Were you surprised by anything you learned about expiration dates in the US? Has it changed the way you make decisions around purchasing or discarding food?
Yes, I have changed the way I decide when food is ready to be thrown away. I now check the expiration date and give it a few more days, depending on the type of food and its components. I also take into account the organoleptic conditions.
I love this idea! I’ve never liked the smell of highlighters, and I have a ridiculous number of coloured pencils. There are SO many colours to choose from and no bleeding through the paper - highlighting with coloured pencils could turn even the most boring books into works of art!
My circle of friends and family have always been very aware of the importance of avoiding the use of single-use plastics, so, fortunately, they have continued in that same way.
It can be easy to forget to bring your reusable bags to the store with you - especially if you're going somewhere besides the grocery store. What are your favorite ways to remember your reusable bags?
The truth is that when I go to the supermarket to buy groceries, I always go on foot and take my cart, this way I never use plastic bags to pack the groceries.
What have you learned about what is accepted by local haulers for recycling, what you can drop off or ship to certain places, and what is not recyclable in your area? What is the most difficult part of recycling for you?
Construction materials, large artifacts, and practically everything that cannot be disposed of does not go to the landfill, there is an option to give it a more sustainable destination.
What did you learn about your ecological footprint by using the calculator? What did or didn't surprise you? What are some ways you will take action to reduce your footprint?
The ecological footprint calculator said we would need 3.1 earths if everyone lived like me and my personal Earth Overshoot day was April 25. That’s a little better than Canada’s date of March 15th, but there’s plenty of room for improvement. I was surprised that my shelter consumption category was more than double the others - that’s a challenging one to try to lower.
Investigate the bottling practices of water corporations. There have been many cases where the water rights of the local people have been violated or even completely disregarded when a corporation decides to bottle water from a particular water source. How can you advocate for those who have been harmed by this bottling process?
A while ago I even saw a movie where people were affecting a company's sales just by collecting rainwater, purifying it and consuming it. Then the state tried to stop people from collecting rainwater just to protect the company.
It helps me put less pressure on myself to always be plastic-free, but by just being aware of it and taking steps to reduce it (such as getting refillable liquid soaps for my house instead of buying a new soap every time) will help in the long run.
