Y'all are not ready for the information I'm about to put down.
So, recently (basically the last 3 years) I've been trying to use/buy less and less. It started when I moved to London and I decided I wasn't going to have a bunch of stuff. I only wanted what I absolutely couldn't live without, like a bed and sheets, a very small wardrobe, minimal things to cook and eat with, and essential toiletries. I wanted to be a backpacker.
I think this obsession actually started in 2009 when I watched a movie called Up In The Air. [Side note: Movies really affect me. I stopped eating meat after watching How To Train Your Dragon.] In the film, a corporate downsizer named Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) makes a speech about how we subconsciously carry everything we own on our backs. He says, "We weigh ourselves down until we can't even move. And make no mistake, moving is living." In my opinion, collecting "things" and an obsession with consumerism contributes to my anxiety. So, "things" had to go.
There are other anti-consumerism movements that have a similar philosophy. Decluttering and downsizing are all the rage. Tiny houses, tiny cars, KonMari, minimalism... These ideas encouraged me to throw shit out by the cartload. Rodney even rented a dumpster to expedite the process. It felt really good to let things go.
Since I left Picton, I've managed to move 3 times (almost) single-handedly with one flat-bed truck. I've picked up some other minimalist habits on my journey, as well, although I am by no means an environmental guru.
First, I got on the "no-poo" bandwagon - a collective term for methods of washing your hair without using commercial shampoo. I started using bananas or other fruits, apple cider vinegar, baking soda; there are so many options. I am not a fan of shampoo bars, though. I've only tried two, but I find they leave a film. I have the same bottle of shampoo in my shower that Santa put in my stocking three Christmases ago. Once that's gone, no more poo for me.
This small step encouraged me to eliminate the crazy amounts of garbage I was producing. Recycling and composting are great, but there are criticisms of our municipal programs and, quite frankly, reducing and re-using seems more effective. Zero-waste is the way to go for me and it also saves a shit-ton of money!
I've never understood the need for straws. My teeth aren't sensitive. I'm not worried about staining my teeth because I folded all my worries into paper airplanes and now they're flying fucks My daughter bought me metal straws to support my interest in saving the turtles and then my son got me a portable, folding straw big enough for even the thickest Booster Juice.
Toothpaste is stupid and some say fluoride is unhealthy. I use Calcium Bicarbonate, baking soda, mint extract and coconut oil to make my own. I've since found toothpaste tablets to buy in bulk at NU Grocery in Ottawa that you chew to form a paste and then brush with! They probably taste better than the stuff I make.
Laundry soap was a tough one. There are lots of eco-friendly laundry soaps out there, but they often come in plastic bottles. There are refillable laundry soaps from places like Terra 20, but they are expensive and I'm not convinced the surfactants in any detergent are environmentally friendly, nor are they required to clean my clothes. I read about making my own laundry soap, but again, the reviews were mixed and the process was a pain in the ass.
Then, I bought some soap berries from the Bulk Barn. It cost me a twoonie for enough to last me at least six months. They are scent free, hypo-allergenic, all-natural and require no packaging to buy. None. To make everything smell nice, I throw a wet cloth with a few drops of essential oil into my dryer.
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| Taking a piss at a Jay's game |
Food is another issue. I like to buy most things at Bulk Barn because I can take my own containers and refill without packaging. I get fruits and vegetables from grocery stores or markets, as long as they don't wrap everything individually in plastic, or worse, pile four or five on styrofoam and THEN wrap in plastic. But, I still really like Oreos and frozen foods, which are packaged, of course. I just cross my fingers that my recycled items don't actually end up in land fill.
What really, really burns my ass (pun intended) is toilet paper. First of all, $15 for something I use to wipe shit off my asshole? No, thank you, Charmin. That is craziness. Secondly, that Cashmere and Royale shit may be soft, but it also leaves tiny bits of paper all over my labia. I need a tiny lint roller for my cooch after every trip to the loo. Thirdly, how many trees have to die every year for me to dry my bottom? What are the statistics on this? I'm sure alot of this stuff is recycled, but I don't know.
It was completely by accident that I learned about the Fillipino tabo. I follow a cartoonist on YouTube, who did a video about how weird it was to use toilet paper, having used a water dipper his whole life.
My mind was blown. I always thought I'd have to invest in a bidet to minimize my reliance on toilet paper when, in fact, the solution was as simple as a bucket and a scoop. More sanitary AND zero waste. Haven't officially graduated to using my hand with a number two. I just... I'm not there yet. You'll be pleased to know, a combination of TP and Tabo is required still.
So, if you come to visit, I will have toilet paper for you. However, if you want to try a dipper, I encourage all you dirty-ass savages to give it a try!
