Living the good life

 

Introducing my new essential items for "living the GOOD life"! 

I'm pleased to announce the nasty, disposable drink bottle(s) littering my handbag, car and eventually the PLANET have now been replaced with one shiny, new, stainless steel bottle which is not only environmentally friendly but also looks better, makes my water taste better (more like water, less like plastic) and is overall a healthier choice. The second item which has been getting a daily work out is my super practical (oh I am getting old aren't I?!) environmentally friendly, fabric bag which zips up inside itself so I now always have one at the ready in my handbag. I'm generally good at refusing (see The REFUSE Pledge) plastic bags, especially when making small purchases, but my spontaneous grocery shops were becoming a plastic bag party because I never had my bulky, fabric bags with me when I needed them. However, I'm happy to report that since purchasing my fabric zip bag I have politely refused every plastic bag offered to me this week.

And last but definitely not least are the beautiful "Kindness Cards" that arrived in the mail from Wake Up Sydney this week. The idea being that when you perform an act of kindness you pass the card on and ask that person to continue the kindess:

"Do something kind and leave this card behind to keep the ripple going."

The REFUSE Pledge: making a change

In a thirsty search for plastic facts during my water bottle epiphany (see previous post), Google transported me to the doorstep of global alliance called the Plastic Pollution Coalition (PPC), a group of individuals, organisations and businesses who are committed to saving our planet from death by plastic.  Through collaborative efforts the PPC is attempting to get the world talking about and taking action against plastic pollution. One of their initiatives to fuel the anti-plastic pollution revolution is the The REFUSE Pledge, which I signed today. This is a pledge to follow the "4 Rs" of sustainable living:

1. REFUSE: say no to disposable plastics. 
2. REDUCE: Reduce your plastic footprint: buy in bulk, choose products with the least packaging, look for products and packaging made from renewable resources, and avoid plastic packaging and containers. Choose products that have the least amount of disposable parts.
3. REUSE: Reuse preferably nontoxic (glass, stainless steel) containers and goods to make less waste.
4. RECYCLE: Recycle what you can’t refuse, reduce or reuse. Recycling is a last option because it uses energy, and there may not be a market for the re-fabricated materials.

If you want to find out more about plastic pollution, anti-plastic initiatives, plastic or (hopefully) sign the The REFUSE Pledge please visit their website: http://plasticpollutioncoalition.org/.

If not, at least take the time to watch this clip...