Taking care of our beautiful planet isn't always complicated. As we shift our focus from speed and convenience to a slower, more thoughtful approach, we see the ripples of change. Full Circle Beauty is a way of life- it guides us everyday - at work and at home.
Once we get into the habit of thinking, "How will this one small choice circle back to me? To others? To our Earth?", choices that we never considered before start to matter- a LOT. Sure, it's easier to toss those little plastic lids in the trash, but when we imagine where that goes, the impact it has on and in the land or the sea, it's harder to "throw it away". Because there truly is no "away".
That plastic will be dropped in the ocean for sea creatures to ingest. Or, it will be tucked into the earth where it will very slowly decompose and leach into the ground water. We don't want to live on "trash planet"- let's live on a beautiful, thriving, living planet that we steward with love! Sure, it takes a little effort, but so does doing the dishes and we wouldn't let those pile up either.
ARE YOU READY TO TAKE THE LESS PLASTIC PLEDGE WITH ME?
Using zero plastic in life seems totally impossible to even attempt! That would mean no cars, no bicycles...even the log walls of my home that I'm looking at right now are chinked with a plastic-based product (we're building a new log home without any chinking, but that's a story for another time).
Last year, my husband, Andy, and I made a pledge to consume less "stuff", especially plastic things and to "throw away" as little as possible. It's a fun game to play and we're down to filling up the smallest garbage bin available less than once a month! It still seems like a LOT for just two people to be tossing onto the piece of land we call the Landfill, so we keep working at it. Our lives haven't changed all that much, but it sure feels good to be less trashy.
Imagine if we all started creating even just half of the trash we do today! The impact on our planet would be HUGE. Let's do it together and support each other. Are you ready to join us?
A FEW THINGS I'VE LEARNED RECENTLY:
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Food is the biggest creator of plastic waste in our household and shopping for plastic-free foods takes time, research and dedication. We definitely aren't plastic-free in the food department yet, but we're making strides and friends along the way!
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Going plastic free builds community- We eat a lot of yogurt and in the US, it comes in plastic. Andy decided to learn how to make yogurt at home- our friends do it and they said it's easy. But there was the issue of getting healthy milk. He asked around at work and learned that a colleague has jersey cows and will give us raw milk! Last weekend, we drove out to their farm, met their family and the sweetest cows (and their new calves!) and picked up a couple jars of fresh milk. Now we have delicious yogurt! Every time we make a change like this, we make friends and strengthen relationships in our community.
- The Almighty Dollar creates change. As more of us request and even demand waste-free packaging, companies are listening and changing. Even our local big chain stores now carry waste free cleaning products like laundry detergent and bamboo paper towels- things that were difficult to find anywhere just twenty years ago. Companies respond to customer demand (I know all about that!), so keep the requests and demands coming!
DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS FOR LIVING WITH LESS PLASTIC?
I can't wait to hear your tips and tricks! Please let us know how you'd like to see us change for the better too. :)
Please share in the comments!
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Angelina Swanson is the founder and chief formulator at aos [ angelina organic skincare ]. A self-described plant chemistry nerd, she's spent more than thirty years researching and developing skincare formulas that keep our skin healthy and radiant.
