Times have changed. I have changed, and the things that seemed like we needed just 3 months ago, don’t seem so all-fired important. I’m thinking more and more about “owning” my own garbage output— taking responsibility for the trash that my family is creating. If I had to live with what we made, what would I find worthwhile and what would just seem trivial? What doesn’t really improve my life? What is just a bunch of junk that we don’t need?
The big question that I have to consider is “Do I really want to buy all this plastic?”. You know, the stuff that will be here when I am long gone? There are all sorts of things that I have quit buying in efforts to be a more responsible consumer. Individual yogurt containers are out. Anything from Trader Joe’s (vegetables in plastic wrap) are out. Most drinks in a plastic cup. Coffee in a to-go cup (if I didn’t think ahead to bring my own mug, then I just don’t need it enough). Herbs in plastic sheathing. Frozen convenience foods. Plastic toys (except those Playmobil…. the kids love them too much!). Water in a bottle.
Now it is time for another little step. I’m contemplating cutting these things out of our lives. Here is why:
BOXED CEREAL
- I feel like I am constantly emptying another box of cereal. We go through so much of it for so little joy. Yes, the cardboard goes in the recycling, but the plastic bag inside isn’t any good for reuse.
- Even the most affordable box of cereal is WAY expensive.
- The kids waste cereal like none other. There is this weird milk/cereal balance that always seems to leave a bunch of bowls of soggy cereal just sitting around.
- I don’t think that cereal is such a fantastic breakfast food. Besides being fast and convenient, I don’t know what cereal has going for it. I am always starving by 10am if I eat cereal.
- The damn stuff is full of over-processed grains and sugar.
- We could easily get cereal in the bulk food section and keep it in jars or tubs.
DOUBLE-BAGGED BREAD
- Yes, it is cheap, but why do we need two wrappers for our bread?
- The plastic bags are only vaguely re-useable.
- We seem to have a lot of these bags around; more than any other type of plastic in our house.
- I live within walking distance of two bakeries. Why the hell am I buying this crappy bread when I could buy loaves (even cut for us) and take those home?
SHAMPOO
- Why does our shampoo need to be in liquid form? I don’t need my soap to be in liquid form, and isn’t shampoo just…. I don’t know…. soap?
- Wait, can’t I make soap?
We’ll see how I do. I’m going to phase these things out when I am ready. For now, there are 3 or so loaves of bread in the freezer and a few bottles of shampoo. Count down. See ya’ later plastic wrap!
3 Comments, Comment or Ping
It seems that many people are getting to the point of disgust with the level of our consumerism. I’ve been very aware of how much time and effort it takes to do a good job of recycling. . . and there are only two of us . . . but the damaging items creep in and add to the growing pile! Dog food bags get filled with kindling and stacked in wood storage, but we still have so many. I swear my shampoo bottles are reproducing by the upstairs tub, and yes, cereal boxes that give a mere 12 ounces of product. We just finished reading Malcolm Gladwell’s “Tipping Point” …. the time is right for a revolution. There is hope.
August 19th, 2009
Sometimes you wonder if all our “progress” has just put us further behind. We don’t know how to make things, we think we need foods and products that we don’t, and we create so much waste out of what we don’t need that there is now a giant mountain off to the side of Hwy 18 that I don’t remember from my childhood. It is disturbing to me. I feel that I have a huge responsibility to do better— I went and had three little garbage-producing people. Just that choice means that I need to train them to consume much, much less.
August 19th, 2009
This is why I loved reading “The Tightwad Gazette.” Lots of good ideas in there for frugal use of one’s finances and our natural resources.
It really is shocking how wastefully we package food (and other things). Well, we don’t normally find apricots packaged in styrofoam cups, wrapped in plastic here in the PNW, but…
There’s no reason why we can’t use cloth to cover our plates of cookies, or reusable/washable plastic/elastic covers over leftovers in the refrigerator, or wax paper, or whatever else people used to keep their food tasty and relatively clean in storage way back when.
I agree about cereal, too. It leaves me hungry. That and toast. Eggs have nature’s packing in a biodegradable shell, and protein is more filling and has a lower glycemic index (makes you feel fuller longer). I add fruit or veggies to breakfast (leftover steamed broccoli scrambled with eggs is yummy).
While I’m gabbing away on your blog, Ingrid, I’m compelled to relate a little story. I went into the grocery store in Sheridan earlier this year with one of my cloth Trader Joe’s bags and gave it to the clerk when checking out. She looked askance at it. I suh-wear she seemed bound and determined to make me use a plastic bag from the store, so she unnecessarily stuffed some odd food item into one to separate it from the rest of the groceries. Sigh! I didn’t argue with her, though I have a plan in place if I see it’s going to happen again.
Little things add up, and I feel better for using as little as I can, when I can.
August 23rd, 2009
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