Modern Sustainability Tips for the Non-Green Consumer
Dear Humans,
Let’s start out by giving the plant bloggers, eco-friendly social media influencers, and all earth-lovers an exaggerated round of applause for creating the almost perfect canvas for introducing new and innovative sustainability initiatives. Their dedicated contribution to consistently changing the way that people view and manage their carbon footprint is the very medicine that our planet needs to reach our goal of Net-Zero.
Thank you for your contribution.
One point for Earth. Two points for humanity.
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We all have a tiny amount of control over our Instagram algorithms. So, I’m sure we’ve all seen the water tracker tumblers at some point, at least once…Yes, I am referring to the ever-increasing amount of companies with minimal and insanely techy smart water jugs that claim to be just what you need to reach your daily water intake goals.
You know who you are.
But amongst the trends and non-transparent information about “eco-friendly” products and brands, the true nature of being sustainable didn’t originate in a world that was above it all. It came from one that had it, lost it, and is now needing it more than ever. And as we know, all species including ourselves are going to suffer tremendous losses in the future unless we start to act and have genuine care and reason for the companies and actions that we are supporting. I don’t mean buying a dad hat from your local fast-fashion company that encourages recycling.
Because in this case, who are you supporting? The brand making the hat? Or in other words, supporting vague and short-term trends by maximizing your buying power through cheap consumerism and pretending to assimilate into a community that doesn’t really care about the environment. Or are you supporting a cause? If so, ditch the faux green labels and purchase something worth buying.
Going green shouldn’t be daunting or expensive. And tailoring our daily purchases to the quality and ethicality of a brand are just a few ways that we can get started. So, throw a bamboo straw in your latte, let your body sink into an organic cotton blanket, and welcome in your new guide for how to effectively transition into a lifestyle that benefits our planet and you.
From your friend,
The Modern Planet
Food Tastes Better When It’s Fresh
Shopping from locally owned farmers markets is like having Chicken Soup for the Soul on your nightstand.
Do it. Read it. I highly recommend it. Not to mention that it’s unlike the sprays and preservatives that are trapped in retail produce anyway. For Kansas City locals and travelers, Cristina’s Produce in the historic City Market area provides a wonderful array of fruits and vegetables that give you the opportunity to feel good about where and how your food is grown.
Healthy eating shouldn’t be tedious and have you resort to a pre-made salad from a nearby fast-food chain because it’s “cheaper.” It also shouldn’t leave you feeling inclined to purchase store-bought produce because it’s “more convenient.” Not having a fresh produce market within a few miles and/or not having one in your city at all is the very aspect that brings people closer to their local retail stores. Although advising you to move to a city that promotes locally owned businesses would be great, I understand that it’s not necessarily feasible. So, I digress.
Cristina’s Produce not only houses some of the best locally grown and international produce but it’s affordable and conveniently located by local transit. So, whether it’s a streetcar, a metro, a bike, or your own two feet, you won’t regret paying them a visit.
Mount Trashmore Encourages Trashing More
Groceries + Plastic Bags = Landfill and Oceanic Waste
Groceries + Reusable Grocery Bags = No Waste
Shortly after my parents bought their home in good ole South Florida, we learned very quickly that the HOA was not messing around about properly discarding waste materials.
Either mixing all of your biodegradable stuff into the same bin (half recycling, and half caring really) or simply not recycling at all.
We used to purchase our salad bags from Target…and boy does retail love to excessively package everything! The croutons inside were wrapped in plastic. The dressing inside was wrapped in plastic and even the salt and pepper packets were wrapped in plastic. Before this, I used to believe that certain grocery items like salt, pepper, and vinaigrette were household staples. By the time we were done isolating the salad from the waste, we were left staring back at the pile of inorganic material that had a first-class ticket to the nearby landfill. A place that locals like to call: Mount Trashmore. And even though we can recycle plastic, not all plastics are created equal.
We would use those same bags for lunches, pets, trash cans, and sink liners for hair dye in an effort of rendering our bad recycling habits formidable or some heroic deed. Sometimes people will perform the bare minimum just to claim that small effort as validation.
One time I was running along with the lush and unblemished forests of my daily trail when I noticed a few plastic bottles on the ground. These bottles were so fresh that you would think they belonged to the person running in front of you. The juice was still dripping from the tip of the straw and the ice was still forming bubbles around the rim. The internal battle was do I pick it up and hold it until I’m finished or do I keep running? Instantly, the guilt and the self-deprecating thoughts of how terrible of a creature I am set in. So I went back and picked it up seconds later while telling myself, “Pat on the back.” I look at it this way. I love this trail so much that I even refer to it as my trail. So why not help keep it clean instead of always relying on landscape and construction workers?
No matter what purpose or importance the plastic grocery bag has for you, it is still, and will always be a plastic bag. Sustainable home cleaning brands have made ridding of its usage easier by creating specialized mesh bags for produce, organically reinforced straps for carrying fabric grocery bags, and double-lining inserts that give you organization and sustainability.
