $31 billion worth of food gets tossed into compost or the landfill in Canada every year. Continuing from the above, besides the notion that we should definitely not waste food, compost is useful for nurturing the growth of products straight out of the earth so why waste food and compostable stuff by discarding them into the bins that say 'trash/garbage only' and having them sent to toxin-producing landfills when we can sort them into pure compost for beneficial reasons? Global food waste is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions!
- many (including myself) still don't recommend using single-use plastics even if they're labelled 'biodegradable' or 'compostable', simply because they still break down much much slower than normal compostable stuff like food/paper. So if they're chucked into compost, it's not long before farmers use these compost piles for growing their plants, but it's been found that these piles (and so the fertilizers etc) get contaminated with the so-called 'compostable' plastics that haven't been able to break down quickly enough. Only SOME composting systems have the right mechanisms to ensure such plastics break down properly. e.g. on my campus, many food businesses give out biodegradable plastic bags and cutlery to customers, but this is essentially useless as the campus' composting system is not even capable of properly breaking these items down. So it's ideal to always be wary when we see plastics that claim to be 'biodegradable' or 'compostable'!
- plastic straws have been a big deal (recently banned in San Fran and announced to be banned in Vancouver by around June 2019. Also to be fully banned in Malaysia by Jan 1 2020). to elaborate, in the USA 500 million straws are used every day (enough straws to circle around the Earth 2.5 times), they aren't recyclable, take up to 200 years to decompose and are one of the most common ocean trash. Each year, 1 million seabirds and 100,000 marine animals die from ingesting plastic. [source: get-green-now.com ] Compostable and reusable glass or metal straws are simple, effective alternatives. (although there is the debate about disabled people struggling with alternatives to plastic straws and of course this still calls for better solutions to be made)
Things I've Learned For & From Reducing Environmental Footprint
- there are SO many ways to avoid single-use plastics. Saying no to plastic bags and cutlery and juice bottles etc.
- packing your own reusable cutlery & food container & cloth shopping bags & water bottles in your daily bag whenever you go out in case you want to buy something you see or take away food
- not accepting plastic straws. bringing your own metal or glass straws! every plastic straw discarded means potentially another olive ridley sea turtle or sea bird choking and dying from it.
- when grocery shopping for fruits & veg, not using those plastic bags from the rolls provided near the fruit section. the 'dirt' in the carts shouldn't matter too much bc we thoroughly wash our fruits & veg before cooking/eating them at home anyway
- for groceries: buying food in bulk from the bulk section if your local grocery shop has one (Save-Ons!) bc they often have almost all the dry food items we need for much cheaper AND we can control the portion we're buying AND we can avoid buying foods packaged in plastic. yes this normally requires using the plastic bags that the section provides to collect the food in but it's v little effort to bring them home, transfer these foods into your own jars, wash those plastic bags and bring them back to the bulk section again on your next grocery trip! This way they're so much more useful and no longer single-use!
- for groceries: refilling products (esp liquid products) such as milk, sauces, shampoos, toothpaste & detergent at shops that sell refills with the use of your own reusable containers, if such shops exist near you. Also buying bar body and hand soaps instead of the bottled liquids!
- Zero Waste, package-free bulk groceries & essentials shops in 1) Kuala Lumpur: The Hive, NUDE The Zero Waste Store; 2) Vancouver: The Soap Dispensary, Nada
- buying fruit & veg from local farmers' or produce markets rather than from large chain businesses in order to support the local farmers and and their families instead of larger - normally less ethical - businesses. Local food preserves genetic diversity of plants and is fresher compared to imported ones that sit for a long time on airplanes and in warehouses. 13% of U.S greenhouse gas emissions are also directly related to food production, transportation and disposal.
- a more plant-based diet (see my other list for more explanation) ; it's not as hard as it seems! just a year ago I told friends 'I don't think I could ever live without meat', but how things have changed!! Nothing is impossible
- Household cleaning: instead of Lysol wipes which aren’t compostable or recyclable, keep lots of rags cut up from old clothing or any fabric, to be used along with some cleaning detergent!
- Cosmetics: use cotton pads that are 100% cotton so they can be composted after use, or get some reusable, washable bamboo makeup pads! EDIT: I don't buy cotton pads anymore because cotton takes up a tremendous amount of water during its very unsustainable production process. I normally just use tissue paper now and they work fine with removing makeup!
- if you find yourself with a plastic item that really can't seem to be reused OR recycled, as a last resort see if there's a recycling depot near you. Unlike household recycling systems, such depots recycle these items like soft plastic bags. what I find most convenient is collecting these unreusable or generally unrecyclable plastics for one or two weeks, and then bringing them all at once to the nearest recycling depot. (e.g Green Depot)
- try making your own snacks! baking/cooking your own snacks such as granola bars or cookies (super easy) instead of buying processed, packaged ones (candy, chocolate, etc) reduces use of single-use plastic wrappers/packaging, saves money, often provides better taste, is healthier, satisfies yourself with your own creation and lets you realize how resourceful/self-sufficient you can be by providing for yourself without the help of large manufacturers!
