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It’s time to get everyone together again and review your plastic challenge progress.
Today’s Challenge: Call your family or roommate to a meeting. Review the efforts so far to reduce plastic. What worked, what didn’t? What is the next step? Is there an area that needs more focus? Is someone dissatisfied? Maybe you need to review everyone’s guilty pleasures. Next, go over the five principles of my Green Life Philosophy. I have summarized them below. This is the overall framework to manage plastic and other waste in your household. If you live by these principles every day, you will automatically make choices that will benefit the environment. Finally, congratulate everyone on their efforts thus far!
The 5 Principles of the Green Life Philosophy:
1.Reduce, Reuse, Reduce: I have eliminated recycling from the original three R’s of sustainability. If you cannot remember why recycling is no longer a good idea, review challenge days #8 and #85. Reduce what you use in the first place (cut back on the shopping), reuse what you can (buy secondhand, reuse plastic bags or anything else in your house), and then reexamine again how you can reduce consumption (this might include purchasing items I recommended throughout the challenge that replace single use items)
2. Just say no: This is one of the most powerful tools in your toolbox. Say no to receipts, plastic bags, straws, swag bags, party favors, and just about anything that you do not need or love. Don’t let anything into your house that you do not want there. This principle goes hand in hand with the 3 R’s.
3. Know when to go big: Invest in bulk buying (using your own containers to fill with just what you need when possible) instead of buying in bulk (buying large quantities at a time, that could spoil before using or contain individually plastic wrapped products).
4. Invoke your inner planner: This may just be the number one key to leading a sustainable life. By planning and setting up routines you can make a green lifestyle automatic. If you want to cut back on eating out, you need to meal plan. If you want to use rags/cloths then you need to have a system in place for washing and then putting back where they belong.
5. Let go of the guilt: Guilt lives in the past. There is nothing you can do about all the plastic waste you already threw away. Make your pledge to do better in the future and move on. This also goes for mistakes you may make along the way. Your overall impact in making better choices next time is much greater.
“When you know better, you do better” –Maya Angelou
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