The Enemy of Greenwashing is the Consumer That Reads
In the weight loss community, a popular saying for maximizing weight loss and reaching nutrition goals is to read the label.
This is true.
Imagine if the same principle was applied to the things that people chose to purchase. When confronted with the decision of choosing one product over the other, what attributes of that product make them a deterring factor for why people choose to buy them? Or is it because the product has been made readily available to them without effort? (impulse stations) Admit it. You love things that come easy to you. We all do. The truth is that people want things that they don’t have to apply much effort to get. So, if you can spend the next minute of your life on something a little more savory, as opposed to concerning yourself with what ingredients are in the product, then why not do that right?
Several companies have been a victim of greenwashing. It’s also much easier for a business to give an apology rather than ask for permission when they are being investigated for making false accusations about their products, marketing them as “all-natural.” If people also researched the working conditions, wages, insurances, and carbon impact of the brands that they shop from, with the same determination as a person who spends their time reading every food label for a new diet, then wouldn’t we all have less but more? A personal value of mine is quality over quantity. I don’t want a 10-pound bag of pre-cut salmon filets doing cryotherapy in my freezer for two months.
But everybody is different. Don’t allow yourself to get sucked into the “earth-friendly” and “made with coconut oil” labels. Flip the package over. You’ll probably notice that the first ingredient is water, then whatever “natural” ingredient is in the product, followed by a subpar list of incomprehensible words that completely overrule the seemingly organic nature of the product. At the same time, expecting people to spend a few minutes researching the nutrition facts of every single grocery item is certainly not an ideal situation. This is where the planning process comes in. Companies like Thrive Market help simplify the time you spend researching ingredients by displaying categories that are home to only the cleanest and most sustainable grocery and home items.
The Garden’s Not Going to Grow Itself
The thing about wanting change is that all of you must want it too. The physical you must be involved and share the same amount of importance as your spiritual self. I don’t mean simply showing up for the big change, but by showing up to its inconspicuous counterparts. Now, I am referring to two different things here. Yes. To want to start gardening you must actually start gardening. This tends to be a challenge for some people because like everyone else, they have certain goals that may or may not be out of their reach. The only difference is that some people want to start gardening as a lifestyle addition, while others may want to start gardening as a lifestyle subtraction (nothing but a summer hobby, then forget about it later).
The second thing I am referring to is believing in the change to the extent of physically showing up for it. Some cities have community events to uplift local farming businesses to consumers. They may also have source funds that go towards forestry care services and consistent construction projects. On Main Street, the city passed a new streetcar mandate that allows it to extend through connecting streetcars downtown. Kansas City everyone. Not to mention the number of jobs that having it is going to open, there also could be more community events funded by the Kansas City trolly services in the foreseeable future.
Aside from the jobs, it’s important to do the work and believe in the work. Keeping the topic of real “sustainability” behind a screen and simply inducing in its social media appeal doesn’t do anybody any good. I’ve even fallen victim to the marketing scheme of sustainable consumerism by revving in its “likable” aesthetic tactics. But honestly, it’s all a joke. With that mentality and way of living, you’d probably view the planet as dying anyway. I really felt like I was doing something mighty when I entered a code and planted a tree for Verizon’s Arbor Day Foundation. But then I sat there and thought to myself that night—where’s this tree anyway? Acting within the means of a societal norm is very much, the norm. So don’t feel bad that you want to purchase a Brita but keep purchasing an eighty-pack of Nestle water bottles. All that matters is that you purchase the Brita. Eventually.
Anyway, being involved to any capacity is where it starts. Where you blossom from there is up to you. Doing the research on city-wide events that are free to the public or have decent affordability can be used as a guide when finding ways to get your hands dirty. Just get out there.
Kansas City. The city provides modern public transportation and uses significantly way less carbon emissions.
Two for Earth. Four for Humans.
A Mission (not so) Impossible: Driving with a Purpose
This is one that I still remind myself of daily. I used to be willing to dedicate twenty-five minutes of my life to drive to Kansas just for “a crazy cup of coffee” and with absolutely no regard for the skyrocketing gas prices. Now, I like to call actions such as this, absurd. Gasoline is a burning fossil fuel that holds the record for being the leading cause of global warming. Greenhouse gas emissions from transportation alone account for approximately 27 percent of the overall greenhouse gas emissions within the U.S.* A person might hold the false belief that raising gas prices, would encourage people to limit their driving or perform it locally.
Luckily, there are numerous ways of limiting your greenhouse gas contribution.
You can find out more about your personal impacts through the links I have provided below. As a result, you might also come up with great ways of reducing your household carbon impact. My uncle took the quiz on behalf of his family of five. Check out the results below and may you use them only as a reference guide. Some families frequently shop for clothing, while others may shop only when their pajamas are tattered in dust and furniture sprays. Some partake in the overconsumption of groceries, increasing monthly waste, while others make an intricate shopping list to avoid overspending.
United States Environmental Protection Agency
University of California, Berkeley
https://coolclimate.berkeley.edu/calculator
