What is the weight of your footprint?

What is the cost of your footprint?

One of the most surprising things I experience when I go from a house to a school bus is the sheer amount of waste we as humans produce. From packaging to paper towels to food scraps to everything else I won’t mention here, it’s a lot. When I am stationary at home, my trash hides in a 13 gallon bucket under my countertop. My food scraps go in a compost pile. My dirty dish remnants and gray/black water go into the septic system. For the most part, I barely have to deal with my own waste. Even to the extent of getting rid of something like a broken bookshelf or old couch: it goes to the dump to never be seen again.

The problem is: the waste continues, and the waste grows.

We all know about landfills and the damage we’re doing to sea life, etc. This post isn’t about that, as much as asking you to consider this question:

Can you measure the waste that you produce?

Before living in a bus, I certainly couldn’t. To be honest with you, I am mortified by how much I contribute to landfills and the pollution of the earth. The never-ending plastics, even from the grocery store, are mind-boggling.

What can we do about it?

We pay attention, and actively be intentional.

The key here is shutting off the auto-pilot when we’re shopping and bringing things into our home. We must be intentional and focus on the present moment. Like the previous post mentioned, every item we bring in adds weight to our lives. Likewise, every item we buy comes with the responsibility of dealing with the garbage - even if that’s just the plastic bag that carries the tomatoes. Paying attention allows us to choose what we are responsible for and what we can leave behind.

Some ways to be intentional when shopping:

• Make an “essentials” list and don’t stray from it.
• When evaluating an item, consider its packaging. Is there a biodegradable option?
• Do some research into paying attention and/or overriding the auto pilot. Good keywords for this include: mindfulness, mindful awareness, and Jon Kabat-Zinn.
• Buy in bulk.
• Take your eco-friendly friend or family member with you so they can give you judgmental glances when you go for the less earth-safe thing.