Heard of Greta Thunberg, the sensational teen environmental activist who travels around the world (on railway tracks and sailing across the seas, mind you!) to promote and call for sustainable ways of life?
Well, I’m no activist like her, but I do join her and many others in the plight for a more sustainable lifestyle. My motivation in this is my children’s future.
It won’t matter how best they’ve been provided for if the environment we live in is sick. Everyone’s health and livelihood will be affected.
I never gave much thought about environmental issues, and the terms “global warming” and “climate change” just whoosh past me. But, since watching this short documentary filmed by a British who went snooping around Malaysia, it stopped me in my tracks.
The sheer amount of trash secretly dumped in our landfills is shocking to see with my own eyes. It was especially heart-wrenching to hear one family’s story about how their little girl’s health is affected (jump to nine minutes into the documentary).
One Small Change Has A Bigger Effect Than We Think
We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions doing it imperfectly.
– Anne-Marie Bonneau
Our lifestyles cause so much damage to the environment. Even more so as a woman and a mother, as we use lots of disposable sanitary napkins on ourselves and disposable diapers on our babies.
In my effort to be more eco-friendly, I’ve made simple changes to my lifestyle and even educate and encourage my children to do the same. After all, it’s for their future. They might as well start young in being responsible for the home that we call mother earth.
I’m sharing some of the simple and cost-effective ways to change to a more sustainable lifestyle, and hope more mummies will join the plight with their children, too.
Switching From Disposables To Reusables
Last year I stopped buying disposable sanitary pads as I made a switch to cloth pads. It took a while for me to come to terms with it. After all, we all question whether it’s the best thing to do, hygiene and convenience wise.
But once I made the switch, I had no regrets, as I find the cloth pads to be more comfortable. I’m not the only one. Other ladies who made the switch to either cloth pads or menstrual cups have also become ardent fans of these reusables. We just need to get over the initial resistance and mindset.
Many mummies are also converting the use of disposable diapers to cloth diapers. These days, cloth diapers are highly absorbent and come in pretty colours and designs. They are also easier to use and wash compared to the traditional cloth diapers.
One other disposable item that we all use a lot now is face mask. There are many reusable cloth masks available so it’s a good idea to go for those too. Just ensure that they comply with the required safety criteria and are breathable.
Buying Package-Free Products
Packaging has become a big part of marketing when selling a product. Unfortunately, most of these packaging comes in the form of plastic or paper. Both are a form of wastage since we throw them out as soon as they’re stripped out.
As much as I can, I shop at zero-waste stores to buy my family’s toiletries and household cleaning products. These shops sell products by weight and without packaging, so you have to bring your own bottles and containers to store your purchases.
The good thing is that you can buy as little or as much as you need without feeling bad about it. It’s all about zero-waste, and operators of these stores also encourage buying in small quantities if that’s all you need.
Many of these products are also eco-friendly. They don’t contain harmful chemicals that end up polluting our oceans, not to mention healthier for our use, too.
Some of these zero-waste stores also sell foodstuff in the form of dry condiments, pasta, spices, grains, beans, nuts, etc. Just bring your containers to fill up.
What I normally do is to leave a few empty containers in the trunk of my car. Whenever I have unplanned visits to these stores to pick up something, I have them ready.
Usually, these stores also have clean recycled containers if you happen to go in without yours.
Being Sustainable Doesn’t Have To Be Expensive
Some have found that buying sustainable products such as stainless steel drinking bottles, cloth facial cotton pads, bamboo toothbrushes, etc, cost more. Undeniably true. However, the idea is to use something we already have and to reuse them wisely. We don’t necessarily have to buy pretty and Insta-ready products.
Let’s say you have a functional plastic water bottle. You don’t need to throw it out and replace that with an eco-friendly version. We can also reuse plastic bags lying around at home as our shopping bags.
When these things eventually give way and need replacements, we can then consider buying more lasting and sustainable options.
Even then, we are smart consumers with plenty of choices and merchants to choose from. We just need to get a little creative in finding our reusables. When all else fails, we can resort to DIY, too.
I have sewn my own produce bags (albeit with crooked thread lines) and made beeswax food wraps together with my children, thanks to the YouTubers and bloggers who generously share their DIY steps.
Sustainable Living Benefits All Of Us
Some of us are already directly feeling the effects of our polluted environment (watch the earlier shared documentary), whilst some are still unaware.
In the years to come, more of its effects will be felt by future generations. By then, it may be a little too late to contain and reverse the dire effects.
We all have busy lives and we want our products to be convenient, hassle-free and quick. These conveniences can come with a heavy price with its lasting side effects.
Fortunately, we have some homegrown groups and several zero-waste store operators mushrooming in Malaysia who aim to promote awareness and encourage as many people as possible to live more sustainably.
We can do our small part, one day at a time. Don’t feel that one act is too small and doesn’t make any difference or impact. It does, and it certainly will.