Back in the Before Times when I could buy in bulk with my own containers or use reusable mugs at coffee shops, zero-waste challenges were a comparative piece of cake. Plastic-Free July is just one of many things that has been made harder by the presence of the novel coronavirus. Here are some of the decisions I’ve made that take health and waste into account.
It is July once again, and I am reviving a challenge I gave myself this time last year: to participate in Plastic Free July. Of course, the global pandemic has led to a steep increase in single-use plastics and zero-contact transactions, making last year’s game plan effectively useless. This year I’ll see where I can make environmentally-friendly choices while still staying safe.
Happy first anniversary! This post is the fifty-third on the blog, marking one year of Radical Moderate. In honor of the traditional “paper” anniversary, that’s what we will be looking at this week: the resources needed, the pollution generated, how much actually gets recycled (despite our best attempts), and what you can do to reduce the quantity bound for the landfill.
‘Tis the season for decorations, cookies, and warm greetings extended around the globe. What is the most environmentally responsible way to share those warm wishes? Is going paperless really the best option or should we switch over to electronic communications? It’s time for some holiday SWAGs (Scientific Wild-Ass Guesses) to give us a sense of our holiday card options and their related impacts.
I recently came across a link for “Plastic-Free July” in my Facebook feed. As the name would suggest, the mission is to reduce or eliminate plastic use during the month of July. I have kept up with a lot of my habits from my zero-waste Lent this past spring, but, I thought this new challenge was worth a look.
Several months ago I saw an article posted on a sustainability website that suggested upcycling your Christmas tree to make beer. As the article correctly states, there is a precedent for using tree components in brewing. However, the article incorrectly implies that using your Christmas tree is the best way to go about making something drinkable.
It has been an interesting and challenging Lent. Some things I will keep doing; some I probably will not. All in all, it was very educational – I found myself doing research on subjects I hadn’t considered before. I was much more informed, thoughtful, and intentional in my decision-making, which was ultimately the goal.
Going into Lent this year, I realized that food would be my biggest challenge – whether eating while traveling, fueling/recovering from running, or just finding a way to make sure I got some nutrition during my long, busy days. This week I spent some time in the kitchen, cooking more in one day than I have during all of Lent so far, creating almost no waste.
I hadn’t expected to need to shop for clothes during Lent, but this challenge is about opening my eyes to problems I hadn’t considered. As certain clothing items are giving up the ghost, I’m becoming aware of what I should and shouldn’t do to replace them (both now and in the future).
I started Lent this year by diving right into the deep end. Ash Wednesday meant a trip to State College for a conference, and since I was already halfway across the state, I continued east to see my parents for a belated birthday celebration with my dad. A lot of car time means a lot of travel food, which typically means a lot of packaging. (And a late night at work on Tuesday meant next to no prep time.)