This edition of Hood Health 101 discusses some ways that we can be less wasteful in our everyday lives
I know that many of us never take the time to think about how much waste that we generate. It’s not like most of us are in our homes analyzing how much food we throw away, how often our garbage bags are filled up, or how often we toss out old belongings. The thing is that maybe we should be looking at these things. We live in a country with over 2,400 solid waste landfills according to the EPA. That averages out to 480 landfills for every state within this country. At some point, we have to look at what we are doing to the planet. After all, where would all of humanity live if we continue to destroy the Earth? I’m not saying become an environmental activist overnight, but I am saying that you should be aware and begin to care about your dependent relationship with the Earth. Here are some small steps that you can take to begin to help reduce the amount of waste that you produce:
Food Shop For The Week
I know that many of us don’t like to go grocery shopping. Somewhere between the long lines, boisterous shoppers, and lack of shopping carts it can truly be frustrating. Many of us compensate by shopping for 2 to 3 weeks at a time. The only problem is food going bad before it even gets the chance to get used. My solution is to shop for one week at a time. I know, I know, you may not want to hear it but it will help. Write out a weekly menu, make a grocery list for the menu, and stick to it. This will help make you aware of how much food you are consuming, potentially decrease your grocery bill, and definitely decrease the amount of food that you are probably throwing away.
Find Other Uses For Things
Before you simply throw things away, see if you can recycle them. My children and I have collected cans, cleaned them out, decorated them, and made vases out of the cans. Old socks can be used to hold small knick-knacks without them spilling out and even keep everything color coded. Another clever idea is to take old books apart and use the paper to create plantable seed paper. Ultimately, there are so many imaginative different uses for everyday items. So the next time you are about to throw something away, be creative and see if it can serve another purpose.
Fix It If You Can
I know that things break and they may even break often. Instead of allowing frustration to inspire you to just chuck it, try to repair it. Take some glue, a hammer, or some nails to it and get it done. Even though we may not want to admit it, we all got a little Mr. or Ms. “Fix It” in us. Who knows, you might even make the item better and stronger than it was originally.
Never underestimate the power of change even if it comes in small baby steps. After all, a step is a step. For any degree of change to be lasting you have to understand the reason why the change is needed. The actions of a lot of people on this planet are contributing to its destruction. Change happens with each person, where they are, with what they have. I say that to say, you may not have the ability to take on huge corporations, but you can take greater control of your personal waste output. Change starts with an individual first and then progresses into something greater. Don’t forget to drop by and show me love on Twitter @NakeashaJ and on Instagram @Melanated_Beauty
-Nakeasha Johnson (@NakeashaJ)
