Widespread Harms of Disposable Living and How to Combat Waste
Probably one of the most destructive trends we have seen take place in more recent decades is consumptionism or excessive consumerism. It is clever for the people on top of the money-making scheme but pretty much of the most devastating practices we have become accustomed to.
Consumptionism is the practice of easily consumable and disposable goods being created in abundance and sold for maximum profit at the cost of our health, environment, and happiness. Think of all the single-use plastics and wasteful packaging that is used for a few minutes in the name of convenience.
It convinces you that you need to buy excessive amounts of stuff and programmed us into unconsciously buying – usually things we don’t need.
It is taking things that you are supposed to use for a long time and turn them into the things you use up and toss away. It is convincing us that we need things that nobody needs.
Just take a minute and think about the things that we mindlessly use and throw away; plastic bags, paper towels, to-go containers, plastic utensils, food packaging, wrappers, diapers, straws, coffee cups, water bottles, the list goes on.
But how often do we take the time to stop and think about what happens to these disposables and cheap, unnecessary goods when we’re done? They end up rotting in landfills, floating around in our oceans and rivers, polluting freshwater and clean soil. Just because we don’t see the immediate consequences doesn’t mean they aren’t there.
When it comes down to it, we have become lazy and entitled because our current system is set up to have us believe that there is nothing wrong with disposable living. That couldn’t be farther from the truth – these consumable goods are destroying our planet and our quality of life.
The only ones who benefit are the few on top profiting from the destruction. We are not mindless zombies, let’s wake up and make a few conscious changes for a healthier planet and a brighter future.
Here are a few ideas to get started with transitioning away from disposable living:
- Shop the bulk bins. Almost all grocery stores have bulk bins where you can stock up on essentials like rice, oats, beans, nuts, lentils, etc. Not only do these bulk bins tend to be cheaper per serving, but you are also cutting out a lot of unnecessary food packaging. Bring your own small cloth or canvas pouches to avoid using the store’s plastic bags. Store dry goods at home in mason jars.
- Use reusable bags. We all know how bad plastic shopping bags are (seeing as they don’t actually biodegrade and end up back in our soils, water, and bodies), but many of us will have a hard time always remembering to bring our reusable bags when we go shopping. Keep some stashed in your car and hanging near your front door to help remind you before you leave the house. And when in a pinch always ask for paper bags – they can even be composted!
- Carry reusable water bottles! The majority of plastic water bottles will end up in our oceans. Please, please, please, this is 2017 folks. Stop using disposable water bottles. Keeping a stash of mason jars, metal mugs, and reusable water bottles in your kitchen make it extremely easy to ditch the cheap plastic ones – and quite frankly, there is no excuse to still be using water bottles. Unless you don’t have immediate access to clean water, in which case it may take more time and effort to figure out. Try looking into super affordable water delivery, Brita filters, or filling up jugs at your local grocery store.
- Homemade toiletries. This one is beneficial in more than one way because not only are you minimizing waste, you are reducing the amount of chemicals you are putting in your body. The skin is the largest organ of the body, and anything you put on you goes directly into your bloodstream. Start by swapping out lotions and moisturizers for carrier oils (like coconut, argan, or apricot oil) and making body scrubs at home with sugar and other organic ingredients. Once you start making slight changes, you’ll see how easy it is to make all your own beauty and hygiene products to be able to toss out the old. (Article on toxic skincare/what a natural skincare routine might look like)
- Shop at local farmer’s markets when possible. And don’t forget to bring your cloth produce bags. Buying produce that is in season and local is not only better for your health and body, but it also helps support small farmers, local businesses, and your community in general. See if you can find other farm stands in your area!
- Buy secondhand. You will find some of the greatest treasures in secondhand stores, and it is so much more fun to refurnish items and personalize them than to buy the same bookshelf 100,000 other people bought from Ikea. You can also pick up great fashion finds to help fight the “fast-fashion” industry polluting the planet.
- Look for natural alternatives to harsh cleaning products. Natural substances like vinegar, baking soda, and essential oils can clean your home just as well. You don’t want to breathe in and ingest the toxic chemicals in shelf cleaners, not to mention what those cleaners do to our water supply. (Article on beginning DIY cleaning products/natural cleaning or link to wellness mama tutorial)
- Become a conscious shopper all around. It starts with awareness. Each time you want to purchase something, give a quick thought to why you really want it. Think about how it was made and what happens to it when you are done with it. It can put things in perspective when you realize that there is no such thing as ‘throwing something away’ – we are throwing things on our planet, in our rivers and oceans. Ask yourself if you can make things you want yourself or if there is a more sustainable option.
All these little changes compound to create big change and more feelings of health, wellness, connection to the earth, and peace at home. You’re guaranteed to feel better, and I encourage you to do more research to find ways to reduce the physical impact you are leaving on this planet. Let’s leave it better than we found it.
“We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.” – @zerowastechef
All products in our apothecary are plastic-free and sustainably packaged. They are packaged and shipped in compostable containers. It is up to the consumers and businesses to decide how we want the future of our world to be!