Waste Not Want Not

Are you recycling, repurposing, and reducing the consumption of our natural resources? Are you taking care of our environment? Have you thought about what you can do to reduce your carbon footprint and protect our oceans from being destroyed? If not, you should. Perhaps, you don't like to make waves, or you think it's too much work. Believe me, our environment and our natural resources are worth saving and protecting.

In fact, saving our environment and our resources should come naturally. Like breathing! Obviously, we rely on our natural resources for survival.

At an early age, my parents and grandparents instilled the idea of wasting nothing. They would say the idiom, "Waste not want not." It was said repeatedly, and we knew why. My parents and grandparents survived the Great Depression and they considered it a sin to waste anything. Indeed, they practiced what they preached and set an excellent example. Unsurprisingly, their words and actions had a positive effect on me and influenced my concerns regarding the conservation of our natural resources, our oceans, and our environment.

After leaving home, in the workplace, a new saying was introduced. Invariably, someone would always say, "Don't make waves!" Encouraging everyone to keep the status quo and to keep things the way they are; basically, they were telling me don't rock the boat, don't cause trouble, don't cause a disturbance, or don't cause controversy.

Well! Guess what? It is time to rock the boat and make waves. We no longer can keep the status quo and be silenced. Our environment and resources are depending on you and me, and there are lots of things we can do.

Why? For one, our oceans are in danger. Have you heard or read about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP)? If you haven't, it's an island of plastic and garbage that consists of trillions of pieces of plastic, the weight is approximately 80,000 tons and is twice the size of Texas. Of course, this is hard to imagine. Unfortunately, this isn't the only place that a plastic garbage island has accumulated. There are others plastic garbage islands of various shapes and sizes around the world. However, the GPGP is the one that has received the most publicity.

Unfortunately, plastic is breaking down in our oceans. In turn, the damage to fish and to the ecosystem is troubling. Ultimately, it is destroying our food chain and supply. Not to mention climate change, it is alarming!

After personally learning about the plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and other locations in our oceans, my decision to stop buying individual bottles of water was considered. At the time, recycling plastic by placing it in the blue recycling garbage bin was the norm. Feeling that more needed to be done, water delivery crossed my mind. However, the decision to have water delivered once a month was actually made while shopping at Costco. It was so timely. Conveniently, an Ozarka representative was offering Costco members a special on their water delivery service. The water service started well before the pandemic. Not only does it help to cut down on the number of items going into our recycling bin. The water delivery during the pandemic has truly been a lifesaver.

Besides water delivery, another way to make waves and help our planet is to be mindful of your water consumption and not overwatering lawns and taking shorter showers are simple and easy ways to conserve water.

Really, have you considered an energy audit? Do you know how much energy you lose or waste? An energy audit is a good place to start. After having an energy audit, the first step was to purchase a Solar turbine from Costco and having it installed on the roof by a professional. Shortly after that, the ductwork was replaced with an air purification system added and installed. Then, a radiant barrier along with attic insulation was added. At the end of the day, this has saved on energy bills as well as bringing the house up to code. In addition, when it comes to electric usage, changing the lightbulbs to LED bulbs, and managing the thermostat, my consumption of electrical energy has been reduced.

Granted, when gas prices were nearing four dollars a gallon, my conservation of gas began. Since walking and carpooling were out of the question, my conscientious decision to eliminate unnecessary trips and combine errands and grocery shopping to a minimum reduced my gas consumption.

When personal items around the house were no longer needed or no longer worn, my decision was to either repurposing the item or selling the item. While it might be easier and faster to toss the item in the garbage, at the end of the day, it is better to find a new home or repurpose the item. It's another small way of saving our oceans and the planet.

So, rock the boat, make waves, you can reduce, repurpose and recycle. It isn't as difficult or as hard as you think. In fact, you can start now by taking small steps too. By changing your purchasing habits; conserving electricity using energy-efficient lightbulbs and monitoring the thermostat; planning errands, shopping, and grocery shopping so that you can do everything in one trip. If you observe an area where there is waste, you can always think of ways to reduce, recycle or repurpose.

What else can you do? You could simply purchase less plastic, plastic bottles, or packaged goods that would help save our ocean's ecosystems and our planet. By being aware of the electricity and gas that you are consuming, you can start making the necessary changes to conserve our natural resources. It's your choice. You don't have to take humungous steps.

Hopefully, at the end of the day, my personal examples of changes that have been made to reduce, repurpose and recycle our resources and save our planet's oceans have inspired you to reduce the garbage going into our waterways that is harmful to our ecosystems. Plus, a few suggestions on the small steps that will get you started and ways you can reduce waste. As my parents and grandparents would say, "Waste not want not."

Now go, "Make Waves!"