Beyond Recycling
Andrea Rose (printed in Vegetarian Living in Colorado Winter 2004/2005)Many of us are familiar with the ritual of sorting our recyclables that we so proudly collected throughout the week. Oh, that wonderful feeling of rescuing our paper, bottles and cans from the great landfill. Recycling is an essential component to living a life that is respectful to the earth and the environment, but is it enough?
One thing we don't necessarily think of, but cannot be ignored is the negative impact we have on the earth by our shopping habits. Have you ever thought about the resources that go into disposable drinking bottles, or the packaging a frozen meal comes out of? Many vegan items are packaged in styrofoam or plastic containers that cannot be recycled or in so much excess packaging that it takes a chainsaw just to cut through it. Even if some of these containers are recyclable, many of them are not, and billions of them still end up in the landfill.
Unfortunately, even if we recycle and follow a vegetarian lifestyle, we contribute to the filling of landfills and pollution due to our daily habits. The choice is ours. We have the power not to contribute to landfill waste and environmental pollution by consciously thinking about what we are buying and the true cost that went into making it. We need to think, can this item be recycled? Is this item in too much packaging? Do I really need this item? Can I purchase this item used?
It is so easy to help the earth, and thankfully so since many of us believe we don't have the time or energy to do anything about it. The benefits of reducing consumption include the personal satisfaction that we are doing our best to not to contribute to the unnecessary waste in our landfills, or the toxins in our air and water. Many of us chose a vegetarian lifestyle because we respect the earth and lives of others. The reality is as a result of our disrespectful and disposable shopping habits, we are contributing to the unnecessary deaths of countless animals due to deforestation, habitat loss and environmental pollution and destruction. Doesn't that defeat our purpose of pursuing a vegetarian life, not to cause harm to others? What can we do?
One effortless way EVERYONE can make a difference is to use cloth bags for ALL of their shopping needs - not just groceries. Keep several bags in the car so they will always be on hand for unexpected stops at the store. Remember how difficult it seemed to read every label before eating something? Now it seems like second nature. Developing earth-friendly habits and reducing waste from our lives can be just as simple.
A good alternative to using disposable water bottles or paper cups is to purchase a water filter that can be used hundreds of times before it needs to be changed. A ceramic coffee mug or glass cup can be used at home or at work and there are many re-usable drinking bottles on the market. They also make fabulous gifts!
It is practically effortless to replace toxic chlorine bleached office paper with 100% post-consumer recycled and acid-free paper, and yet it is seldom done. This paper is much healthier for wildlife, our lungs, and the environment and only costs a few cents more per page thanks to some major office companies, such as Kinko's, offering them to consumers. The only way to keep prices low on environmentally friendly products is to support them by purchasing them!
We can refuse to buy products that are in non-recyclable or excessive packaging. Do we really have to buy watermelon chunks in a plastic deli container or snow peas wrapped in a tray with cellophane wrapping? Call or e-mail the companies that produce products in non-recyclable materials and tell them why you won't be buying their products. This provides retailers with an incentive and an opportunity to improve. Remember that every phone call or comment a company receives represents many more people that didn't make the call so make it matter.
Have you ever thought about bringing your own ceramic dinnerware to potlucks or restaurants that only use disposable plates and cups? This is one of my favorite meaningful acts since it helps the environment and also demonstrates to others that respectful living is easy and a natural thing to do. When one thinks about the landfill space that is permanently rented for each disposable plate or cup we use, it seems totally unnatural to even think of using an item "just once." We need to adopt a way of viewing the world that continuously makes a positive difference.
Every time we do something positive for the earth, we are remaining true to our convictions and are setting a positive example for our friends and family. It might seem like our actions are too small to make a difference, or that our negative contributions are not significant, but apathy is the most damaging of all. An environmentally abusive lifestyle teaches others around us that a disposable and disrespectful lifestyle is an acceptable way of life and normalizes it. Each and every one of us has the ability to reduce our negative impact on the earth by making every action matter. Every thoughtful habit we adopt gets us closer to what it means to live a kind and compassionate life.