After
writing out my wish list, truly allowing myself to pour out my most selfish
desires, I realized that there are a lot of ‘wants’ that are not ‘needs’;
things I see in this culture and society, that I have been raised to desire and
pursue, that I do not actually need to have for a fulfilled life. Certainly,
they are appealing wants that I could justify as deserved if I put in the
effort to acquire them: for example, a fancy car. However, there is definitely
no reason I need such items, and much more productive ways I could be putting
my money and efforts to use in the future.
With
this in mind, I began sculpting away the unnecessary components of my wish
list, discovering that most of the changes are long term goals, but which I can
nevertheless begin working towards now by choosing differently. One way to
start this is to make lifestyle changes, though not all that I would like to
make are currently possible. This is why, for an immediate sustainability
action, I have chosen to reduce and eventually eliminate my purchases and
consumption of unnecessary packaged goods; this means anything I don’t need to
buy that is packaged in an unsustainable way (i.e. not recyclable or easily reused).
This would include food items packaged in foil or plastic (including fast food
packaged in this way), disposable or throwaway items (ex. plastic utensils,
saran wrap, plastic bags), and any other items that will end up as waste. I
also want to start looking for alternatives to the packaged items that I do
need to buy (ex. personal hygiene items and medicine).
This
is an appropriate immediate action because I can begin it right away without
any external barriers. The only obstacle in my way is my own willingness to
change my behaviour. Although many
of the packaged items I am used to buying are unnecessary, I still find myself
wanting them for reasons of convenience or simple desire. Junk food, for
example, is neither a need nor a healthy item, yet it can be very tempting.
Nevertheless, such items are packaged in materials that will end up directly in
the landfill. When I consider how much waste I produce annually just from such
items I am reminded how devastating my impact alone will be if I continue to
consume in this way.
Avoiding
packaged products has been a challenge and will still continue to be until I
set it as a habit. I have found the easiest way to avoid these items is to plan
ahead. It is usually when I am in a situation where I do not have an easily
portable snack or drink that I end up buying a packaged item. For this reason,
I have started bringing my coffee mug with me whenever I expect to buy a hot
drink, and if I forget it I tell myself it’s too expensive without the
discount. I am always trying to remember to bring along unpackaged snack items
in a reusable cloth bag (ex.
apple, carrots, nuts), and when I go grocery shopping I make sure to stock up
on such items so that I won’t need to buy plastic packaged snacks from my
residence convenience store. This method is not only healthier for me, but it
is also a self-esteem booster, as I feel better about myself for making better
choices and reducing my waste.
Gratification
seems to be the strongest motivator in my own behaviour change. Telling myself
I did the right thing as well as receiving positive encouragement from others,
makes it much easier to continue with the change. Another strategy I have used
is to appoint a friend as my accountability partner. I have a duty to report to
this person about my progress, including if I have failed to keep with my
decision. In this way I will feel guilty telling them if I don’t succeed, and
so it works as another motivator to gain positive feedback from that person. These
methods have worked well so far, and I am confident that with continued action
I will be able to eliminate my consumption of unnecessary and unsustainable
packaged goods.
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