Minimalism:
"It's Just One Straw"
By: Meredith Miller
Published July 19, 2018
In today’s blog post we are going to talk about becoming more environmentally friendly.
Minimalism is not only about owning less things, it’s about minimizing our carbon footprint.
Think about how often you have to take the garbage or recycling out in your house. Do you even recycle? Think of all the things in your pantry or your fridge that are in non-reusable containers, all the paper towel or toilet paper that your family goes through, every single thing that you throw out every single day.
“The Earth is what we all have in common.”
Do you ever go out to eat? If you do, do you get something to drink? Do you have a straw in your drink? Every time the server brings you a refill, do you get a new straw? Does the restaurant have paper or cloth napkins? Do they use Styrofoam for their containers? Do you ever think about how your decisions each day impact the environment?
You may think, “It’s only one straw,” or, “It’s only one piece of paper.” Have you ever realized that maybe the other 7 billion people on the planet are saying that as well? That’s a lot of straws.
In my post on Minimalism: Quality over Quantity, I talked about becoming more aware of what you buy and the kind of business that you buy it from. I brought up how minimalism is more than just intentional buying – it’s about supporting businesses whose ideals about the environment and safe labor mirror your own. The same goes for changing your own attitude towards the environment, and becoming more aware of the consequences of your daily decisions.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” -Margaret Mead
One of my favorite sayings is, “We don’t inherit the earth from our parents; we borrow it from our children.” So, shouldn’t we be working towards creating a better planet, a cleaner planet? I’ve heard people say that we are more environmentally friendly today than we ever have been before. I don’t think that’s entirely true. How many stories have you heard from your grandparents about the milkman who brought milk once a week in glass jugs and refilled your empty ones, or the stories of walking to the store that was only a mile up the road, or walking to school?
Even mass manufacturing was different in the 1900s. Most manufacturing was done in the United States, and the Department of Labor worked hard to protect workers rights and create safe labor for everyone.
Today, we all have cars. We all drive to school, or a lot of us do anyways. We all drive to the store that’s a mile down the road, and buy gallons of milk that come in plastic containers that we don’t reuse or refill. Most of our manufacturing is done out of the United States, in overseas factories that care more about mass-producing than they do about protecting the environment or workers rights.
I grew up in a household that recycles, that takes the bus to school. I remember walking to Walmart with my friends even though it was a mile and 1/2 away from my house. I think that those experiences were a huge factor in setting the course for me to connect with the essence of minimalism, which includes minimizing my carbon footprint. Learn 10 Easy, Eco-Friendly Choices to Make At The Grocery Store and start minimizing.
As a former waitress, it disgusts me to see how much food our society wastes, and how much garbage we create.
The straws we go through alone make me think of nothing else than a huge pile of floating garbage in the middle of the ocean. And that’s just from one restaurant.
Pledge to Skip The Straw and take a stand for the ocean.
(If you need a visual representation of what plastic straws do to our sea-life/environment, watch this video. Viewer discretion advised)
So the next time you’re in the store and you’re thinking about buying something that could be bought in a reusable/made-from-recycled-materials container, really think about the consequences that your actions are making. Next time you’re at a restaurant, say no straw. Or, if you must suck, bring your own straws made from paper that are biodegradable and won’t float around in the ocean for 100+ years.
Minimalism includes minimizing your carbon footprint, and preserving the earth for our children.
As always, thanks for reading. I’d love to hear about how you are making an effort to become more environmentally friendly. Please feel free to share any personal stories or experiences in the comment section below. Happy Travels!
Don’t forget to check out some of my other blogs!
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