Zero Waste

This module on waste really got me thinking about what additional changes I can make in my life to produce less waste. I have already made some changes since starting this class - some were for reasons other than making less waste (like not exposing myself and family to harmful chemicals), but it turns out I was doing something better for myself and the earth at the same time :) Some of these changes include:
   - using washable towels instead of paper towels
   - using washable swiffer pads instead of disposable ones
   - composting
   - using reusable produce bags instead of plastic produce bags
   - asking not to print a receipt (if possible)
   - choosing to buy products in glass, aluminium or stainless steel instead of plastic
   - not drinking from plastic water bottles at all
   - purchasing reusable silicone ziplock bags

Some additional changes I think I can make are
   - keeping/reusing all glass jars
   - make my own cleaning products
   - buy less packaged foods, especially ones that come in plastic
   - buy less online - it is so easy to buy things on Amazon whenever I realize I need something but            each time it is arriving in it's own separate box with packing materials.

I think more needs to be done to make people aware of really how bad plastic is for the earth. I think most people have a general idea that it is not good, but because you can put plastic containers in the recycling, I think many people think that the plastic is getting reused. I think if people knew that less than 10% of America's plastic is recycled, and that every bit of plastic ever created still exists, some people would do more to reduce their use of plastics.

Comments

  1. Terrianne GNovember 6, 2018 at 11:27 AM

    I like your list of changes you have implemented! I need to get on the reusable towels / but sometimes I think re-washing and using the water to wash the towels will "waste" more water because we use towels a lot ! I did re-think the aluminium foil and plastic wrap use and bought re-usable silicone mats .

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownDecember 4, 2018 at 5:56 PM

    This was one of my favorite modules this semester, I really think these small changes can make a big difference. I have been saving most of my glass jars and I also love my reusable silicone bags!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Household Products

The household products I looked up were dish soap and disinfecting wipes. The statements from the National Library of Medicine's Household Products Database are below. Method Dish Soap - "The product contains no substances which at their given concentration, are considered to be hazardous to health." Clorox Disinfecting Wipes - "This product is not considered hazardous by the 2012 OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200)" Overall I found this database a little harder to use/understand than the EWG database for personal care products. I was a little surprised that the clorox wipes were not considered hazardous. My suspicion was that they were going to have a negative rating, but I was glad to find out that they were not as bad as I expected. While I could be making my own cleaning products using vinegar and baking soda, based on the database ratings I think I am making pretty good choices for my cleaning products and do not need to change at ...
Read more

Fragrance Free Policy

Fragrances in personal care products have been linked to a wide range of health issues from asthma, migraines, eye and skin irritation, allergies to cancer and reproductive issues. Fragrance is often found in lotions, perfumes, soaps, shampoos, makeup and deodorant. Most people use at least one of these personal care products on a daily basis, with the majority of people using many items each day containing fragrance.  An effective fragrance-free policy would be very difficult to design and implement. I know many hospitals have fragrance-free policies, but I am not certain how they enforce the policy. When I worked at a hospital, I was told not to wear perfume  or any personal products with fragrance, but I noticed that many people still did wear some fragrance.  I think the key to a fragrance-free policy would be to educate all employees. First, educate employees on what is considered a fragrance. Then, educate them on the potential harmful effects the fragrance ...
Read more

Obesogens

Image
Living in Northern California, we are lucky to have a lot of locally grown food and much of it is in season for much of the year. The Harvest Calendar below shows what is available by month in the Bay Area.  I think serving seasonal/local foods in hospitals is a good idea, but I don't know how feasible it is. In California I think this would be much easier than in a lot of other states.  I had not heard of obesogens before reading this article. It makes a lot of sense that consuming these chemicals would be bad for us and could alter metabolic processes and cause people to gain weight. I think more research should definitely done around this topic since obesity has become an epidemic not just in the United States but around the world. I chose monosodium glutamate (also known as MSG) as a potential obesogen to research. MSG is a food additive and is often used as a flavor enhancer. While it seems many studies have been done testing the effects of MSG, it is diffic...
Read more