Christmas is fast approaching. A season filled with generosity, thankfulness, reflection, and anticipation for the new year. At Compose Your Space, we work with many individuals from various walks of life on their journey creating spaces where they live with peace, passion & productivity. Today, I thought I would address sustainability, an important part of life for many.
Regardless of party affiliation, thoughts regarding climate change, or the stance you hold about recycling, I think we can all agree our planet is important and, as humans, we must consider our lifestyle and how we can contribute to the welfare of our earth. One of the ways we can contribute to the health of the earth in a positive manner is through living a life of sustainability.
Quite the buzzword these days, “sustainability.” Merriam Webster defines sustainable with the following: of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged. However, sustainable living is subjective. Each person’s lifestyle is determined by many factors, one of those being beliefs about our planet’s resources and the part each can play through choices made in the marketplace.
With all that stated, let’s discuss our choices. The more I learn about the chemicals we put in our bodies, the plastics we dispose in our oceans and pollute, the droughts my part of the country is facing, the more I realize the choices I make in the marketplace have an impact on my life and those around me.
I have been on a journey trying to educate myself and make informed choices regarding my purchases with the hope of promoting a more healthy, sustainable life for myself, my family and those in my community. Here are some of the changes I have been implementing in my home.
My family is working diligently to eliminate plastics in our home, behave in a more intentional manner regarding the chemicals we ingest and put on our bodies, and thoughtfully purchase items that can be recycled or composted after use.
Let’s begin by looking at the changed I have made with the products in our bathroom. I have recently discarded the shampoo and conditioner bottles and started purchasing shampoo and conditioner bars. In addition to the shampoo and conditioner, I have also discarded my deodorant in the plastic container and replaced it with a solid deodorant bar. I was pleasantly surprised to discover lotion bars as well. I am happy to report I have found these products to be as effective as the products I used previously, there seem to be fewer harmful chemicals in each of them, and the packaging is mainly cardboard or paper, therefore making the purchase more sustainable in nature. I have also come across a more sustainable alternative for toothpaste. I will provide links to all of the sites I have made purchases from at the end of this post.
Along with the changes I have made in area of personal hygiene, I have started making changes in our kitchen. We have started utilizing cloth napkins, limited our use of paper towels by replacing them with wash clothes and hand towels, replaced our paper coffee filters with washable cloth filters, trashed our plastic straws and purchased stainless steal straws, and discarded the plastic cooking utensils and started using bamboo and wood cooking utensils. I am considering purchasing dishwashing detergent and dish soap from a company which does not contain plastic and utilizes mineral based ingredients.
Let’s move to another room in my home, the laundry room. Here I have chosen to get rid of fabric softener and replace it with wool dryer balls. I am also considering a change with my detergent. Currently, the detergent I use comes in a plastic bag; however, I am researching a detergent that comes in compostable packaging. I am also contemplating the purchase of a clothes drying rack which mounts on the ceiling and is lowered utilizing a pulley system. This will save on utilities and prolong the life of the clothing. Along with these changes, I know it is important to address microfiber materials and the pollution that occurs in our water system due to the breakdown of the materials and the inability to filter these materials in a traditional manner. I am researching a bag which allows these fibers to be captured and then discarded in the waste basket, not ideal but better than these fibers washing into our oceans and then eaten by ocean life.
We have discussed some of the changes I have made in my home; however, I would be remiss if I did not mention some of the changes we are making regarding our consumption of water, propane, and electricity. We have exchanged our incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs throughout our home. We will be installing solar on our home to help offset the cost of electricity. Our home is heated with radiant heat, a lovely feeling in the morning when you rise out of bed and place your feet on the floor! However, propane is terribly expensive and we live on some land in the mountains so we made some changes last year. We installed a wood burning fireplace and a pellet stove to heat our home. The savings have been incredible and the feeling you get sitting in front on a fireplace in the evening is inviting, to say the least. Since we live in the arid, high desert, water is a important commodity and is to be treasured. We are in process of utilizing our roof to capture water to offset the cost of watering our garden, our landscaping, and supplementing our water usage in our home.
As we move into the holiday season, as we contemplate the new year, as we spend time with our loved ones and reflect on our community, I hope you take the time to consider making small changes and lead a more sustainable lifestyle. For me, I know it has allowed me to feel I am being intentional and responsible with my choices as I move forward on my journey to peace, passion and productivity. What a glorious gift we have been given to live on our beautiful planet, surrounded with community to walk alongside us on our journey.
Below is a list of some of the websites I visit to make purchases. Please take a moment to research yourself so you can live the best sustainable version of you! Thank you so much for your time. Should you desire some help along your journey, please reach out to us at composeyourspace@icloud.com.
Websites
A zero waste site featuring home, bath & body products.
A site featuring home goods, furniture, bedding, and much more.
A site featuring body products, hair care, & home goods.
https://bitetoothpastebits.com/
A site featuring toothpaste bites & personal hygiene products.
Clothes drying solutions.
A site featuring laundry detergent & dishwashing detergents.
Microfiber filter wash bags.