Sustainable September 2017 - Day 1

SEPTEMBER 1 (FRIDAY)

REDUCE - REFUSE, WASTE, PLASTICS,  CHEMICALS,

Making life a little kinder for our planet and all those who live here.

Welcome to Sustainable September 2017. This year I decided that I wanted to go back and look at a whole range of environmental or ‘Eco’ Kindnesses.

This blog is all about being kind to each other, kind to strangers (regardless of our differences), kind to ourselves and kind to our planet.

This one month a year I focus on how to be Kind to the planet. I have such a love for making a difference to the amazing planet that we live in and on. I want to inspire people and show them how simple Eco Kindness is.

Little changes make the world of difference. It can be as simple or complicated as you want it to be. It can be the level of participation you want it to be too. You could choose to just do Sustainable September every year, or even Plastic Free July to see if a short change works for you. It could be as simple as changing your single use water bottle for a reusable one, alternatively, you could change your whole life and choose a zero waste lifestyle. Whatever you decide to do for the environment I hope you make a few simple changes and be kinder to the planet for all of us and for all future generations.

The next three days of Sustainable September are about the three ‘traditional’ ideas of managing waste. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.

Sustainable September Day One is Reduce. Reducing the amount of environmentally unhealthy things you bring into your lives and homes. I’m talking about Refusing Stuff, Waste, Plastics, Chemicals.

REFUSE: Last year, I wrote about the “Zero Waste Home” a book by Bea Johnson. In this book she talks about there being another level of stuff before ‘reduce’ called ‘Refuse’ (You can see this graph better in the video below). This is simply about refusing things that come into your home that you will have to thrown away in the future.

This is about refusing freebies like pamphlets, hotel shampoos, samples etc. For example: Pamphlets, if you take them then you have to get rid of them. Some are able to be recycled but not all of them. Shampoo or soaps at a Hotel/motel/Bed & Breakfast are great for an emergency, however when you take them with you unused, the likely hood of you actually using them also deminishes. they are more likely to end up in landfill unused. It seems crazy but having a stockpile of little plastic wrapped bits wont necessarily help you or the planet. If you leave them there and go prepared to a hotel (most times we know well in advance when we go to for a holiday) you help prevent sending plastic to landfill. Usually the freebie is a large amount of waste for the amount of products you receive. And even though a free pen or a free sample of perfume is lovely to receive, usually they are made out of plastics that will inevitably be sent to landfill.

Reducing the amount of things heading to landfill is what todays Sustainable September Kindness is all about.

WASTE: This section (although long) talks about the extreme lifestyle changes that some people have made to reduce the amount of Waste they produce or participate in producing.

There are two lifestyles that I have noticed work well within the “Reduce” banner of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

One is Zero Waste and the other is Minimalism. These can go hand in hand. The thing is that you don’t HAVE to be either Zero Waste or a Minimalist to make a difference to this planet or live an intentional life. I, personally, find them inspiring. And whilst they are the extremes when it comes to Environmentally Friendly* lives,  we can learn a lot from them. (*Minimalism is not necessarily Environmentally Friendly, but it is about pairing your life to just the necessities that tend to be quality and do not deteriorate as fast).

I’ve talked about the Bea Johnson Book “Zero Waste Home” already. And slowly I am learning how to work with this framework. I still have a lot to learn and to implement when it comes to this lifestyle. But slowly I am implementing many of the actions in this amazing book. I have shared blog posts from Previous Sustainable Septembers on Zero Waste and those amazing people who are brave and crazy enough to give it a go.

Bea Johnson seems to be the most popular Zero Waster. And you can find a whole plethora of short and long videos about her on YouTube Channel. I love watching these. She is a North American so a lot of the specific Zero Waste products she talks about are not always available here in Australia but the ideas themselves are universal. You can Check out this amazing talk she gave recently to TEDxFoggyBottom called “Two Adults, Two Kids, Zero Waste”.

Bea Johnson is not the only one though, YouTube will give you more and more inspirational videos about people taking on the challenge and living Zero Waste Lives. Or even reducing what they were doing with some of the Zero Waste Principals.

