The Deliberate Consumer

When I signed on to Plastic Free July, I pledged to swear off single-use plastics for the entire month. If any piece of an item was plastic that couldn't be used again, I vowed to leave it on the shelf. So, with Plastic Free July coming to a close, how did I do? Did I succeed in my mission? Business Insider Australia:  https://www.businessinsider.com.au/nailed-it-netflix-baking-fails-photos-2018-3 Ok, so it wasn't as bad as all that. But in short, no. I was not able to completely avoid single-use plastics. A few products took me by surprise. There was plastic where I least expected it and where it was completely unnecessary. What got me? Three items. Three in a month of purchasing. And the culprits were... Kitty litter. Grr... I thought I had avoided this when I found a cardboard box of litter without a plastic bag inside. I picked it up off the shelf, paid, and waltzed it to the car - only then to notice the plastic handle that was stuck in the top of the box. Da...

Heading into last weekend, the forecasted increase in temperature had me plummeting into some mid-challenge blues in a classic inverse relationship. However, the break in the heat wave also brought with it some wonderful reach-outs from new and old friends, reminding me of all of the positive actions that have resulted from taking on the Plastic Free July challenge. Like my wonderful co-worker, Lisa, for example, who reached out to let me know she has ordered metal straws for future beverage purchases. Or John, a member of my public speaking group who mentioned he now keeps a reusable cup in his car so that he doesn't need to use disposables any longer. He is the fifth person to mention this change in habit to me. I can't wait to hear from the sixth! And then there are still more who have connected, not to share habit changes, but to share an increased awareness of plastics and how they are a part of everyday life or favourite pastimes. My co-worker, Kati, shared an interes...

Our pets. For so many of us, they are an integral part of our families and our lives. A house is not a home without a chosen animal to share affection with. And as of last year, 65% of us felt that way, having at least one pet at home.* Check out my three and I am sure they will elicit some "oooh"s and "aww"s. The daily happiness they bring is incalculable, to both ourselves and those we share them with. However, so too, is the potential amount of plastic and waste they contribute to our households. Well, perhaps not so incalculable. It is estimated that dogs and cats alone are responsible for generating up to 64 million tonnes of greenhouse gasses each year, due to the amount of meat that is required to manufacture their food.** And then there are the food bags themselves, the bags of treats, bags of litter, bags for picking up poop. And these are just some of the common items familiar to dog and cat owners. Once more, we could become overwhelmed even k...

Like disposable coffee cups, the rise of take-out options is a very challenging demand on our planet. It is part of a food service industry that is estimated to surpass $100 billion in sales by 2022*. With this growth in sales comes the potential for growth in waste as well - unless we do what we can to help this industry grow sustainably. And one of the biggest areas in need of change is take-out. Read on for some stats and steps we can take to help minimize the amount of takeout waste and make reusing as easy as to-go food options. Who's ordering take-out anyway? 54% The percentage of Canadians who purchase take-out food at least once/week.** 56% The percentage of dinner orders that are taken to-go.*** 10.8 million The number of Canadians who have used online food delivery options this year alone.*** (That's more than a 1/4 of us, folks). The environmental cost of take-out containers 2025 million The estimated number of take-out containers used each year in the ...

I suppose this is how a smoker kicking the habit feels. I know that when I swore off disposable cups, I experienced it. And now, having sworn off single-use plastics for the month of July, it is happening once more. I see single-use plastics EVERYWHERE. I reach for the egg carton in the fridge, and my arm stretches past the plastic bottle of mustard I had previously purchased (yes, that one is going to be a challenge to let go; at least until I find a recipe I can make myself that I like even more). I go to my beach volleyball league and don't see the beer, but the Jenga tower of  plastic cups left on the picnic tables. I stand across the parking lot at the grocery store and watch the plastic marching out the door. In my mind, it looks like the parade of talking hotdogs and soft drink cups that once graced the beginning of every movie. I half-smile at the young woman half-committed to the cause; reusable bag in her right hand and plastic bag in her left. Heck, I even noti...