Making Green Choices

It all began on that September morning of 2013, when we (T and I) visited a beach polluted with plastic bags. We could not wait there for more than five minutes, so to speak. That was not alarming enough.

On a lighter note, I found a movie ticket from 2011 in my old bag, the one I saved with a purpose. All the printed letters have disappeared, it is blank. Trash.

I cannot exactly put my finger on the date it had begun, initially, it was a phase, or so I believed.
I had to sort out my academic stuff, after I finished college. My life needed spring cleaning in the midst of fall. The first step in action was to give up everything I was holding onto. Half-filled journals, pretty boxes saved to store things, newspaper-magazine cutouts and things that are nothing more than a graveyard of pleasant-unpleasant memories. In a way, clutter-free, minimalistic living was what I wanted. As I sat in front of all these things, it just hit me hard with a thought that I am not the only one, who gathers things. In that brief moment, my imagination multiplied it to 10, 1000, million times. It was like growing up in a second. But I see that all my struggles, efforts have failed. I shredded all of it from an analytical perspective before I could even sum up my courage to put this in writing. I wanted this to go live on the Earth's Day, which coincidentally happens to be my birthday but honestly what I was trying to put up? failure?

My initial action towards a minimal and ecological lifestyle included all these measures:

Beauty-wise

1) I gave up face scrubs way back, I almost forgot how they must feel against my skin. The beads can block gills and kill fishes.

2) Recycling jars and containers to store DIY stuff.

3) I stopped using cotton pads, and I bought few microfiber cloths for makeup removal to replace them. For toners, I am thinking of getting the reusable cotton pads. But for now, I am following the serum technique—pat, pat, pat.

4) I gave up Shampoo. I did the math: shampoo and body washes' empty bottles, 6 each for 12 months on an average. I imagined my disturbing lifetime bottle trash. Hence, I switched to shampoo bars, and I am even considering making them on my own. I havenot yet figured out the body washes' alternatives yet. I cannot imagine me and bar soap together. eek!

5) Am I the only one who hates paperboard and full plastic sealed packaging?

6) I do not like sheet face masks. I tried them twice. But logically, it is a serum infused sheet. Just spray-soak your face with a serum/ampoule, you'll save a sheet!

7) I wish every brand start out recycling programs. I would very much prefer glass packaging for everything. Let us just forget the glass packaging as a con for once.

8) No skincare wipes; no blotting papers. I had to be strict with myself for these two things. No sanitising wipes, either, which makes me feel incomplete (or germ-ridden) at times. I think I have one of each for extreme emergencies. I had given up using facial tissues back in 2011; I switched to using cotton kerchiefs.

9) As insignificant as it may sound, but I have started opting for bulkier versions of bottles. So that I do not end up cluttering and adding to the landfill with 3 bottles for 3 months, when I can minimise it to one.

Stationery-wise

I hoard stationery. If I see anything fancy, I pick it up. I collect pens, needless to say I have as many as I can store. Notebooks, journals and diaries too. Currently, I have six blank, sealed ones that I do not know what I would use them for. Hoarding can get crazy at times, my life is a living proof? *sigh*

1) I reflected on the past, only to see how I have misused the mighty pen. I would go through one Pilot Hi-tech for approximately 6 essay answers. For the amount that we had to write, it is disturbing, because I disliked refilling them, as they would leak. I refill them now, and I don't care even if they leak and colour my fingers. I have started liking them, ink-stained fingers! I like to assume that it makes me feel like an artist, writer, to be precise.

2) I stopped scribbling or writing ideas on paper. I stopped journaling or making daily diary entries. I use private blogging, Evernote and Microsoft Word now.

3) I cannot decide between wooden pencils and mechanical pencils. FAIL!   

4) I do not opt for ATM receipts.

5) I have stopped using post-its for trivial things. I use reminders on the phone instead.

6) For all things related to writing, I cannot find easy alternatives. I simply write using pencil and erase and reuse the paper.

7) Ebook is such a heavy-heart choice for printed word lovers. I try my best, to  avoid "that" fancy  limited cover page edition.

Lifestyle-wise

1) Sanitary napkins, No, thank you! There are eco-friendly alternatives to suit every woman.

2) Water bottles. FAIL. Glass bottles/metal bottles turn out too heavy to carry (I only use glass bottles now).

3) I have killed my desire to get those PVC neon bags for the monsoon. No PVC anything.

4) For all that is perishable, compost for the plants.

5) I plant my own herbs.

6) Vegan ways for ecological balance.

7) No more food-coffee takeaways. Major FAIL!

Why did I fail?

1) I cannot stop my lazy self from buying things online to save time and effort, which has its own ecological disadvantages: packaging, airbags and plastic packaging.

2) Some days, I consciously contribute to non-ecofriendly ways like an old habit.

3) Some days minimalistic approaches do not seem to work. And there is so much more than I think I should be doing.


On the brightest side, I have turned into this secretly unapologetic eco-spiritual woman on a mission.
There are days, I drift away and seriously fail to adhere to any one mentioned thing. Takeaway coffee. I think I should give it up.