Lauren Singer is another of the amazing Zero Wasters that has a heap of helpful videos on how to live a life with less waste. She does a whole heap of Q & A vlogs on YouTube if you want to check it out any further. Her channel is called TrashIsForTossers and you can check out her TEDxTeen Talk here.

I watched this video from a Vegan Vlogger “Joey’s Plate” and found it really interesting because although she is not going 100% Zero waste she has been building on what she is already doing. Reducing waste and considering thoughtfully, her impact on the environment.

Before on this blog I have talked about Minimalism. Minimalism also falls under the “reduce” section of our environmental kindnesses. Reducing what we let into our lives and living lives of intention is far more important that owning all the stuff. I have been following the two guys called “The Minimalists" for a while now. I listen to their Podcast regularly (I’m still working through their back catalogue) and I enjoy the message they have to share. They even have a documentary out at the moment on Netflix called “Minimalism: A documentary about the important things.” I watched this about 9 months ago and it cemented a whole lot of things for me.

If you don’t have netflix or you want to know more about the Minimalists check out this short video interview with the Minimalists Joshua Fields-Milburne and Ryan Nicodemus. The guys at The Minimalists talk below in their transition to minimalist and in the TedTalk they finish up talking about Waste.

These guys are not the be all and end all on Minimalism. I do love how they talk about the fact that they have one recipe of life that is working for them and they want to share it, but they also know that you can change the ingredients of the recipe to suit you own life.

Joshua Becker, another popular blogger and Minimalst gave an hour long talk called “Becoming Minimalist” about the benefits of minimalism in the talk he gave in Sweden in 2015. Joshua Becker describes Minimalism as “the intentional promotion of the things we value most and the removal of anything that distracts us from that.” And says that “Minimalism forces us to define what we really value in Life.” For a shorter video from Joshua Becker check out a shorter one here.

Some of the Benefits of minimalism are: Less Cleaning. More time. More money. More Freedom. Less Decisions (Less decision Fatigue). More Space. Less Stress. Better Environmental Impact. Higher Quality Goods. More opportunity for gratitude. Less Comparison. Contentment. Greater ability for Generosity.

In terms of Environmental Kindness. Minimalism can help us overcome consumerism by being more deliberate with the purchases we make. It is not about giving up shopping or purchasing things all together… it is about making wise and intentional choices. For example: buying things that will last longer so that we are not continually replacing & throwing away items. Instead of buying the latest “it” things we can choose a carefully curated life where we buy what we need and love.

If we can see what Minimalism can bring to our lives, the benefits and the possibilities, we can focus on more of the things we really want for our lives right now. Including adding value to others lives. This can include saving money to do extravagant Kindnesses (in my case) or to support a worthwhile charity or group who are making a difference in the world. This can also mean that we have enough time to do it.

PLASTIC: Did you know…
“Every bit of plastic ever made still exists and in the first 10 years of this century the world economy produced more plastic than the entire 1900's!” (Plastic Free July).

When it comes to reducing Plastics, it can be as simple as reducing the amount of plastic single use items that come into our lives. Making smarter or wiser choices about items we buy and things we purchase. For example, choosing a glass jar of pickles instead of a plastic jar of pickles. It can be making sure the body wash you buy doesn’t have plastic micro beads. Or choosing to buy whole potatoes to prepare instead of buying a prepackaged bag of frozen chips. It can be the difference between buying a bag of rice in a fabric bag rather than a plastic one. Choosing to go without a plastic bag at a shop for just one item. You could go extreme like the zero wasters or the Plastic Free July team and give up all plastic in almost every area in life. Making the choice to reduce that amount can make a massive difference to our planet.

CHEMICALS: A lot of Chemicals can have harmful reactions to us, as humans, as well as to many other living beings and also to the earth itself. Making choices to reduce the types of Chemicals we use on our bodies, in our homes, offices, gardens and transportations (Cars, Motorcycles, Mopeds, Buses, etc). This can make a huge impact on our general wellbeing.

