Living plastic-free: MAJOR SIN #1

Written by EnviroWoman on 24 January, 2007

Related to change: Live Plastic-Free in 2007

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EnviroWoman has committed her first MAJOR SIN since pledging to live plastic-free in 2007.

A MAJOR SIN is when EnviroWoman falls right offa the bandwagon and buys or uses new plastic, flagrantly throwing her morals to the wind (and kyboshing her 'no-new plastic' New Year’s resolution)...thereby putting the future of Mother Earth in jeopardy.

A MAJOR SIN may occur when a cruelty-free (first priority), non-plastic (second priority) replacement cannot be found in EnviroWoman’s realm. Or it may occur because the allure of the pretty plastic thingy reduces EnviroWoman’s will power to that of a lima bean.

Now, if you've been following her tirades, you know EnviroWoman’s faithful deodorant went all kamikaze on her and met its demise on the bathroom floor in early January. This caused EnviroWoman to begin her first ‘no-plastic’ quest of the year to find an eco-friendly replacement. She scored big time, gleefully discovering a completely plastic free deodorant at LUSH.

Well, the sad news is….the stuff was crap. There were several mornings when, by 11:00 a.m. EnviroWoman was beginning to waft a certain je ne sais quoi. Entirely inappropriate for the hallowed halls of CorporateCanada where body odour equates career suicide.

EnviroWoman took drastic measures. She spent some net-time researching alternatives: home-made concoctions (hmm, same ingredients as LUSH’s, therefore ineffective), earth-friendly/organic/all natural… and even new-age spooky crystals. Alas, all those that held promise dashed her hopes by being packaged in plastic. Even all the ‘never heard of ‘em before’ brands carried at the organic-granola-shopping mecca here in LaLaLand – Capers.

She was nearly zombie-tempted to buy her fav, Dove Clear Essentials, which steadfastly held her pits at bay for all of 2006. But then she came to the horrifying discovery that Dove’s plastic packaging isn’t even recyclable. So, EnviroWoman resorted to purchasing Nature’s Gate Spring Fresh Deodorant. Completely cruelty-free, biodegradable, and supposedly effective (well, she and her fellow CorporateCanadians will see about that).

Alas, her choice is packaged in a big chunk of white plastic – but at least it’s a grade 5 recyclable big chunk of white plastic.

In a true air of superiority that her Cruelty-free Chromosome gives her, EnviroWoman actually thought it would take her months and months before she committed her first major sin. It is nice to know she is mortal like the rest of us.

EnviroWoman, you’re just a jello-spined sanctimonious hypocrite. A legend in your own ego. Just 3 weeks outta the gate and you commit your first MAJOR SIN. What kind of a role model are you, anyhoo?

Your stock is really plummeting chickie. If I was you, I'd be jumping on the guiltapalooza.

Comments

I’m a wee-shyte.

Written by EnviroWoman on 24 January, 2007

I’m a wee-shyte. I’ll admit it.

But it was like the blue screen of death — something just didn’t compute — wearing a $1200 Armani suit and then stinking like a construction worker. After all, smelegant isn’t a word.

I know I have violated the ‘no-plastic’ code big time. Please forgive me. 30 lashes with big fat wet plastic noodle. But you’re buying it, I don’t want to commit my second MAJOR SIN any time soon.

EnviroWoman promises to do better. I’m not letting this take the jam outta my doughnut. No way. I’m back on the no-plastic bandwagon already.

EnviroWoman.

Plastic free. Cruelty Free. Vegetarian. Chocoholic

Envirowoman! I just wanted

Written by Kate on 25 January, 2007

Envirowoman!

I just wanted you to know that you have inspired me to be a lot more conscious about my relationship to plastic. Including changing my deodorant. I am wondering which deodorant you tried from Lush? Because my experience with alternatives has been much like yours - none of the concoctions at Capers including crystals and Natures gate, have ever worked for me. But I have been amazed by the effectiveness of my new Lush deo. I got the crème one with cassis in it. I bought the little metal tin to house it in and I pinch off a little each day and rub it in. It smells lovely and as I said I cannot believe how effective it is. And I actually really enjoy this new little ritual, I feel somehow more of the process because I am actually using my own fingertips to apply this lovely smelling product to my skin. it doesn't stain things white and it feels very clean. The other thing I wanted to ask was what kind of fibres are you wearing? I know that my pits have a major reaction (smell wise) when it comes to synthetics. Are you wearing natural fibres under that Armani suit? Is your Armani suit made of synthetic material? That could be part of the problem. I suspect it is the body's way of saying (rather boldly) I CANT BREATHE!!!

Reading your post has made

Written by wazaroff on 25 January, 2007

Reading your post has made me rethink this as well. I tried so many natural deodorants over the years, but have never liked any of them. None of them worked well at all.

The Lush stuff (I used Aromarant) works great. By the end of a day of meetings and running around I am left with no odour at all.

Thanks for your posts, I have found them to be very informative and inspiring.

How about a totally

Written by Jan Steinman on 25 January, 2007

How about a totally different point of view? Deodorants are unnecessary!

What you eat, what you wear, and how much stress you are under is what causes body odor. If you don't eat meat, don't wear synthetics, and cut down on the stress, you'll stop stinking! It's as simple as that!

Of these, the stress one might be the hardest to deal with. Switch from 3-4 cups of coffee to green tea cut 50% with some soothing herbs. If you need coffee to stay awake, you have much deeper problems than your deodorant!

Deodorants are Big Bidness's way of telling us we're not good enough for each other unless we waste our personal resources and the earth's natural resources by making some CEO and his stockholders rich while disguising signals our bodies send to each other. Deodorants have a high embedded energy content, and typically come from far away. (Is anyone making deodorants in BC?)

I'm having trouble feeling sympathy for someone who spends $1200 on a suit. (American joke: Republicans and Democrats are not all that far apart, economically: Republicans wear $1000 suits, and Democrats drive $1000 cars!)

It seems like you have some major cognitive dissonance going on here. If your job makes it impossible to simplify your life and do better for the earth, perhaps your job is the problem, NOT the fact that you feel your job requires you to do unnatural things to your body, using products manufactured far away at the cost of much energy? Sudden body odor is part of your body's natural "fight or flight" response. If your boss dropping by your office causes you to break out in a stinky sweat, what does that say about your work environment? How healthy is that?

Don't get me wrong: I applaud your new years resolution, and have been following your travails closely -- and I use more plastic than you, for sure! I hope this whole exercise will help you question other assumptions about your life. Keep up the good work!

:::: Jan Steinman, Communication Steward, EcoReality ::::