- support thrift shops and their secondhand items/clothing if there are some near you! Buy used products and give them a second chance. This is something I'm still struggling with: avoiding fast-fashion companies (Forever21..) as much as possible, just because of how the clothes are not sustainable as well as they wear out quickly and so get discarded quickly. Also, production of denim is sadly v detrimental to the environment, with many heavy metal chemicals used and then discarded as waste into rivers.
- slowly you might find yourself becoming less materialistic, or consciously buying only the things you need, or at least becoming more supportive of only brands/businesses which you know are ethical and sustainable. Our society has been trained to always buy and consume more and more when there are really a lot of things we don't actually need. Consuming less = less waste, and consumers collectively have a lot of power to influence business behaviors, so every spending decision we make counts!
- you can help influence policy change. Attending townhalls or joining local communities or organizations that share the goal of reducing waste or carbon emissions and raising awareness about it provides a chance to act collectively or let your voice for change be heard by authorities.
- immersing yourself more in nature really helps you feel a deeper connection with and a stronger love for it, and so a greater desire to care for it. This was what happened to me; during my years growing up in a bustling and very metropolitan Southeast Asian city I found it hard to be concerned or do much for nature as I do now.
- most of these tips are very much doable and easier than you might think, especially/at least if you don't live in a third-world or developing country.Vancouver is privileged with the overall greater ease and luxury of reducing one's environmental impact, but in Malaysia too there are resources that facilitate this e.g. the Zero Waste Malaysia community Facebook group, a few zero-waste grocery shops popping up recently (NUDE Zero waste, The Hive Bulk Foods).
- Every consumer decision counts. When you're about to buy something packaged in any kind of plastic (as aforementioned, biodegradable plastic is still plastic. And without a doubt polystyrene is one of the worst..), these can be things to consider: "Will I be reusing this plastic for long term? Where will this go once discarded? To the ever-expanding landfill or out to the ocean to harm our marine life? Or will I recycle it? But plastic gets down-cycled after each recycling round til it is finally discarded anyway! Is it possible then to get this item elsewhere or in a way that doesn't involved plastic packaging? If not, how much do I really need this item?"
- The last question above is not meant to guilt-trip (in some circumstances you actually might REALLY need such an item that can't be obtained without plastic)! Just more a question of considering where you values lean more towards and assessing your need/want of that item in your life: what impact would i have on you vs the impact it has on the earth we live on?
- a personal example of how this way of thinking has affected me: some years ago while still living in Kuala Lumpur I think I was as materialistic as any teen could be, always having my eye on the next item of clothing or cosmetic product on my wishlist. In comparison now my consumption of makeup products has fallen drastically and I only buy the most basic things that I run out of. Clearly I could be more minimalistic than this but I'm getting there..!
- Before throwing something into the garbage bin, consider: is it really trash? If it's compostable or recyclable is it possible to maybe hold onto it for a little longer til you find another sorting station elsewhere where you can toss it into its proper sorting bin?
- once you start becoming aware of plastic, you tend to notice it everywhere. it can be frustrating and people feel their efforts are futile sometimes but every individual's actions have the potential to make positive change and every drop in the ocean counts! Super important to spread optimism about this and focus on the positive aspects and the little achievements you make every time you make a conscious everyday decision to reduce your environmental impact :)
One final important note: I find discovering or starting to identify oneself as an 'environmentalist' sometimes gives rise to chances of judgement from others. For example, when a person working towards a meatless diet (or for the most part considers him/herself vegetarian) consumes meat once in a while (for whatever reason, be it cravings or special situations), and so gets called out by others around him/her (e.g."didn't you say you were vegetarian??" though this DOES get asked out of genuine curiosity most of the time). I personally believe we all have our choices and weaknesses to temptations/cravings and no one should be blamed for not living up to people's expectations of them regarding their actions concerning the environment as long as they are trying. I understand it can be hard to, for example, completely give up meat. It can be hard to transit another half an hour to reach another package-free shop just because a certain peanut butter isn't sold without packaging at the first grocery shop you went to, making you possibly buy something that's packaged instead and then feeling guilty about it after. There is no need to feel guilty (or to make others feel so). To those trying to get others around them to change their daily habits, there is no need to push anyone either - as long as awareness is spread and information conveyed, for the most part your examples of daily living tend to slowly but naturally rub off onto people around you. The ripple effect is very much existent in this context! What matters is the effort and that we try every day - yes ugly truths and realities about our actions need to be realized but it's also important to keep focused on the positive, conscious achievements we make to lower our impacts on the environment. GOOD VIBES ONLYY
P/S. please do reach out for any clarification or points that I may have missed! or for anything else for that matter
P/S. please do reach out for any clarification or points that I may have missed! or for anything else for that matter
