One Ecohabit at a Time
I felt a little warm and fuzzy reading the news this morning about Mayor Greg Nickels proposal for a 20-cent "green fee" on all disposable bags in Seattle. I'd heard about this fee working elsewhere, so I'm pleased he's moving ahead with it. I emailed him to say it's a good and necessary thing and I think the reality is that most people need incentives to become greener.
As a parent I deal in lots of garbage: packaging, wrappers, diapers, craft projects, cheap toys. I'm usually so frazzled that I'll take shortcuts to make things easier: paper towels and napkins, disposable diapers, disposable cleaning wipes, throwing toy trinkets away. I feel guilty about it, yet not enough to change. Anytime there's outside incentive to waste less, it helps.
I've given up buying disposable bottled water. Diapers are on their way out (hallelujah). I bring my own grocery bags when I remember, and those I do acquire, I use as garbage bags. I've vowed never to buy paper plates or plastic utensils for future BBQs or home parties (still need to find cool, quality melamine plates). And I freely make suggestions to make up for my own family's waste.
But I almost feel silly saying that I try because I'm nowhere near adequate. I'm not giving up antibacterial hand wipes until the kids are in college, I'm addicted to Ziplocs, and I go through an embarrassing number of to-go coffee cups every month. Also, hello minivan that I love.
Good habits are hard to build and with as busy as everyone's life is, I just don't think many people can master ecohabits without real incentives, positive or negative, and without messages at least as ubiquitous as the most annoying marketing campaigns. Am I speaking for myself?
In any case, I'm kinda proud that we have a mayor so devoted to green initiatives, even if I'm not yet living up to his example.
As a parent I deal in lots of garbage: packaging, wrappers, diapers, craft projects, cheap toys. I'm usually so frazzled that I'll take shortcuts to make things easier: paper towels and napkins, disposable diapers, disposable cleaning wipes, throwing toy trinkets away. I feel guilty about it, yet not enough to change. Anytime there's outside incentive to waste less, it helps.
I've given up buying disposable bottled water. Diapers are on their way out (hallelujah). I bring my own grocery bags when I remember, and those I do acquire, I use as garbage bags. I've vowed never to buy paper plates or plastic utensils for future BBQs or home parties (still need to find cool, quality melamine plates). And I freely make suggestions to make up for my own family's waste.
But I almost feel silly saying that I try because I'm nowhere near adequate. I'm not giving up antibacterial hand wipes until the kids are in college, I'm addicted to Ziplocs, and I go through an embarrassing number of to-go coffee cups every month. Also, hello minivan that I love.
Good habits are hard to build and with as busy as everyone's life is, I just don't think many people can master ecohabits without real incentives, positive or negative, and without messages at least as ubiquitous as the most annoying marketing campaigns. Am I speaking for myself?
In any case, I'm kinda proud that we have a mayor so devoted to green initiatives, even if I'm not yet living up to his example.
posted by Anne at 8:38 PM
6 Comments:
That's great to hear. I wish they would charge for plastic bags in NYC.
My new year's resolution was to stop using disposable water bottles (or disposable cups at work) or paper coffee cups. So far I've used two paper coffee cups total. But that is two in three months, and there are plenty of times when I buy two or more cups of coffee in a single day. Yes, it is annoying to carry around both my Nalgene bottle and my travel coffee mug-- especially on teaching days when I have several books crowding my bag as I maneuver my way on to a rush hour subway car--but when I think about how much trash I produce it makes me cringe. I also switched to cloth grocery bags, and when I buy something at a store, even a clothing store, if it can fit in the bag I have with me I decline the plastic bag. Other than the switching of all of my light bulbs, the last major change I made was laundry detergent; I went from petroleum based to vegetable based. I tried to do the recycled toilet paper and kleenex, but I couldn't do it. I tried and I failed. I don't want to pay twice as much for TP that feels like sand paper. And there is where my eco-friendly line is drawn, at least for the moment.
We decided last year to go "light green." We didn't recycle or really do anything environmentally friendly and felt extremely guilty about it.
It helped that our garbage company started offering co-mingle recycle so now everything goes into a big bin - no sorting needed! Chris also takes the train most mornings and I've made a conscious effort to not drive 2 days a week.
Once you start, you'll be amazed how quickly you go full on green :)
Good for you, Em! You have long ways to walk with lots of stuff, so it's especially commendable that you're conscientious.
You forgot to mention you're a vegetarian and live in a tiny apartment, so your carbon footprint is the size of a mouse.
Okay, today I stop using paper cups.
I would be fine with charging for bags. It's a waste how many we get now, although we do recycle them all.
The recent co-mingle recycling changes we've had here have made it very easy to be better recyclers. The only thing that I notice now is how much waste we still have with certain packaging that can't be recycled. That bothers me.
Bev, I agree it helps when the city makes it easier. I remember back when we had to sort everything. It didn't seem like a big deal at the time, but now I'm thankful not to have to do it.
My sis-in-law got me a gift certificate to GreenDimes.com, which will help minimize the amount I do have to recycle.
lynchseattle, totally agree on the packaging thing. It's getting to the point where I don't even want to buy anything. The packaging as well as the product just ends up in a landfill anyway.
Okay, today I start not buying things.
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