Month: April 2018

So far, I have done all of the actions except use a reusable bag. I honestly do not shop that much. When I did go shopping, though, I only bought two things so I just carried them. In hindsight, I should have added ‘buying in bulk’ to my list of actions. However, at the time, I forgot that I would have access to a Costco. My mom and I are going grocery shopping this week, so I am going to have a good time explaining to her why I do not eat individually-wrapped NutriGrain bars now (she may die a little inside). I have learned that it is not as hard as it seems to adjust my lifestyle in order to better the environment. I definitely recognize that I lived a very privileged life, so it was easy for me to make these changes whereas in someone else’s case, it could be hard for them to purchase reusable utensils and use those instead of plastic. I am very grateful that it is easy for me to make these changes, and I hope to someday help others be able to do the same. Finally, here is a photo of me using my world-renowned reusable straw:

 

1. Don’t use plastic straws!! If you are really attached to straws and need them, invest in reusable straws. There are several good options on Amazon.
2. Bring reusable bags when you go shopping. A lot of shops have started incentives for customers that bring their own bags, so it is a win-win situation.
3. Recycle correctly!!! Recycling, in theory, is amazing. However, when people recycle contaminated items, it can ruin the whole batch.
4. Say no to plastic utensils and to-go boxes. Bring your own utensils!! Use a reusable container! Use a reusable coffee cup! Sure, the workers may give you an annoyed look, but I am sure they will be thanking you once our world is SAVED.
5. Buy things in bulk! This will be cheaper in the long run, and there is a LOT less waste involved. Individually packaged items are the enemy.
6. REUSABLE WATER BOTTLES. Water is a necessity to live. Yes. However, nobody ever said that you need to drink it from a plastic water bottle. Go to the dollar store, get yourself a nice reusable water bottle, and you’ll most likely never have to pay for water again. Mic drop.
7. Avoid plastic lighters! Use matches as much as possible. Think of all the little plastic lighters you have thrown away in just your lifetime. Then, multiply that by about 7 billion. Not cool.
8. Make your own juice. I know it’s really easy to buy your own bottle of Naked, and it tastes good, I know. But it’s time that we all channel our inner Rachel Ray and break out that blender we forgot we had.
9. Avoid the Ziploc baggies! I know it feels really good to pack your own lunch because it honestly makes you feel like you have your whole life together, but listen. None of that matters if you have to throw away a useless plastic baggie at the end of that amazing lunch. Put your sandwich in a reusable minions* Tupperware container, for all I care. Just avoid the baggies! *Minions are my least favorite, so the fact that I am advising someone to purchase one of their products is almost iconic.
10. Stop chewing gum. Honestly, who wants to chew on something that is basically flavored rubber? I’m not saying by any means that you shouldn’t freshen your breath, just saying that maybe your alternative could be mints.

 

For my Month of Action, I am going to:

• not use plastic straws or utensils
• bring reusable bags when I shop
• Avoid plastic lighters
• stop chewing gum
• use reusable water bottle

 

In addition to these actions, I am going to do my part in educating Morrill Tower about the risks of plastic and how residents can lower their impact on the planet. I work as an OA and I feel that this provides a very unique opportunity to let my voice be heard in the residence hall community.

 

I could definitely face some challenges this month. I am a very forgetful person and I ALWAYS forget to bring a reusable bag with me to shop. To combat this, I am going to set a reminder on my phone that will always be there so I remember to bring a bag when I shop. Another challenge I will face is my irrational fear of matches. I hate them. I don’t get them. However, I will be home for spring break so I know that I will be lighting candles at least once a day. I will have to swallow my distaste of matches and become close to them. You know what they say, keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

 

I hope that during this Month of Action, I learn to integrate these actions into my daily lifestyle. I also hope to learn how to become more confident in telling people good ways to reduce their ecological footprint. I want to be able to practice what I preach.

 

REFERENCES:

 

https://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/the-plastic-problem/Content?oid=3036700

 

https://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/responsible-living/stories/16-simple-ways-reduce-plastic-waste

 

 

Plastic waste is a huge issue because people use single-use plastic every day. The root cause of this issue is that we live in a world where ease is prioritized over the environment. If someone is in a rush on their way to work, why would they make their own sandwich for lunch when they can stop at a gas station on the way and pick up an already made sandwich? Why would someone go out of their way to bring silverware that they have to wash later when there are disposable spoons and forks right at their fingertips? The majority of the world’s population is not seeing gyres of plastic gather up on coastlines or in the ocean, so it is easy to forget that it is such a problem. I think one of the greatest challenges is that once your life is easy, it is hard to have incentive to make your life more difficult. The plastic issue greatly impacts the Ohio State community. Ohio State claims to be a “zero-waste campus”, however, a lot of the recycled items end up being thrown away due to 10% contamination. If one item in a bunch of recyclables is contaminated, typically the whole batch is thrown away. There are organizations on campus working toward a better fate for these disposed items. For example, there is Students for Recycling. However, I do not feel that my mission aligns with theirs. I completely agree that OSU needs to do a better job of actually recycling things. I also think, though, that the bigger problem is how much access to single-use plastics OSU provides. If I go down to the Morrill C-Store there is a disposer of plastic utensils. There is no limit to how many spoons, forks, or knives I could get. I could potentially be set for life if I took enough. I watched a Ted Talk on this issue given by Dianna Cohen entitled “Tough truths about plastic pollution”. This talk is definitely biased considering that Cohen is a member of the Plastic Pollution Coalition. Being a part of this organization would definitely influence Cohen’s outlook on plastic use/waste. Cohen’s talk was very eye-opening to me because she said that we can clean gyres over and over and over again, but it really won’t matter until we stop the root of the problem: plastic waste. If you continue to use single-use plastics, gyres will continue to exist in our oceans.

 

 

 

REFERENCES:

 

 

http://www.theworldcounts.com/stories/Plastic-Waste-Fact

https://www.ecowatch.com/22-facts-about-plastic-pollution-and-10-things-we-can-do-about-it-1881885971.html

When The Mermaids Cry: The Great Plastic Tide

https://www.nrdc.org/stories/ocean-pollution-dirty-facts