Hey earth muffins! Let’s face it; we live in what can only be described as a “throwaway culture”. Things are made to last for a short amount of time and produced in large quantities… This type of culture is obviously not good for the planet for many reason – but how can you fight back against the norms? Keep reading for 5 easy ways to go against this throwaway culture!
1. Follow the waste hierarchy and reduce what you throw away!
The waste hierarchy is a hierarchy for a reason. You should focus most of your time at the top of the pyramid: reduce, reuse, repurpose, etc. Recycle (and then waste) are at the bottom because you should try your best to avoid them at all cost. To go against our single-use culture, try to throw away as little as you can. This is the complete opposite of what most people in our world do, but it isn’t a totally impossible goal.
2. Buy things to last
Instead of buying a bunch of crappy things, invest in high quality. If something won’t last for more than a year, go without it or find a better alternative. There are plenty of quality products on the market, but make sure to choose secondhand and local whenever possible! This is another great way to reduce your impact on the environment.
3. Reduce your consumption altogether!
To go against our society, I suggest reducing the amount you consume overall. If you don’t overconsume you will have less waste; less waste means you will have less things to throw away in the long run! Makes logical sense right? 🙃 A lot of people just don’t seem to get this concept.
4. Take advantage of local libraries of things
A great way to utilize resources near you (and, thus, reduce your need to throw things away) is to borrow items from local libraries of things. Check out a local construction academy to see if they rent out tools or yard equipment. Many libraries also offer things like craft kits, board games, and even seeds for the garden! Borrowing is a great way to get around the throwaway norms of our culture.
5. Invest in reusables
The last suggestion is to invest in high-quality resuables. This helps you fight back against throwing things away and also helps with your sustainable journey towards eco-friendly living. Like mentioned above, try to buy these reusables from local stores and/or secondhand sources to reduce your impact even further. 😊
While it sucks that a throwaway culture surrounds us every day, that doesn’t mean you need to follow it! I challenge you all to fight back against a throwaway culture using the tips above. A lot of them are super easy and just make sense for those of us earth muffins trying to be as eco-friendly as possible. How are you fighting against societal norms? Comment below and let me know your thoughts!
Love,
Jenna ♥
Thank you for the suggestions! I definitely have a lot of bad habits, but I keep trying to make some small adjustments bit by bit.