Commentary By: Gavin Schweiger, Follow South Jersey Community Journalist
I’ve grown up all my life throwing things away if they didn’t work or they wore out.
Stubborn stain on a shirt? Throw it out. Phone’s not charging too well? Time for a new one.
Another problem I’ve had is consuming a lot of disposable items like paper towels or coffee pods. For a while, I didn’t realize there was another way.
Then I started learning about and wanting to care for the environment. I realized the wide world of intentional shopping, repairing, and then more intentional disposing methods.
I can understand that I speak from a position of privilege to waste so much, but I’m not alone. There’s been a change in the way the world works over time, where items are seen as disposable. That includes single-use items, but also clothing and technology.
This even has a name: “Throwaway Culture.”
There’s been a general trend of more waste. This is caused by a number of factors that are usually done by companies. Fast fashion, convenient packaging, and planned obsolescence, among other things, are responsible for a lot of carbon emissions and landfill usage.
Instead of a throwaway society, there are very small ways we can help out. While one individual can’t change a whole world of issues, many individuals can make a difference.
Remember “reduce, reuse, recycle”? It’s not just a slogan, it’s a step-by-step plan.
Reduce: Buying intentionally
I wouldn’t consider myself a minimalist (though I’ve tried), but being an intentional consumer is a large part of living a sustainable life. The way to do this is quite simple, but takes some willpower.
Firstly, to combat impulse-buying, we can set a precedent for ourselves: ‘I won’t buy anything unless it’s still something I want a week from now.’
This rule, or one like it, is a step to impulsively hit the “buy now” button or take that item off the shelf if you really don’t need or want it.
Another way to buy intentionally is to plan a list before going to a store or making an Amazon order. This works to stop aimless shopping, where you can be more easily swayed to pick things up that you probably wouldn’t have thought you wanted or needed.
Buying intentionally is only partly buying less, but it’s also buying smart. Think about the quality of items you buy as well. My grandma would often say something along the lines of, “Cheap things turn out expensive.”
For example, I was recently looking into buying a bag to hold camera lenses while I’m on assignments. I ended up buying a more expensive bag used, than buying a cheaper bag new. Even with the used bag, I can expect it to last longer and have better quality than a cheaper one.
The quality difference becomes more apparent when cheaper items break and more expensive ones last. When it comes to money, cheap items will eventually cost the same as more expensive ones, just not all at once.
Not everything lasts forever, though. That’s where reusing comes in.
Reuse: Thinking outside the box
I once had someone tell me that they wouldn’t throw out shirts until they were basically destroyed. This mindset changed the way I view anything that before, I might throw away.
A shirt, when too old and worn to be worn out can simply be pajamas or workwear (always good to have that painting shirt anyway). When too worn to wear at all, it can be used as a rag. Only when it’s too worn or filthy to be used as cleaning material, can you throw the shirt out.
So instead of buying a new pajama shirt, you can reuse an old t-shirt that’s seen better days. Instead of buying a pack of rags, you can use that pajama shirt with holes. Reusing can even reinforce intentional buying.
Upcycling is a more creative option as well. Taking what would be waste and creating something out of it. While this isn’t something I’ve tried myself, I’ve had friends who have the creative talent to repaint, dye, or even reweave clothing into something new.
For home or food items, there are plenty of ways to reuse.
Stale bread can be made into French toast or jars can be repurposed as drinking vessels. The limit is creativity.
Another method of reusing is repairing. Sometimes, I feel tricked by how easy repairs can be for certain issues.
Resewing buttons or taking a toothpick to remove dust in a charging port are two of the countless easy ways to make your things last.
Recycle: In any way possible
Recycling doesn’t just have to be throwing glass and paper in the blue can, though I’ll get to that.
If donating is an option, like for clothes, shoes, or even some house wares, it’s a great way to see unneeded items get a second life.
Goodwill is the most popular option, but if donating for resale isn’t preferred, there are other options like homeless shelters or churches that will go directly to people in need.
If you have a green thumb, using food waste as compost can be a great way to fertilize and keep soil nutrient-dense.
If something’s gotta go, the blue bins might be an option. For this, knowing your town’s or county’s recycling guidelines is best. One way to find this out is the website and app, Recycle Coach, which finds the local information easier. It makes the headaches of figuring out what can and can’t be recycled much better.
You don’t have to follow a complete minimalist or zero-waste lifestyle. It’s just not sustainable for us as people.
However, caring for our Earth and our environment means that sometimes we have to take the less convenient options to do good.
Reduce, reuse and recycle is not just a slogan or action steps, it’s a way of life. The more you do these things, the easier it gets.
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