Reduce, REUSE, REUSE, REUSE, Upcycle, and Sometimes Recycle
For the past few months, my husband and I have been trying to reduce the amount of consuming we seem to do. While I feel responsible for the new material things I bring into the house, this habit is a huge part of our culture and it seems strange to not want. I have to be honest, I've been very challenged with this seemingly simple task. You might be saying, 'It's easy! Just don't buy anything new!'. But it's not quite as simple as that.
Think back to a sociology class you probably took in high school or perhaps college. Everyone knows what the supposed "American Dream" is: a white picket fence, 2.5 kids, a dog, a cat, a beautiful house full of beautiful things, and a perfectly happy family. But if you took a sociology class, or an anthropology class, you know this isn't really true. It was an experiment done in the 1950's that didn't really work out the way sociologists expected. I won't drone on about the experiment, but this "American Dream" seems to only have further fanned the flames of consumerism. While most of us seem to be getting poorer, we still find the need to buy and buy and buy. And I've found that most people aren't buying things they really need. It's all just "stuff".
Only a few months ago people were piling up empty boxes at the curb from holiday celebrations. I still don't understand why we, as a society, feel the need to practically go broke for one single moment every single year. Economically speaking (while I'm not an economist), I understand the theory which states that it's great for stimulating the monetary growth of the country in which I live. However, everyone who has a business which sells goods or services to people knows how empty the till is during January, February, and sometimes March. That is, until people receive their tax returns and consume some more. It all just comes back to the capitalist mindset we've been spoon-fed since birth. I'm not going to go on a political rant because that's not what this post is about. But it is the root of the consuming problem. My husband and I want to try and end the cycle so our daughter can be raised with the idea that less is better versus the idea that more is better. Thus, we have begun the task of creating this environment in our home. Getting rid of things we don't need as well as replacing things which are not sustainable (such as plastic containers, cups, etc.) with things which will last the test of time and not create a toxic environment is where we decided to begin.
The first thing I wanted to do was go to the store and buy a pack of glass food storage containers to replace the plastic ones we have currently. One of my friends reminded me that going to a store to purchase brand new containers was in direct contrast to our new philosophy. I didn't even realize I was trying to consume! My only focus was on getting rid of plastic containers and replacing them with something less toxic. My husband and I keep reminding one another of this every time we've wanted to purchase something brand new. It's been quite an eye opening experience! We already have a huge canning set that hasn't been used to can things yet, so we've been using the jars as storage for our homemade stock and homemade butter, but so far they haven't come in handy for my husband's lunch he takes to work. Not everything can go in a jar, as I have discovered. Our solution to this "problem" was to go to Goodwill and Salvation Army to see what we could find. Technically, we are consuming, but nothing new has been created for us. That's where we have chosen to draw the proverbial line in the sand when it comes to buying material things. We were able to find two amazing vintage Pyrex and Anchor glass dishes which have been perfect for both storing leftovers and reheating them in the oven the next day. Next, we took a step back and looked at all of our other containers to see if they could be used for things that we would not be ingesting. The plastic #1 containers our juice comes in were able to be upcycled as homemade laundry detergent containers. The glass kombucha bottles we had in the recycling section of our kitchen were able to be upcycled as drinking glasses as they have a wide opening and I saved the lids so we could use them for to-go drink containers when we're on an outing. It's important to upcycle materials like this whenever possible.
Recycling is great for glass, which can technically be recycled forever, but plastic is very rarely recycled. I know the containers have that little circling arrow with a number which tells a consumer what type of plastic was used, but, in truth, the only plastics typically recycled are numbers 1 and 2. This is because the refining process necessary to recycle the material is easier than other types of plastic refining. And, generally, the plastic that is recycled isn't used by companies producing goods that use plastic containers because they only want the new stuff. Number 7 plastic containers usually never get recycled because it's a miscellaneous category and the plastic isn't deemed reusable. Even if you put a number 7 in your recycling bin, the sorting system at the recycling center will still kick it out for deposit in the refuse pile.
I'm definitely an advocate for purchasing food items in glass containers or something that is easily recyclable or upcyclable, but I realize that these products cost more than the ones contained in plastic. But think on this: If a company is willing to make the effort to only place their food product in a non-toxic, glass container, chances are very good that the ingredients they use are also high quality. I see it as a win-win-win situation. By spending a little more for something that's in a non-toxic container, I'll also be feeding my family a product with ingredients which are also non-toxic. It all goes back to my philosophy that spending a little more money on good food and having a little less in our pantry and refrigerator is worth it in the end. I'll also be left with a reusable, upcyclable container. And, if I can't find a use for it myself, at least I'll know without doubt that it can and will be recycled.
I leave you with a challenge. Take a look around your own home and see what you may be able to do without and make a trip to your local donation station. Decide what can upcycled or recycled and start detoxifying and de-cluttering your life. The worst thing that could happen is that you find yourself being less tied down by all the "stuff" you've been surrounded with. Be sure to start small and don't get overwhelmed. Create a mantra that you can repeat to yourself when it just doesn't seem possible to kick the consumer habit, and really question your motives when you're on the verge of buying something material that's brand new. I feel that if you can't find a material item secondhand, it's OK to buy brand new as long as you've honestly tried to find it secondhand and it's something quality that will last a long time or is able to be passed down through heirs. I know that might seem kind of rigorous, but this is how we choose to tackle the task of consumerism. You can do it too! I know you can!
Great resources for upcycling ideas:
Resources:
Larry West: Earth Talk on About.com: http://environment.about.com/od/earthtalkcolumns/a/recycleplastics.htm
No comments:
Post a Comment