Simple and ethical living
Okay, so, this has been on my mind for a while. When did it first come up...hmm... probably early 2012. But it has just been an idea I have liked but done little about. Well, lately I have been feeling like I want to take on the challenge to live more simply and more ethically.
It started with doing research for camping toilets for our young adults camping retreat, due to be held in January. We were told we should bring a spade, but I'm not that outdoorsy to begin with, so I decided to look at a more comfortable version of going bush. In that bit of research, I learn a lot. So.. a bucket with a seat... a pop-up tent for privacy, some saw dust... I imagine it would be pretty smelly and not the most sanitary of places, but nonetheless, I starting thinking about how I would get by if all the amentities I relied upon ceased. And then I realised, there is no reason to wait until some hypothetical future when I am forced to do things in a more sustainable way. I could have this system at home... it would save so much water!
No, I'm not going to permanantly establish a camping toilet at my house. That is probably a bit too extreme for me just now (but think of all the water....). But it did get me thinking... If I don't feel that replacing my regular toilet with a campling toilet is a serious option for daily life, then what would be serious options for me that would be more mindful and respectful of the enironment?
So I am beginning. I am taking the first steps toward intenional sustainable living. I am sure it will take time to adjust, little by litte. But I want to begin. I want to live life the way I feel is right, not the way I feel I am enabled to by unethical, unsustainable, or profit-mungering practises that I don't have to think about.
So, I have consulted the great oracle facebook and asked its collective wisdom what things I should be thinking about.
These are some of the ideas so far:
- producing less rubbish by buying unpackaged products like loose veggies and rice by the scoop
- avoiding toxic chemicals by making my own shampoo and cleaning products
- making more home-made food so I can know what I am eating
- only buying second hand or ethically produced clothing
- make sure any animal products, including meat, eggs and milk, are from animals that are treated well
- avoid uncertified palm oil (or, in fact all palm oil if possibel, but especially palm oil that is sourced from rainforests etc)
- starting a veggie garden
- find other people who are living/producing this way and source produce from them
- use paper that is from renewable resources, or completely recycled
- opt to repair or repurpose broken things,
- find out what your best options are for disposing of stuff you no longer want
- trading in your car for a bike!
- use biodegradable garbage bags
- use cold water when using the washing machine
- reuse shower water for the garden (putting buckets in the shower)
- solar lights and electricity
- plant more trees
- buy a chicken
- use a reusable water bottle
- use reusable coffee cups when buying takeaway coffee
- be conscious of how much water and electricity you are using
- turn electronics fully off rather than leaving on stand by
- use bamboo toothbrushes (to use base, natural materials and not plastics) - can just put it in your garden when you are finished with it
- donate old bras to charities that repair them and take them to impoverished countries where a bra costs 3 months of the average salary
- bring your own calico bags when shopping instead of using plastic
- invest in fabric sanitary pads or menstrual cup
- get toilet paper made from recycled materials (like http://au.whogivesacrap.org)
- create a compost bin in the garden
- use bees wax sheets you can reuse instead of glad wrap (https://facebook.com/honeybeewrap)
- look up local council's recycling guidelines and suggestions - a lot of people unknowingly put things in their recycling bin that gets the whole load redirected to landfill. Also simple things like taking the top off bottles makes the process easier.
- look into adding to your backyard features that support local wildlife like nesting boxes and frog ponds. Your local landcare will have suggestions about plants your local area needs more of, and particularly problematic introduced species to get rid of (some even have programs where you can trade the remains of the latter for a seedling of the former)
- look for the Fairtrade logo on coffee, tea, and chocolate (or similar programmes such as the Rainforest Alliance and Ethical Tea Partnership)
- use your grey water from your washing machine to water the garden/lawn rather than just dump it in the sewer
- pay attention to locally produced, in season, and organic
So, a rather big list, and I'm sure there are LOADS more ideas out there. One step at a time...
It's worth the effort. I'm looking forward to living with integrity, in a way that is honest to what I say I believe.
#itmustbethedreads #imahippynow