Lauren Steele

This is last day of the Challenge, and until today I wasn't sure how to answer this question. But I watched The Story of Plastic this morning and I was very moved by it. I can see now that the reduction of plastic packaging, and moving away from plastic manufacturing in a big way, has become a matter of life or death for us all. I will watch the film again before August 4th and take notes so I can arm myself with facts to drive those important conversations that I need to start having. I have wanted to start a blog for a long time. I've tried a couple of times but it always drifts off into oblivion because I can't think of anything to post, or I forget to post for weeks at a time. After completing 3 semesters at ACHS, and this Challenge, I am full of ideas for things that I want to talk about! That's a start. But I need to do more to make people in my family and my circle of friends and my community aware of what's at stake. They need to know about the scope and scale of the plastic problem, because we can't see it where I live. It's not REAL in anyone's life here. And if ever there was a clear example of what environmental injustice is all about, this is it. Disposable "convenience" items that we toss in the trash without a second thought are actually KILLING people in other countries because underprivileged and marginalized people are the ones who have no choice but to take responsibility for cleaning up the tons of plastic waste surrounding their homes. People in the United States are actually being KILLED because the proximity of their homes to chemical plants that process petrochemicals to create plastic continually exposes them to toxins. Children who live there are getting cancer 56% more often than children who live elsewhere. Plastics are killing wildlife and getting into our water and even the food that we eat, no matter where we live. So yeah, this is a big deal. 

The other thing that I became more aware of after watching that movie is that there is no way that recycling or reducing packaging or choosing to use less plastic is ever going to fix the problem. There is just too much plastic being produced, and the amount continues to grow. Consumers can help with their actions, but we cannot and should not be held responsible for the clean-up. The big corporations all along the production chain, who are making billions of dollars selling items made out of or packaged within plastic, need to take responsibility and be accountable for the pollution that they create, not only in our air and water but on the ground, all over the world. They should not be allowed to make huge profits at the expense of consumers. 

So that is my rant for the day. It's a long one, about a topic that I get very emotional about. So I guess it's fitting that this is my last post for this Challenge. I've had fun, learned a lot, and stoked the fire of motivation to help me transform knowledge into action. Thanks, all. I wish you well. Stay safe, but not too safe!  ;-)

I watched all of the ACHS webinars. I learned a lot about the scale of the plastic problems in the world. I learned how to make a lotion bar. And Jess' talk about everything she did to create a holistic and healthy salon was inspirational. I hope to open an herb and tea shop someday, and also offer wellness counseling, so her ideas and how she went about creating her space were very interesting. Even in an industry where the use of toxic chemicals is standard procedure, she showed that it doesn't have to be that way. She prioritized health and sustainability, and I really admire that.

I compost all of my compostable kitchen scraps--veggie cuttings, banana peels, tea bags, coffee grounds, etc. Where I fall short is in buying too much produce and letting it go bad in the fridge before it gets eaten. I compost that, too, but it is still wasteful and it is completely preventable. My excuses have been things like "I don't always feel like eating a peach every day" or "I forgot those were in there". Actually, I don't really buy too much produce. I just eat too little. I have the best of intentions when I'm at the store or the farm stand. Everything looks so yummy. But there is a disconnect once the produce enters the abyss of my refrigerator and keeps getting shoved to the back. 

I am hereby owning this misbehavior and making a commitment to eat what I buy before going out and buying anything else. I will eat more than one fruit or vegetable per day. I will eat them all. I promise! :-)

I watched Minimalism and then Bag It. I have been a borderline hoarder for many years, partly because I hate throwing things away that are still useful and partly because I become very attached to my stuff and things become nostalgic even if I haven't used them in years. I have trouble letting go. I have felt stifled by the overflowing closets and growing piles of clutter in my home for a long time. It makes me unhappy. But I have also felt powerless to fix the problem. This is why I decided to watch Minimalism first. 

I will never become a minimalist or live in a tiny house, but I did learn something important from this video. I thought that my problem was related to my inability to let things go, and that is true, but what I learned was that my indiscriminate buying habits are also part of the problem. I am consuming too much in the first place. I need to become mindful of what I am buying and ask myself if an item will add value to my life. I need to step back from impulsively buying things because I like them, and ask myself if I really need them. I still need to purge (quite a bit), but reducing the amount of material coming in to my home will eventually help me to achieve the balance that I've been looking for. 

I never thought about the fact that my toothbrushes were adding to the disposable plastic problem until now. I purchased some bamboo toothbrushes for my family. Using bamboo makes sense since it is biodegradable. But the bristles are nylon, which is still not good. I plan on looking for toothbrushes with all-natural bristles. I did see some online, but they said that the toothbrushes would need to replaced every 1-2 weeks. This could get expensive for me. So more research is needed. I'm just happy to be eliminating one more plastic item from my trash.

I made a foaming hand soap using liquid castille soap, sunflower oil, and rosemary hydrosol (instead of water). I chose the rosemary hydrosol instead of a more floral scent like geranium or lavender because I live with two sons and my boyfriend, and I wanted them to like it! I like rosemary, but once using the soap has become a habit I can start to indulge my own senses and experiment more. Acceptance before compromise!  :-)  I saw the recipe online and couldn't wait to try it. When I looked online to find foaming soap dispensers, I saw that you could buy the foaming pump lids to fit mason jars, of which I have an abundance. I also made sure to get lids that were made mostly of metal instead of plastic. I now have dispensers in my 3 bathrooms and the kitchen.

Doing this has inspired me to see what other cleaners I can make at home. I made a list of all the products I use for cleaning--for windows, bathrooms, floors, etc. Everything comes in plastic bottles. One by one I will be trying to replace them with something homemade. I can't remember ever being this excited about cleaning my house!

Summer is a great time to take advantage of local farm stands and markets. In addition to what I grow in my small garden, I can get lots of fresh food--fruits and vegetables--without having to create any waste at all. I just bring a basket and/or tote bag with me. Local farmers work hard and really need our support. Plus the food tastes so much better and is more nutritious. What's good for the environment is good for us, too!