Personally, I don’t feel very well after being exposed to some beauty products and a lot of ‘regular-store-bought’ cleaning products. That is not including a lot of chemicals that are used in gardens, offices and on some of the public transport that I use. My reactions can be as simple as feeling nauseous and as extreme as face or body swelling (if directly exposed), eyes watering, nose running, headaches and migraines, vomiting and fatigue. It is one of the reasons that our house has reduced the amount of chemicals it uses. If this is what these chemicals do to me on a small scare, I wonder what they are doing in large quantities to our planet.

FINALLY: In the coming month I will look at some substitutes both in cleaning and beauty products. I will even be talking about how to make these supplies simply and easily and with minimum waste.

I will also be including "Activity" ideas for you to have a hands on approach to changing your lifestype to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly one. This could be an art, craft, action or game. 

ACTIVITY 1: Take a bushwalk, a walk on the beach and admire the world that you are wanting to help protect.

Last year I included an idea of how you could do a Random Act of Kindness or a simple act of kindness that vaguely related to the Sustainable September idea for the day. For those that are looking for Kindness ideas around these Sustainable September ideas... well I wanted to throw that to you. I want you to suggest as many Kindness ideas as you can think of for Sustainable September, and you can do this here or on the 365Days-Of-Kindness facebook page. 

I hope you enjoy this months Sustainable September information and Blog. I have opened up a Page on my Blog (a tab at the top) that will let you access any resources from this year and previous years. So feel free to check that out too. Please note that it is a continual work in progress and an act of love. So i will be continually adding information and resources.

Hope this all helps with your Eco-Kindnesses.
Sending love,
Daena Guest x

Lent gifting day 18

The more I give away the more I find that I want to give. Has that ever happened to you? 

It is the same with kindnesses. The more kindness you bestow on others the more you want to do. It's boarderline addictive. Just with none of the bad side effects! Hehehe. 

Today's kindness and gifting is something that is still in its packet from when I got it back in 2015. This glass from Coca Cola was a freebie from McDonald's. 

 

It's been about 6 years now since I gave up coffee and coke (most strong caffeinated drinks) because of chronic stress induced insomnia. The fact I even own a coke glass is kind of funny. So donating this to someone who like the glasses or loves coke (I know a few) seems far more appropriate than me keeping it in my boxes of stuff in my cupboard. 

Have you looked at what you are using? Does it align with your current lifestyle? Does it align with your values? 

I know for me, owning a coke glass doesn't align with my lifestyle or values. So thankfully I can give it to someone who can use it and whos values and lifestyle aligns with it too. Yay for giving!!! 

 

(Check out my Pinterest board for Kindness Idea to find this quote and many other kindness inspired pictures). 

Much love to you all! 

Love Daena x

Lent gifting day 14

At the end of the year last year I watched Minimalism: a Documentary about the Important Things on Netflix. I learned a lot from this documentary. I thought Minimalism was all about stark bare walls and only owning a few things, or even just being about buying stuff that looked a certain way (Minimalism as in furniture or interior design). From the movie I learned that Minimalism is not just about having "less stuff" but is also about living an Intentional life. The documentary asks what can you contribute to society? Being a kindness ambassador these ideas of intentionality and contributing, more than "having less stuff", struck a cord with me. 

Living intentionally, and in my case doing kind deeds (contributing), resonated because I have been unintentionally doing kind deeds for ages. I've been doing kind deeds for my friends, family members and even the wider community but it has become so second nature to me that I've lost a lot of awareness of what I am actually doing. I have been hosting this Blog since 2011 which is One kindness a day for over 5 years. I do my kindnesses now without thinking. I feel like I've lost the intentionality of those kindnesses. Am I just going through the motions? In the beginning it was a struggle to figure out what I could do to be kind to someone else, the environment and even myself. I have created things like the Sustainable September Series to cover the environmental issues and I post kindnesses we can all do and inspiring videos and articles to Facebook regularly. But apart from that... I've kind of lost my mojo! 

