BYOC (Bring Your Own Containers)

I went shopping at The Dill Pickle Food Co-op and the only plastic I used was my credit card. I think I was on cloud nine. It was a huge accomplishment for me and in some small way, I felt like I was contributing to society (and the polar bears).

Before I went to the store, I gave them a call to see if I could bring in my own containers. Some stores, including Whole Foods, don't let me. Not only did The Dill Pickle encourage me to bring in my own containers, they explained that they try to be a styrofoam-free store (that is serious goals for a grocery store). "Do you think they'll let me live there?" I wrote in an email to my husband.

I ran to the kitchen, where I keep my hidden stash of glass jars and plastic yogurt containers. I've been collecting them for years, reluctant to throw them away and convincing myself (and my husband) that I'll find a use for them. Finally, my hoarding tendencies are paying off.

When I first got to the store with my containers, a lovely store clerk weighed each one so she should calculate the tare. She then wrote the tare on the container for reference later. A tare is essentially the allowance made for the weight of the container in order to determine only the weight of the contents later (thank you, Google). For instance, I brought in a heavy glass jar that used to hold maple syrup. I filled it with almond flour at The Dill Pickle. When the store clerk rang it up at the register, she only charged me for the weight of the almond flour.

I must have spent a good 45 minutes in the bulk foods section. The Dill Pickle had different types of flours, nuts, teas, spices, and snacks. They even had honey, olive oil, and canola oil in bulk. In other parts of the store, they had bulk soap and bulk kombucha.

The Dill Pickle is a game-changer for me. Literally and figuratively. Grocery shopping is now a fun game for me to see how much I can reduce and reuse.

Thank you, Dill Pickle! I was in a dilly of a pickle before I met you (sorry, I couldn't help myself).

The Struggles of An Environmentalist

My heart broke this week when a photo taken by Paul Nicklen went viral. It was a photo of a starving polar bear, a victim of global warming struggling to find food on an iceless island. I just sat there, crying and heartbroken. I felt so helpless and hopeless. To me, the image symbolized our dire future and the extinction of a magnificent species that did nothing to deserve its fate.

Literally everything I do furthers global warming. My very existence on earth impacts the resources of other living beings. A depressing concept, I know. Sure, I can reduce my carbon footprint and use less plastic. I can offset my carbon emissions and become a vegan. But at the end of the day, we each need to do our part. We need to make changes on the global level, and it starts with each individual. We each have the power over the products we choose to purchase, the companies we choose to invest in, and the voices we have against climate-deniers. 

Sometimes I wish I cared less about the environment. It would be so much easier for me if I didn't have an eco-conscience. But, I can't deny the fact that I'm drawn to this issue, like moths to a flame. I think about it all the time. It's like an obsession. A strange desire to care for Mother Earth.

I also can't deny the fact that one of the biggest struggles for me as an environmentalist is that I often feel like a hypocrite. Like I said, everything I do impacts the environment. The computer I'm typing on contains toxic substances, my winter coat is made of perfluorocarbons, my leggings are made of polyester microfibers. I could go on.

Here's what I know and what gives me hope. There is still so much beauty and good in this world. I just want to preserve it for as long as I can.

My Plastic-free Shower Routine

I'm always thinking of ways to reduce my plastic usage, so I decided to make my shower routine completely plastic-free.

It took some time, of course. It was easy finding a bar of soap that I liked for my body. It was tougher finding soap bars for my face and hair.

I knew activated charcoal was the new trend in facial wash so at the Randolph Street Market in December, I bought a bar of soap with activated charcoal, hoping it would keep my skin clear. For the past six months, I've only used my bar of activated charcoal soap for my face and it's worked! My breakouts aren't nearly as bad as they used to be. The soap is gentle enough that it doesn't strip my face of all its natural oils, which means I haven't needed to use as much facial lotion. On top of all this, I can avoid buying bottles of face wash now.

The last thing I needed to complete my plastic-free shower routine was a bar of soap for my hair. After searching at farmers markets and street fairs, I finally stumbled upon a J.R. Liggett's shampoo bar at Whole Foods. I was skeptical at first but bought the bar to try anyway. Most all-natural shampoos I've bought in the past either didn't lather well at all or took twice the amount to lather. When I tried the J.R. Liggetts shampoo bar at home, I was amazed. I only needed a small amount of the soap to create a rich lather. It also didn't strip my hair of all its natural oils. The shampoo bar left my hair feeling soft, thick, and voluminous. Perfect for someone like me who's used to flat straight hair with zero body.

My plastic-free shower routine

J.R. Liggett's shampoo bar for my hair

Gardenia soap from the Rocky Mountain Soap Market (I just love the smell of gardenias)

Activated charcoal soap bar for my face