Green Journal - Chronicles of a greening woman
April 30, 2007
Posted by CindyC in : Green Journal , trackback
Inaugural Entry
I was standing in line at the grocery store a while back when a woman complimented me about bringing my own grocery bags to the store. She told me she knows she should do the same but usually forgets to put them in her car. In any case, she rationalized that since she lives alone, she doesn’t buy many things so she only needs a couple of plastic bags at a time.
I don’t know why but I kept on thinking about this woman. Why is it so hard for her and all of us to do “simple” things that we know we should do? After all, aren’t there hundreds or even thousands of simple green tips out there? Being the curious type, I asked friends why they don’t bring their own bags to the grocery store. Some said that they don’t have bags; some said it’s a hassle to “lug” bags around and some said it’s too hard to remember every time. Quite a few told me that although they realize that millions of plastic bags end up in landfills (and never disintegrate), their consumption, or lack thereof, is too small to matter. At first, my self-righteous indignation kicked in and I couldn’t believe the slacker responses from my educated and civic minded friends. I mean if it’s not a big deal, why did the city of San Francisco pass a ban on plastic bags in stores? But then I realize that I am really no better. Sure I remember to bring my bags to the store but how many times do I forget to bring my own coffee cup to Starbucks or use multiple Ziploc bags to pack a small kid’s lunch - too many to count.
As I am a self-recognized, type-A, result-oriented person, I am starting a small case study on “simple green tips”. My case study will consist of green journal entries written to track my actions, my inactions and the consequences. To make it doable, I’ve set a (personal) realistic goal of implementing one change per week but will track the cumulative effect of the changes. These changes will be every day things that everyone can do (rather than something like going out and buying a Tesla with your kid’s college tuition). The purpose of my green journal is two-fold: first is to motivate and remind myself to act on these simple green changes and second is to find others who would like to join me in implementing these changes to prove to the doubters that little changes can make a big impact.
Since the idea of bringing your own bags to the store started my tirade, I am making it my initial green entry. First, in response to my friends’ rationalization of:
“I don’t have any bags.” Well, grocery bags aren’t meant to be fashion statements. Any durable bag with handles or straps will do. If you really can’t find any, most stores are now selling large and small reusable bags. For $5, you can get 5 smaller bags that can carry a whole shopping cart’s worth of groceries, time after time. I spent $0 on my bags as I got them all from trade shows, community events or from the depths of my closet. My vintage Pan Am tote bag is a real conversation starter in stores!
“It’s a hassle to lug bags around.” & “It’s too hard to remember.” Yes, I agree remembering to bring bags every time is difficult, especially if you make several trips to stores in a week. My biggest problems are returning the bags back to the car and taking them into the store while occupied with getting the kids out of the car and safely into the store. To combat my forgetfulness, I actually hang my bags (after use) next to the backdoor so I don’t forget. And instead of putting them in the trunk, I put them in the car so I see them. My daughter is really good at reminding me and it’s a great green education for her.
“I really don’t use that many bags.” & “One person’s conservation isn’t going to make a difference.” Ok, statistics like 8 billion pounds of plastic bags and sacks end up in the waste stream annually is scary and can overshadow the impact of any single person’s action. I never thought I used that many plastic grocery bags either; after all, I have a small family and I try to consolidate my shopping trips. In the interest of this case study, I did not bring my bags last week to set a base line of my plastic bag consumption. For the 2 trips with average purchase for my family, I took home 11 plastic bags – 12 if I include the bag I refused to carry my gallon of milk!
So for my initial tally this week:
Number of times forgotten - None (hurray)!
Amount of resources spared - 12 plastic grocery bags
Time consumed to act on this change – less than 1 minute total: 30 seconds to gather my bags and hang them next to the door and probably 10 seconds to get them out of the car and into the shopping cart. Ok, to be fair, it might take a novice another minute to buy new bags at the checkout.
