How I Made My Home More Eco-Friendly
April 10, 2020
Syeda reflects on how people used to live more sustainably in the past and explains how she reintroduced some of these practices to have a greener home.
By Syeda Shabber Going green, eco-friendly, zero waste, minimalist living, plastic-free, cleaner living — these are all terms going around in everyday conversations. But, if we think of it, before Marie Kondo, many of our parents and grandparents had been following these styles of basic, simple living. It is with the influence of modernization, marketing, and advertising that we have changed our lifestyles in the name of ‘convenience.’ Hence the surge of plastic bags, plastic spoons, and forks for ‘to go’ meals in plastic boxes sealed with plastic along with some plastic straws to slurp a sugary drink. This has now become the sad truth of our generation.The history of the lowly plastic bagOur previous generations used brown paper bags, cloth bags, jute bags, and bags made from t-shirts and everyday packaging materials. Then came the concept of long-lasting, ‘holds more, won't tear’ and plastic bags were introduced. Now again, jute bags, cloth bags, and cement packaging bags are being reintroduced to us but with fancy names: upcycled material bags, reusable bags, etc.There are mall workshops teaching people to upcycle bags from old t-shirts: bring your old t-shirt, pay money, and take home a bag made from your old t-shirt (which you had paid good money to buy in the first place anyway and feel good about doing something for the environment). This is not necessarily a bad thing. All I'm saying is that past generations have lived in this sustainable and eco-friendly way. But modern generations have drifted a bit.Refill stores have made a comebackNowadays, refill stores are a 'thing' although goods are pricier there. If you ask older generations, I'm sure they'll tell you that refill stores were always there. I grew up in a South Asian country and have memories of going to the local fresh market with my mom carrying the jute and cloth bags for buying fresh vegetables and the pet food/cement upcycled grocery bag for fish and meats. We brought bottles to refill for cooking oils. We would take whole grains and whole spices to grinding mills to make into flour and powdered spices.Raising awareness But things seem to be looking up with awareness campaigns from the media, animal welfare groups, and environmental groups. Thankfully we are becoming more conscious of our consumerist patterns. But, again, it tends to become a pressure from advertisers and marketing companies as most of us are made to feel that we have to spend more to be eco-friendly or make massive changes in our behavior and lifestyle when it is not that difficult to get started.Starting at homeGoing green at home can start small without spending more. It is also easy and achievable. I have incorporated daily routines in my home that I would like to share with you. With two kids and no helper at home, I didn't intentionally set out to go green or become eco-friendly. I just started paying more attention to the way I use the resources available to me — which was not that difficult. A small change today builds up and makes a more significant impact on the environment. And once one starts making some changes or doing some things differently, it gradually becomes a habit and into a way of life for the family. Here are some of the changes I incorporated. There might be some quick wins you can achieve in your home too:- Refuse plastic bags and drinking straws at grocery stores. This is now easier to do since most supermarkets and stores have stopped giving plastic bags anyway…finally!
- Reduce food waste by using the fruit and vegetable peels as fertilizer for plants. I also use the water from washing rice and lentils to water my plants.
- Collect rainwater and use it to wash the rugs, pet towels, and blankets.
- Collect and crush eggshells and place them on plant pots to deter snails and slugs. They also make great plant nutrients.
- Make a simple compost bin by drilling some holes in a bucket. That's where our dried leaves, fruit and vegetable peels, toilet paper rolls and even paper towel rolls go!
- Use old shredded newspaper for pet litter.
- Minimize buying plastic, bottled or canned stuff. And if we can't avoid it, I take the empty plastics and cans to the nearest recycling station ( you may need to google if there is one in your area).
- Make a kitchen counter cleaning spray from a simple solution of vinegar, apple cider, water, and a drop of my favorite essential oil.
- Use a drop or two of essential oil in the laundry cycle to make laundry smell great. White vinegar also acts as a fabric softener.
- Use baking soda as the go-to cleaning agent.
- Avoid disposable diapers as much as possible and use cloth diapers instead.
- I even made cloth wipes which have survived toilet training for both kids!
- Kids grow out of clothes so quickly, so buy pre-loved in good condition rather than go and buy new every time.
- Reuse things whenever you can.
About the Author
Syeda is a stay at home parent, living in Thailand for the last 15 years along with her cats. She loves kitchen and garden-related activities and enjoys DIY projects. She runs gardening and food-related Facebook pages and recently started her blog at facebook.com/musingsofwondrousmind/The views expressed in the articles in this magazine are not necessarily those of BAMBI committee members and we assume no responsibility for them or their effects.BAMBI News welcomes volunteer contributors to our magazine. Please contact editor@bambiweb.org.