My Pledge for Mother

I've always had this ordained guilt for space my body and I take upon this earth. I see people throwing things away senselessly, fighting over prices and materials just for it all to fill landfills and clutter backyards to collect rust. I've always tried to search for the right, for the intention in everything I do. The intense guilt and self-loathing I felt when I would be told "that's junk, just throw it away" overwhelmed me as a kid. They start you off young, cutting out bold laminate letters reading "Remember to Recycle" in my first-grade classroom, right above the cubbies as you hang up your backpacks and take off your shoes. Continuing further with notes by light switches in my seventh-grade classroom, "The last one out turns off the light!", and even a designated student every week to make sure all computers were off after free time.

As an adult, it has carried itself with me and clung tight, even more so with the climate crisis converging on us in every article that crosses my feed, as every new "eco-friendly" version of a product comes out, as new TED talks and public figures speak out against our behaviour, and what needs to be changed. It's wonderful and necessary. We need to be pushed, to be vocal, and to not be so lax with the only Earth we have left when we have done so much damage to her already. I have had countless debates with family and coworkers about alternatives to products, solutions to small environmental triggers that could be done differently. I will continue to do so, but as I grow, I realize only I can control myself, and control everything I do to damage and heal our Mother. We may be too far gone, but I believe I can at least help in the delay we need to fix the mess humans have made.

To reduce my own footprint, I have already changed many habits of mine and swapped them for healthier options, not only for me but for our home. I have been fortunate and understand my privilege at this time to have enough money and resources to begin switching habits, and doing so when I wish, but I get that it can be a hard transition if you have been stuck in a certain way for so long. It isn't overnight, but if every person did one thing differently a day, it would make more impact as a whole, more than we realize. I wish to help people see it's easy, that there are ways you can work with what you have, get what you don't, and over time build habits to do better for Her sake just by being more mindful and aware. That's the whole point of recycling, right?

I am definitely no expert yet, but the intention and mental fortitude are there. I am well on my way to making lasting changes and will continue to improve myself while providing information for others to do the same. My inner circle of close friends is very focused on sustainability and wellness, and for that I am grateful to have like-minded people surrounding me, encouraging my zero-waste journey. I want to be that person for others, as well.

It may seem silly to others, and you may think "this one little change won't help any", but it will over time as more contribute. As I always say, if it bothers you, fix it.

Here is how I have begun fixing it.

Biking, my "fuel-less" means of transport.

Now, I understand everyone has jobs and responsibilities to attend to in a timely manner. I'm not saying ditch your car on the side of the road. I would take public transit when required, for instance when I had a fragile art project due, and I had to transport it down the road to my university. It wasn't a cold cut on using transit, it was a "whenever you can" decision to use it less. For me, it was also learning to care for my body alongside the environment, by reducing my carbon emission. I had bought myself a bike, a road and mountain hybrid, my baby I named Trinity. She was my ride to work and school nearly every day, a nice half-hour leisure ride to take in the scenic bike path in Winnipeg, MB, Canada. Biking in the city is scary but finding those little "treasure trails" where not many people have ventured is exciting, and the ride is rewarding. Not every little choice has to make your life difficult, take the time to make better choices that positively impact your own life, too.

Slowly exchanging my toiletries for cleaner options.

I began to see just how much waste I was producing on my skin, hair, and body products, and it really clicked in for me last year. I slowly but surely started swapping items in my routine that would, in turn, benefit my health as well.

My first change was my toothbrush. Instead of rebuying the disposable plastic ones, I had a friend recommend me these biodegradable plant-based toothbrushes from ZeroWasteStore. I bought a pack and was pleasantly surprised at the softness of the bristles, as I have sensitive teeth, and they worked great. I didn't feel I compromised my cleaning.

Next was makeup and body care. I have purchased reusable makeup wipes, as the single-use ones are terrible for your skin, anyway. They are harsh and strip your skin of natural moisture, but with reusable pads, you can pair them with your favourite cleanser and be gentle on your skin. I purchased mine from Amazon a year ago, and wash after wash they hold up well. As for skincare, I have been religiously researching and gathering my "holy grails” and have found a few favourite brands of mine. One favourite is Etee, who ships plastic-free, and handmakes their body soaps, lip balms, and lotion bars that contain my favourite ingredients like aloe, charcoal and tea tree oil. For makeup, Mad Hippie is a vegan brand I have just tried and can say I love their pigmented cheek & lip tints and will be trying to look into more "clean" brands in the future. I've delved a little into the Youtube side of homemade cosmetics, and am eager to try my hand at creating my own products. There are plenty of tutorials and fun things to try if you are a little more adventurous than me.

Again, my current favourite store, ZeroWasteStore sells these adorable little shampoo and conditioner bars to eliminate the need for bottles and containers. Personally, I have tried the Meadow shampoo bar, and love the way my hair felt and smelled after a week of using it. I will be investing in the conditioner bar, as well as a wooden brush that will also benefit my hair and distribute the natural oils.

