Happy Earth Day!

April 23, 2020

5 Ways to Help the Earth Heal

I am writing this after just hopping off of IGlive with @refilleryla talking about sustainability and low waste and what is really coming through at the moment is the small shifts we can make. During this pandemic we have seen that if humans take a step back the Earth will heal itself. This week alone I read that the Himalayas are visible from India for the first time in 30 years. That’s amazing that closing down the world for just a few weeks can return so much of the globe to healthier standing. However with that said, life will somewhat return to normal and we need to think about the decisions we make to continue helping the Earth to heal. I first of all want to say that low waste, zero waste, and sustainability are far from perfect practices. Anyone that says they are doing it perfectly is a liar. We are all just doing our best in a broken system if you ask me. No matter if you’re a beginner or a seasoned recycler, here are some small changes for starting on this path.

@refilleryla R efilleryla House Calls

1. Take inventory of what area of your life has the most plastics. In my call with @refilleryla we talk about how only 12% of ALL the plastic produced since the beginning is actually recycled. Let that depressing fact set in. Now look around your home.

2. For me what was creating the most plastic waste was food. So I started to investigate the best ways to cook ‘package free’. This meant researching buying dry items in bulk as well as produce bags for when I go to the farmers market or grocery store.

3. Understand that food scraps do not break down in the landfill. Every city is different but here in LA we can put most food scraps in the green bin. There are also local gardens and pick up services that accept scraps. I know it seems like extra work, but in the same way you separate your recycling it’s very easy to add a third bin for food scraps.

4. Since our system is built to support consuming products rather than mitigating waste, you will inevitably end up with trash. It’s an important practice to do a quick google search of how your city recycles. Each city has different requirements and it’s important to inform yourself so you’re properly breaking down your items that can be recycled.

5. As we discussed in the talk today, support companies and politicians that align with your ideals. It’s not as sexy as a zero waste mason jar pantry but it’s more important. Voting with your dollar and supporting people that understand how to shift us in a lower waste direction is probably the most important thing you can do. This topic is a serious rabbit hole and I will definitely not do it justice. However it’s ever evolving to take it easy on yourself and just make the steps when you can.