It's partly because of the documentary and wanting to be more intentional that I've gone back to writing my kindnesses in a book. Recording each kindness to learn what works and what doesn't. Just because I've watched the Minimalism documentary doesn't mean I am going to become a minimalist, but I love the idea of intentionality (particularly combined with contribution)! When I was younger I was told to "try out every piece of advice (or piece of information) and see if it fits, like you would try on a shoe. If it fits with your beliefs and values then keep it, if not then discard it". This is how I decide how to live, learn and share. So if something here resonates with you, keep it... if not discard it. 

For me there were a lot of "shoes that fit" in the documentary. Particularly when it comes to consuming and using my purchasing power for good. If you saw my post on Sunday I noticed I "accidentally" bought a dress. So intentionality is becoming more and more important to me. I really want to change the way I relate to money and spend money. I want to be conscious of where I am spending my money and the companies and businesses I support. Simply put, I want to use my money to vote for the kind of future I want. A kind, environmentally friendly place where humans can come together and celebrate their differences and acknowledge their similarities and support each other through this sometimes hard thing called life. 

Side note: if I had decided to spend money on "stuff" this month, buying a dress from an opshop fits with my values and would have been okay to me if i had done it intentionally. If i'd purchased the dress in spite of my decision, consciously, I would have been okay with it. It was completely unconscious and unconsidered and that is what interested me. I have turned spending into an unconscious action when I want my spending to be deliberate. 

I've been listening to some interesting podacasts recently. I didn't really know much about podcasts last month when I discovered the app on my phone. I saw a recommendation for some on Pinterest that got me started. I have recently fallen in love with the podcasts: Optimal Living Daily; 10% Happier with Dan Harris; The Mindful Kind; Writer on the Road; TED Talks Audio; The Slow Home Podcast by Brooke McAlary; and my favourite at the moment is The Minimalists Podcast (by Josh and Ryan). I've been listening to The Minimalists back catalogue and they often speak of making a conscious choice to buy things and using our purchasing power to choose things to buy because we need them not because it is what is cool, hip, the "it thing" or cheap. I am aware that I buy things just because they are cheap not because I actually need them. Then I have this useless thing that I have to find a home for and I get overwhelmed with the stuff. I don't want to be overwhelmed. Life is hard enough without being overwhelmed too. 

Today's kindness Lent Gifting items I bought many years ago because they were cheap. I had no idea of where they would go or go whom. As a result they have NEVER been used and have sat in my "gift box" (the box of stuff I have to give to people when a celebration comes around). 

 

For years I have been hoping that the correct celebration would come around that I could give these trinkets to someone but nothing ever has. 

When I bought them (almost a decade ago) I had a very close Young Adult Church Group. Most of us have since moved on to different opportunities in different places, cities and countries. Sadly we don't often see each other. Most of us are still friends. Because of this distance, I am less and less likely to give this kind of gift to someone. Particularly that now I have a more diverse collection of friendships from all walks of life with a range of beliefs, many that differ from my own greatly. Our values are the same though and so we are friends.

I am even re-evaluating my need for a "gift box". If I don't have to keep a huge pile of "Just In Case" items that's got to be good. I can keep the presents at the store until I need them. No more keeping things I may never use or give to anyone else. Now they can go to someone who will appreciate them. They can escape my "gift box". 

I like that if I actually want to buy something for someone then it doesn't have to be cheap "stuff". I want the right thing for a person rather than giving them something they may not like or need. It also leaves me more money and time to give a person an experience rather than "a thing". I'm learning that experiences are far more valuable to me than any "thing" could be. The memories of those experiences are wonderful and take up lots less space. 

It's funny how giving away one item a day for Lent has me so introspective. For my Christian friends though, they know that that is what Lent is all about. For anyone playing along at home... how is your Lent adventure going? Have you got rid of anything that has made you reevaluate what is important to you? 

If you are just reading this for fun! Hi and welcome! I'm so grateful for you stopping here to read about my life and journey with living a kinder more intentional life. I don't expect you to live the life I live nor do I want you to do something that is against your values or beliefs. I want everyone to live lives they love and live them kindly. No matter what that looks like for you

I hope that my open conversations about my life and about how I have been living a kinder life might inspire someone to do more kind deeds for the people around them. 

Have a wonderful day. 

Love Daena 

. X