As for feminine products, I was a little skeptical on reusable items such as washable pads, liners, and the Diva cup as alternatives to the high waste that is being a woman at that time of the month. However, I have heard some great feedback from friends and reviews saying it was manageable, chemical-free, clean, and easy to use, and I will definitely be trying this soon.

Repurposing clothes, donating my wardrobe, ethical purchases.

"Fast fashion", or mass-production of clothing is incredibly wasteful, and in my experience, not very long-lasting. The fashion and textile industries are top polluters and contribute to gas emissions and waste. I used to purchase clothing that was from brands known to be sold cheap, made cheap, and wasteful as a brand overall, but I can't justify purchases like those anymore. Lately, I have been switching out clothing that needs updating for sustainable fabrics and trusted brands. My favourite place to shop for clothes, tentree makes clothing with sustainable fibres, and eco-conscious materials and they even plant trees and give you rewards with your purchase! My first introduction to them was a gift from a boyfriend, a cute charcoal grey sweater, and even 10 years later I have that same sweater. I'll go on the site from time to time and splurge a little on some cute tops or hats, without the guilt I would have gotten from buying clothes at Walmart.

For when I can't buy new clothes, I always try to repurpose them. I'm good at sewing and will try to fix any knicks or tears I see on my favourite pieces. If I have outgrown a piece of clothing, then I will donate when possible. This weekend I will be decluttering my closet, as I need a desperate update, but I offer my closet to family to shop for anything they like, and then donating to the Salvation Army in my town. That way I know they will not go to waste. I keep them in relatively good shape, so they should make someone else happy as they did for me.

Changing things around the apartment, little by little.

Living in the city for a few years, I was lucky to have a wide array of shops to purchase from and would find products that stirred a will to change in me. Even if small, the good it will do in the long run is a great effort and shouldn't be put down just because it's one person, one apartment. It started with biodegradable garbage bags, grocery shopping with reusable bags, and purchasing food products with less packaging. I even have a habit of unplugging all electronics not being used (a habit my great grandma taught me to save on the hydro bill). Also, this adorable water filter from GOpure goes in my water bottle so I'm not tempted to purchase plastic bottles on a hot workday. I want to improve even further and have been seeing promising items like natural walnut dish scrubbers. My latest purchase was a utensil set with a straw that was perfect for my work lunches (from ZeroWasteStore, I know I have a problem, they should endorse me at this point).

Sustainable hunting.

I've only just started hunting not too long ago, but the way my family does it is something I encourage others to think about. On my mother's side, we are Ojibwe, and as an Indigenous family practice hunting in a more cultural way, rather than purely for sport. We will shoot for deer, moose, partridge, all that the great white north has to offer, but we honour every part of the animal. I know people who personally shoot to kill and get the Facebook post out of it and the high, but that makes me feel physically sick. The way my family uses the animal and never wastes makes me proud to be hunting as a way to gather meat and create beautiful things from the remains.

Even when fishing, I always make a point to never leave anything behind apart from footprints, and if I see eagles around the lake, I will throw them a fish as a thank you. It's my catch, but they catch all day as a way to survive and deserve a treat sometimes. With my bait, I will leave anything not used behind for birds if I see them scavenging around, or in the weeds where pike will come and eat their fill. It's a wholesome feeling to give back to nature as I take from her, but I offer my gratitude to the animals whose land I intrude on.

As for hunting, my father had shot a deer, and while I was in university, I was sent the meat, antlers, and hide to create with. As an artist, I was ecstatic for the natural material to paint and bead with, as well as the meat to try my hand at some traditional recipes. It makes me feel closer to my culture, and in using the material my family had gathered for me, I felt closer to home and closer to where we all came from. I can take pride in having those items, because I know it wasn't maliciously hunted, and use those materials to gift them back and create art from Mother Earths beautiful creatures. We are equal, and all deserve to be here and have this planet be prosperous and plentiful in resources for future generations.

It doesn't have to be hard to make little changes.

It's these little things with intention that carry throughout the day and lift that guilt from my shoulders and make me feel good about what I'm doing now in place of what I was doing a couple of years ago. I realize I still have a long way to go and have to take responsibility for the plastic I do use, for the decisions I do make carelessly. But if we had no need to improve, we could be far worse off than we are now. The more I see musicians and celebrities and environmentalists of all kinds rising to the challenge we have brought on ourselves, the more hope I have that a cleaner future could be reachable. I can only do my part and convince others to do the same. I am not perfect and will make mistakes as I go but it's better than never trying at all. If we never tried at all, Earth could have a shorter life than we thought. Try with every decision you have, every small choice. Buy a reusable mug for your usual morning latte, carpool with a co-worker and gain a friend, and even send an email instead of a printout in the office. Take responsibility for what you contribute, I know I will more and more as time continues. If it bothers me, I will fix it.