Tree Planters

It is easy to feel hopeless with the climate crisis we are facing in our world today. It may seem like one individual's contribution may not amount to much. However, every choice we make does have an impact, regardless of how small it may be, every little thing helps.

To start, I look at the daily conveniences in my life that I take for granted. Driving somewhere, buying packaged items, ordering things online, buying food grown across the world, using electricity, travelling, buying new clothes...etc. These may seem at glance like innocent things, simple conveniences in the Western world that we benefit from. But, convenience isn't stainable. I remember a time where I was resistant to changing these behaviors because of how much I benefitted from them. It is unfortunate that we live in a world where ease and accessibility become a higher priority over our health and that of our environment.

The reality is, the moment I began integrating sustainable practices into my daily life, it has become second nature to me. I feel empowered to make these changes because many of the practices are as good for my health and wellbeing as that of the planet! It is important for me to preface that I am very privileged to be able to make these changes towards sustainability. Many people cannot afford to switch to sustainable options due to their circumstances and limited options. This is a fault in the system we live in, and not the people who live in these circumstances.

So let us finally dig into, sustainable actions that I implemented into my life. The first thing may sound simple, but one of the greatest decisions I ever made was switching my commute to work from busing to cycling. I made this decision after years of taking the bus, and finally getting fed up with it showing up late or not showing up at all. I discovered, to my surprise, that my commute was actually shorter by bike, especially in a larger city amid all the bustling traffic. I will say, biking rain or shine has its downsides. Not all weather is conducive to cycling! However, saving time and money made it worth it, on top of it being a great form of daily exercise.

After much pestering from fellow environmentalist friends and social media posts, I prioritized reducing my plastic waste. This is tougher than many may realize. Almost everything we buy comes to us packaged in plastic, made of plastic and packed up for us in a plastic bag. It began with refusing that plastic bag, bringing my own reusable bag or stubbornly carrying armloads of groceries rather than succumbing to the convenient temptation of the disposable plastic bag. Another big step was buying more sustainably packaged items, packed in cardboard or paper that could be recycled or composted. Other items stored in glass jars or bottles were bought over plastic as they could be reused or repurposed.

In my journey to be as plastic-free as possible, I found the best places to shop were local Farmers' Markets. The joy I get from chatting with a farmer about what fruits and vegetables are in season is beyond compare! Locally grown food isn't shipped across the world and it often does not come packaged in plastic.

There were many small changes I made, switching to "eco-friendly" items such as a bamboo toothbrush, beeswax wrap, glass straws, stainless steel water bottle, shampoo bars...etc. The main thing all these products have in common, as opposed to their single use counterparts, is that they are reusable. The biggest takeaway I hope you, and anyone wanting to reduce their waste, is to think of all the objects in your life that you discard after use. What objects can you repurpose? Or what objects can you replace with a more sustainable alternative? What objects can you live without, if it means giving up plastic waste?