I bought a book on Monday that I had agreed a couple of weeks ago to buy. It sort of counts as used--I bought it from a women who had a spare copy so in buying it I added no new material items to the world. I'm not doing very well in my first week, though--beads, books and a birthday present. Oh, and the newspaper.
But there are all sorts of things I didn't buy. Today I didn't buy an umbrella. It was raining when I came out of my meeting and I thought of going across to the corner store to buy one. A week ago I likely would have, which is why I never carry an umbrella yet still own several. I also dodged the "killing time at Safeway waiting for a prescription" shopping trap, instead amusing myself with reading magazines and taking my blood pressure several times.
I'm still trying to decide what is consumable. My brother says newspapers are definitely not consumables. His analogy--disposable diapers. It made sense when he said it. Then I thought of tampons! And what about toilet paper? If "consumable" means things that are literally used up, then crayons are and toilet paper isn't. I will keep buying toilet paper and tampons--I can't imagine the subsitutes (or more accurately am not willing to use them) but no more paper towels or sandwich bags.
1 comment:
What about the Keeper or the Diva Cup? Newspapers are totally consumable; read them online.
The more we try to make everything convenient, sterile and easy, the more we destroy the planet.
What's more uncomfortable, parks built on piles of newspapers or reading online and listening to the radio?
Tampons floating up on beaches, or learning to use something that costs less, uses virtually no packaging and has zero waste?
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