The Changes

I am a graduate student at Emily Carr University of Art and Design. Part of our program requires that we complete a summer internship to make the applied part of our degree a practical reality.

Bravo if you’ve made a New Year’s Resolution to reduce the amount of plastic in your life. Now that I'm in YearTwo of Living Plastic Free I thought I'd share EnviroWoman’s Top 10 ways to reduce plastic, based on a year’s worth of experience. So here's Tip#1...

I’ve been living the NoNewPlasticPledge for 8 1/2 months now. Some of you wonderful readers were there from the start, and others have discovered EnviroWoman along the way. From the emails I get and the comments you great folks posts, I thought it would be helpful to restate my rules.

Although originally posted way back on New Year’s eve, I was so plastic naive way back then, the rules weren’t that detailed so I’ve provided you with some clarification. And all the amendments to the rules I've invoked as I learn more about plastic.

Last year I took the pledge to take transit to work so MyLittleCar and I could reduce our CO2 emissions. From my new home, the commute to work takes 45-60 minutes via skytrain and bus, one way. But that’s okay, ‘cuz it’s better for the environment.

Secretly, I’m also hoping, that by taking transit I might be able to prolong the life of MyLittleCar who in car years, is quite ancient.

Oh, I know, it would be even better for the environment if I traded in my 18-year old car for a ‘good-for-the-environment’ Prius or a SmartCar, but I’m also very conscious that a whole lot of Mother Earth’s resources go into producing a car. Is it ethical to get rid of a perfectly good car (that only has 150,000 kilometers on it) and use more of Earth’s resources just to have the ‘newer better’ model?

EnviroWoman is vertically challenged…cursed with tiny, little legs.

That’s why, in her new home with the high ceilings, and high cupboards, she needed help to reach ‘way-up there’ shelves and to hang pictures or wash walls. Usually she’d just hop up on a chair or a countertop to get the job done.

But she gave her chairs and table away before moving and she’s still hunting for plastic-free replacements which match EnviroWoman’s mod-but-funky design aesthetic. She thinks it’s gonna take a while to find ‘the perfect one’.

In the interim, she's living chair-free. So she started searching for a step ladder.

Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. It’s been 8 weeks since my last confession.

Well, well, well, my child. It’s been a long time since you’ve graced this blessed sanctuary. I’m going to take that as a good sign, and assume you’ve been leading a plastic-pious life since I saw you last.

I’ve been giving it the old college try, that’s for sure. But Father, if I had been completely plastic-chaste, I wouldn’t be sitting here in the confessional today, would I?

Good point. So then my child….what is the SIN you have to confess today. No, no, let me guess…..you finally succumbed and bought plastic-packaged mascara, didn’t you?

Oh Father, now you’re making me feel really guilty. I wish I had sinned over something as worthwhile as mascara. Remember my last SIN was so much bigger than mascara – I had bought a new home.

Yes, I remember.

Well the SIN I have to confess today is on the exact opposite end of the spectrum Father. It’s actually quite minuscule in comparison to buying mascara.

Now you have me intrigued my child, do tell, what is the SIN you’ve committed?

I bought replacement razor blades for my paint scraper.

HUH?

You know, those little

It’s summertime. And it’s GlobalWarmingHot in LaLaLand.

If that isn’t bad enough, EnviroWoman has been travelin’. By car. By cab. By bus. By skytrain. By airplane. Confined within four walls and four wheels for hundreds of miles at a time – sometimes crammed in with other hot humans - making the heat even more unbearable.

Naturally, EnviroWoman has been thirsty. But since taking the NoNewPlasticPledge soda pop is outta the question. Milk has also proven to PlasticProblematic. And plastic-bottled water just has MAJOR SIN written all over it.

So EnviroWoman headed to the juice aisle to quench her thirst with liquid joy. (

Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. It’s been 3 months since my last confession.

I’ve been expecting you, my child.

YOU HAVE???

You shouldn’t sound so surprised! For an old guy, I’m pretty tapped in. The Word on the street is vanity insanity was tempting you to walk on the dark side.

HUH?

The parishioners organizing the rummage sale have been gossiping for weeks that your no-new-plastic pledge was headed for another disaster all because of mascara.

Oh no, Father. That’s NOT the sin I’ve committed.My MAJOR SIN today Father is much, much bigger than mascara. With far greater implications to the planet and especially to my plastic shrine....