A Lighter Footprint: 4 Tips for Being a More Conscious Consumer
Do you ever see the shiny black trash bags lining the streets of the city on garbage night and wonder, where does this all end up?
Source: Unsplash
Long-time Freegan (free, vegan) group member and community organizer Janet Kalish has wondered about this most of her life. It wasn’t until she found the Freegan group on Meetup.com in 2002 that she discovered how much of what we consider “garbage” is actually still usable. Freegans are activists who limit their participation in the economy by minimizing their consumption through recovering wasted goods and food.
Kalish now salvages about 95% of the food she consumes and leads tours for others interested in doing the same. While this may be an unrealistic goal for many, we can still take steps to reduce the amount of waste we produce.
Here are four tips from Janet Kalish herself, on working toward being a more conscious consumer:
Think about convenience
Source: Unsplash
About 36% of all plastics produced are used for packaging, such as single-use bottles and food containers. Remember the plastic fork you used for lunch yesterday or the iced coffee you bought at Starbucks? These are all products that we mindlessly use once for our convenience and toss away.
Kalish wants us to be mindful of the things we use every day, “Think about the paper and resources you’re using and where they came from. Napkins were once trees.”
While it can be hard to remember to bring reusable bags and utensils everywhere you go, taking small steps is the best way to start. Kalish gave the example of water bottles: Instead of buying single plastic water bottles, buy a big container of water (or use tap water!) and a reusable bottle.
Be intentional
Source: Unsplash
Shifting your mindset to be more conscious of the garbage you produce will open you up to endless waste-saving possibilities. Suddenly, the plastic bag from the bodega can line your garbage can, and the empty yogurt cup can be used to plant seeds.
“It can start to feel very natural, and you find it doesn't take much time to reuse something simple like a sheet of paper,” Kalish states.
One of her favorite tips that she has passed along to friends is bringing reusable containers to restaurants to use as takeout boxes. This is a perfect example of being intentional and using something you already own instead of a new single-use product.
Share!
Source: Unsplash
If you’ve ever found yourself with an excess of food, clothing, products, etc, and felt the need to purge, think about the people in your life who could utilize these resources. While sharing may seem like an obvious tip, it can often be overlooked.
“It’s beautiful to share food, look around and think, who in my life would enjoy this offer?”
All around New York City, there are community fridges where you can leave food for others to pick up and enjoy. This is an easy way to save food you may not be able to eat while nourishing your neighbors.
Don’t be shy about it!
Source: Unsplash
While it might feel polarizing to shy away from a shopping trip with friends or a late-night fast food run, it is also an opportunity to let everyone know why you’re doing it. If you feel comfortable, letting people in your life know about the impact fast fashion and single-use plastics have on the environment can be very impactful.
“Point out that you're doing something helpful for the planet—this makes going out of your way for the environment less embarrassing,” Kalish emphasizes. “Because you really shouldn’t feel like it is!”
As she said, some might see this as a way of being cheap, but if you are proud of what you’re doing for the planet, it is easy to change that opinion. We shouldn’t be shy about what we believe in, especially when it comes to the environment.
Although not everyone can be a Freegan, there are some lessons to be learned from people who limit their participation in the economy in a way that benefits the environment. By implementing these tips, we can become more conscious consumers and play a positive role in the environment.
What tips has Janet Kalish inspired you to take? Leave a comment below!