Extra upfront cost - $0 as I didn’t need to buy new bags
Next week’s action: bring my own cup to my local cafe. But so far, I think I’m off to a good start……
-CindyC
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Comments»
I have to say that I feel the same way about people who can’t bother to bring bags to the store. As I learn more and more about what I should be (and should have been) doing all these years I start to judge all of those who seem to be taking their sweet time to have their own revelations. The time to make these simple change is now! This also makes me think that we need Federal laws to force people to make the choices they should be making rather than leaving it up to free will. Sometimes it is jut easier if choices are taken out of your hands.
A few years, these “green” practices would have falled on my deaf ears. I was too busy with a lot of things - my excuse at least. But today with 2 toddlers, I am way busier than I could have ever imagined. Yet, I have developed the habit of bringing bags to stores and bringing my mug to the coffee shop. So I suppose it is all a matter of priority. While I understand that it may take different people different amount of time to “wake up”, I too am impatient for the personal change to happen gradually. Can we all scream at the top of our lungs: Start today!
Actually trying to live by “simple, green” tips…
Everyone seems to be dispensing simple tips to living healthier for you and the environment but if these tips are so simple, why aren’t we? One woman is starting her own green action jounal to do better, understand why is it so hard for her to implem…
Cindy,
Congrats on your new case study, I think it’s a fresh idea. My wife and I also believe in picking on simple change, mastering it, and then moving on to the next. We feel this is the best way to green one’s lifestyle. Check out our site!
Congratulations, Saving the environment one person at a time.
Most Americans seem to have the same problem. (I’m Australian) We either use our Trader Joes bags, which we bought years ago or for those times where we do forget to put them back in the car, we use the store paper bags that we leave in the back of the car - and we usually get about 10 shopping trips out of them. It just takes a little bit of effort. Heres a story I just published this morning on the same theme:
http://newsblaze.com/story/20070505101502nnnn.nb/newsblaze/ENVIRONM/Environment.html
Keep up the good work
Way to go. It’s easier to be green than people think. It just takes some determination. And a willingness to be open to new things.
I’ve been living the no-new-plastic pledge since Jan 1st this year…and although the first month was a challenge…it’s gotten easier each day. You shop a new way. You consume less. You stop pulling the wool over your own eyes. You wake up.
I would rather pay the inconvenience-price now of taking my little wire basket and chinese food containers when I go shopping…than pay the price in 40 years by having to live in an eco-bunker and never hearing another bird sing.
I like your idea of making one change a week. Because one change isn’t enough. But one change, each week adds up. We humans like to say ‘I’m doing my part, I recycle my newspapers” and pat ourselves on the back for being good humans. But that’s crap….we each have to do so much more than that. Good on ‘ya for trying to do more.
I love your Green Journal idea and am going to start my own! I had a science class not too long ago that taught us the smallest things, like taking your own grocery bags to the store and a coffee mug to the coffee shop, can do SO much to help our environment! I am a poor college student and I have found that the changes I have made, like yours, and other simple things like turning off my computer, the lights when I leave a room, my lamps, taking shorter showers, have all actually saved me money and are not that hard to follow! It’s amazing how much little things add up to make an impact. Just imagine if everyone tried to do something it would all add up to A LOT!!
C - Kudos to you! I think your “Green Journal” is a superb idea. We have a small white board on our fridge and we are thinking it is a good place to remind us of what our “green commitment” is for the two weeks … “they” say it takes 15 days to create/break a habit so we figure that we’ll give ourselves 15 days to act on our “green commitment” and make it a habit in our household!
I get the bags to the car and then forget to take them into the store, over and over again! Someone needs to design a bag with a place to write the list of groceries needed. That way my list and bag would go into the store together!
I consider myself very green and have been for some time. I don’t take usually take my own shopping bags to the store, however, as I reuse the plastic bags they supply as bin liners. It makes more sense than buying plastic bags for the same purpose.