Reducing Waste

There was a time for me when using a paper towel or toting groceries in a plastic bag seemed inconsequential. That era is over. I know because I still use these items, but now I feel guilty. Call it a product of the green movement, but I only feel guilty because I agree.

Each trash bag, wrapper, and piece of paper is starting to cut deeper into my conscious. Recycling used to seem like something I did when I wanted to feel good, but now I need to do it to feel normal. Recycling in starting to feel like a nicotine addiction. And I often ponder reducing my waste altogether.

I know that grocery bags can easily be replaced with durable, reusable bags, but I have yet to make the plunge. It feels awkward to take a bag to the store, but it also seems to make so much sense. This logic sends me into a deep pondering. I start to race through disposable items that can be replaced by better alternatives. Is there no limit to how sustainable we can become. There must be some limits within our modern constraints though. Items like toilet paper press even the most sustainable to consider where the line should be drawn. There is a lot to be said for modern sanitation.

Leaving the outliers alone, there are countless ways to reduce our own waste and impact. We all know it. The problem is we are not all acting. If we were then the companies we blame for contributing to our polluting of the environment would stop. We blame then for mass producing Styrofoam and ornate packaging laced with non-biodegradable materials, but we need to take the blame for a change.

I am taking a stand. My belief is that we should all reduce our waste and do our part, so I will start being an example. This should also appease my conscious. From here out, I am avoiding products that have packaging. I cannot swear I will never buy a product in a package again, but it will be a scrutiny my purchases will undergo from here on out.