I won’t live forever, but I do care about the future quality of life for people whom I will eventually leave behind. I care about the animals who struggle to live through the virus humans have become to the their very survival. After watching a “60 Minutes” episode about plastic, I was moved to examine my daily habits and I realized that I’m a real part of the problem. So, I’ve decided to make some changes.
I already drive a hybrid and after owning my car for 5 years, I’ve only just reached 28,000 miles. So, I’m not a big driver and my next car in 2024 will be electric. I’m already pretty good about consolidating my trips and making a circle so as to minimize mileage. I carpool when it’s feasible and use public transportation to go to Los Angeles or San Diego whenever possible. Living where I do, nothing I need is in walking distance and I don’t own a bicycle any longer. Frankly, I doubt I would want to cycle anywhere with these roads. Hopefully, this is not true for others.
Several years ago, we switched to cloth napkins for breakfast and dinner. I use paper at work, but hadn’t considered until now that I could carry one of my cloth napkins to work with me along with my lunch which is carried in one of my fancy lunch pails–no paper bags for me. If I must use a paper napkin, I’m going to cut them in half as was suggested by an environmental blogger. We only purchase paper towels that are perforated into halves to cut down on waste. However, I do sometimes overuse them, so I’ll be more aware of the times when a towel will do. When I’m out and about, the paper towels and napkins used to clean or dry my hands or to wipe up food spills can be composted and so I’ll do better with that, too. It won’t hurt me to keep a bag in my office and car to simply collect those and put them into my composter at home.
We already recycle paper, glass, aluminum and some plastics. Our magical kitchen trashcan (because it opens with a sensor and surprises guests) has two sections already built in and is convenient for recycling. My husband exchanges the recycling items for cash. It’s rewarding to use it to purchase our live Christmas tree for the living room each year. However, I’d like to switch to a quality fake one next year like the one we have in the family room. I might just win this argument this year since it’s become increasingly difficult for my husband to get down to water that live tree everyday. Thankfully, we agree on other recycling matters. We have a lovely counter size composter to collect food waste. My husband found on Amazon. Each week, he empties the contents into the huge composter in the backyard that we got for free from the city. I love that kitchen composter because it also has a filter built in to guard against odors and it works great.
While it sounds like we’re doing a lot, I know that we should be doing more. Water is a huge issue in draught stricken California, so we take 5 minute showers and collect the warm- up water in pails to water plants. I skip one shower on weekends. My son, a former Peace Corp volunteer, only showers every other day as he learned that it was actually acceptable and even healthier. So, I gave up one day on the weekend. I switched from disposable bottled water to personal Britta water bottles. I keep one by my bedside and one at work. Beyond the initial purchase of the Britta water bottles at Target and the periodic purchase of replacement filters, I think they are a great alternative to plastic water bottles. I also learned that a car wash uses less water than washing the car at home because the water is recycled. I purchased a pass for $12.99 per month that allows me unlimited car washes. We only wash full loads of clothes and our garden has a drip system. But I am in a constant fight with my husband over washing dishes methods. Dishwashers save water if you don’t wash them before putting them in the dishwasher. This is a constant battle in our house. My husband rinses everything to excess and washes too many dishes by hand. He doesn’t believe in soaking, so the constant running of water to loosen food drives me crazy.
I’m determined to do better as I learn better. So much is about changing simple habits like remembering to bring my reusable bags at the grocery store, Target, and even places where they don’t charge you for bags like, TJ Maxx. I’ll try to be better about turning off lights when I leave a room, eating less beef, and composting that paper towel or napkin that I accidently use to dry my hands.