Consumerism has our country in the palm of its hand. We are urged to buy something new all the time, to treat ourselves or buy new school supplies every year. Then we are told that anything plastic can be recycled so don’t feel guilty about it! While some plastics are recyclable, and you might need new notebooks for class there is really no reason to keep buying and throwing away plastic that has been touched for 3 minutes tops! Most times grocery bags are really only used to carry your items from the store to the car and then into your house and then are discarded. So why the waste? Invest in items that are long-term and if you can’t, figure out a way to reuse them!
The Plastic Guide
Many of these plastics are detrimental to human health yet are still universally consumed due to their cheap price. Plastic is still a new substance but we’re constantly surrounded by it. If you look around yourself right now I can bet you can find at least 3 different pieces of plastic next to you. It makes it hard to imagine what life was like without it!
The effects of capitalism leave lasting effects even on the zero waste community. Companies try to sell their products with special advertising to get you to buy their reusable water bottles or fancy reusable grocery bags. Why waste all that money on supplies you have at home? I mean I get it, the bottles are really cute I mean I have a Hydroflask myself, and those netted white farmers’ market bags would be so cute for a picnic but that’s just another way they’re getting you! Don’t buy that disposable camera, dig out that Sony camera from your mom’s house, you’re going to get those grainy photos and it’s way easier to upload the pictures. You don’t need to buy that book, remember you talked about it with a classmate in your writing class? Ask if you can borrow it and if they’re cute enough maybe you can snag a date too. I’m not saying you should never buy anything again, but be sustainable with your wallets. It’s a lot more efficient and fulfilling spending your hard-earned money on something you’re going to use and love every day.
Banana Leaves
I am South Indian, which means I eat food with my hands, wedding meals usually look like the one on the right, and my grandma WILL use your orange peels to make a body scrub for you. Generations of my family have survived without the use of plastic. These banana leaves are biodegradable and hold moisture very well. Some are even dried, folded, and pressed into cups that are used to pass out food in temples. It is also common to see glass bottle stations to drop off your empty coke bottle and everyone takes their own steel tiffin boxes for lunch at work. I’ve been trying to imagine bringing this life to America since I was 7. So if anyone wants a home-cooked meal on a big green banana leaf, I’m hosting (after the pandemic of course).
Do you feel wasteful when you have to throw out your old Windex bottle every time you get a new one? Brands like Blueland solve this issue. They’re selling tablets that when dissolved in water, turn into multi-surface cleaning liquid or hand soap. All you have to do is place the tablet in your old spray bottle, just add some water and start cleaning! If you can’t find what you need don’t fear, try out your local farmers market or Lush. They usually have plastic-free/ returnable packaging with unique soaps that are more natural than brands like Dove or Garnier.
Some of the alternatives:
- Disposable Banana Leaf “Dishes”
- Steel, Glass, or Ceramic Tupperware
- Blueland’s Dissolving Cleaning Tablets
- Farmers Market Soap <3
- Lush
- Make Your Own Grocery Bags!