Many argue that veganism is only about animal rights or personal health, but to me and many others, a vegan lifestyle also extends to sustainable living for the benefit of the planet. One of the biggest environmental issues we face today other than animal agriculture and fast fashion is plastic use.
Plastic: The Issue At Hand
Plastic can take up to 1000 years to decompose depending on the item. Think of every plastic toothbrush you’ll use in a lifetime; each one you throw away will lay in a landfill for over 400 years. Because plastic is cheap it has become the norm, but finding alternatives is just as affordable and easy. Click HERE for the bamboo toothbrush I use.
If it’s not made of plastic it’s wrapped in it, including everyday food items. You may be shocked to learn that plastic food packaging contains additives like BPA which is known to leak into food. This can mimic the effect of estrogen in the body, leading to weight gain and hormone imbalances. Even more disturbing, a report by the CDC states that 93% of 2517 urine samples from people six years and older found detectable levels of BPA and other plastic chemicals in their bodies.
Plastic Use: Asses the Damage
If you stop buying processed foods packaged in plastics, not only will your health improve, but it will tremendously reduce the amount of plastic waste you produce each year. To get an idea of how much plastic you are accumulating I suggest collecting all recyclable and other nonperishable waste for Futuristic February instead of instantly throwing it away. The #FuturisticFeburaryChallenge was founded by Carly Rose of Sustainable Duo (@sustainable_duo on Instagram). Even if it’s not February you can try this challenge any month of the year. And please whatever plastic you do use make sure to eventually recycle it.
Reducing Plastic Use
Shopping bags
Shopping bags
There are plenty of stores that sell reusable bags. I have some cute small tote bags like this one. They’re made from high-quality natural cotton and manufactured completely sweatshop-free here in the U.S. There are also some great lightweight mesh bags perfect for bagging produce. Check out the ones that I use here. If you’re tight on money you can always make your own bags out of old clothes!
Utensils
Instead of using single-use plastic utensils opt for wood, glass or stainless-steel alternatives that are still easily portable for food and drinks away from home. I love products made from coconuts like these Coconut Bowls and Wooden Spoons Set because they promote sustainability and are very durable. There is such a wide variety of reusable utensils available now, just find your favorites and keep a set in your bag for any situation you’ll need it.
Containers
Just about every beauty and hygiene product you use now is probably in a plastic tube or bottle. To prevent plastic chemical leakage into your shampoo, creams, makeup, etc. I highly recommend making your own at home and storing them in glass containers. I admit I am not perfect at this myself, however, I do a little at a time. For example, I repurposed an empty sauce jar (after washing it thoroughly) to store my sugar wax. I also use an old supplement dropper bottles for storing my favorite moisturizing oils, which is perfect because one drop goes a long way. I even use a glass spray bottle for my hair conditioning mixture. Find what works best for you!
Other Major Ways to Help Mother Earth
Veganism
As mentioned early animal agriculture is one of the leading causes of destruction to the environment. Not only does livestock require an insane amount of land and water, but it is infamously responsible for more greenhouse gases than all transportation exhaust combined.
I could go super deep into this topic, but I’ll save it for another day. If you are completely new to this whole vegan lifestyle thing go check out the movie Cowspiracy. This 2014 documentary analyzes the policies of various environmental organizations like Greenpeace and Rainforest Action Network in the light of the environmental impact of animal agriculture. Watch it on Netflix or download from their website.
No More Fast Fashion
This is another big one that I don’t think is talked about enough. Watch The True Cost, yes another documentary (also on Netflix) and your life will be forever changed. With the incredible increase in cheap production, clothing has become more disposable than ever.
The majority of my clothes are either gifted, thrifted, or sustainably sourced. No one is perfect, not even me, but next time that you are shopping online or at the mall just think about the industry that you are supporting and how many garments end up in landfills releasing methane gas as they decompose for months to even hundreds of years.
Do what you can! Recycle or repurpose clothing as much as possible. Use old t-shirts for cleaning, swap clothes with friends, buy secondhand, and donate to local charities.
Composting
Waste is waste, even when it’s biodegradable. The trouble is that food scraps and lawn clippings often end up in landfills and decompose without access to oxygen, releasing methane gas which depletes the ozone layer. For a better understanding of how different agricultural methods that rely heavily on compost could make a big difference in the fight against global warming watch this YouTube video by Kiss the Ground.
In short, keeping food and plant waste out of landfills is essential for the environment. If you already have a compost trash can (usually used for gardening clippings) like I do it’s as easy as separating the organic waste from the trash. To make composting even more convenient for yourself, I recommend getting a compost bin for your kitchen. My compost bin sits on the counter and usually holds a weeks’ worth of banana peels and leftover juice pulp. The metal bin has a tight lid with charcoal filters that make composting odorless, but I recommend washing it with soap and water after emptying. To make clean up even easier fill your bin with these durable 100% compostable bags. If you’ve ever shopped at Trader Joe’s these will remind you of their biodegradable produce bags.
To end this post I just want to remind everyone that it is every individuals’ responsibility to do their part for the preservation of our planet. Do what you can when you can whether it’s one of these things or all of them. you don’t need to be perfect, no one is!
“Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.”
– Indian proverb
If you want to share your own environmentally friendly habits or products tag my Instagram @maddimadevegan I love seeing your posts!
