During the beginnings of the pandemic, I was left with a lot more time on my hands. Like many others, I sought the opportunity to take a step back and take in everything that our planet has done for us; times like these can be eye-opening and make us more appreciative of what we have. Well, during these times, I realized that what we had was fleeting. As much as it made people re-discover the fleeting amount of time one can have on Earth, I re-discovered the fleeting amount of time the Earth itself may have because of us.
If you want to give back to the planet as much as possible while you inhabit it, you will find yourself a bit stressed, or even obsessed, with finding a sustainable approach to everything. The bad news is: that is impossible. At least for now, it is pretty difficult to live a 100% waste-free, eco-friendly lifestyle, especially when living in an urban environment. Don’t kick yourself for it. Trying to incorporate sustainable practices in your every day routines can actually be easier when living in the city; this gives you more wiggle room to distribute your time and not rush the transition. First, let’s establish some pre-existing sustainable practices that some of you may already have the hang of (it’s okay if not!).
A plant-based diet is something many people choose as the first step towards an eco-friendly lifestyle. This may not be the best approach for everyone, so it is perfectly normal to fall in and out of this habit at first. A plant-based diet, which is an emphasis of plant-foods in one’s diet, has been known to reduce water-waste, agricultural damage, and destruction of biodiversity.
In my experience, I threw myself into this diet and struggled. I took a less gradual approach and inadvertently did not prepare my body to everything I was eating, and with school and work, I found it difficult to stay 100% dedicated to the diet. As much as you care for the environment’s well-being, do not forget about your own! It was much easier for me to slowly introduce my body to the diet; substituting dairy in my fridge with oat milk (almond milk wastes more water), incorporating a variety of vegetables in my meals, and eliminating honey in my daily tea ritual were all essential first steps. After that, I transitioned to a pescatarian diet, then a vegetarian diet, and I would say that my diet today is about 95% vegan. Veganism is also not only diet-focused, but it centers around the avoidance of animal products as a whole, such as beeswax in candles or leather in clothing/accessories.
The next thing I added to my sustainable practices was composting. Food waste makes up about 6% of global greenhouse gas emissions. All the food that ends up in landfills rot and emit methane, a pollution that is worse than carbon dioxide. To decrease the amount of food wasted in my household, I decided to purchase a small compost bin for the kitchen. I found a cheap, sleek looking bin on Amazon and set it up on the counter. I was skeptical about what I could and couldn’t throw in there, so I checked on the website of the place I would be dropping it off at. You can compost in your garden, but if you live in a small apartment like me, it would be easier to have an organization pick up your compost or drop it off yourself. I also try to use as much as I can from what I have. This means cooking/sautéing the beet leaves that otherwise get thrown-out, or warming up stale bread. The most eco-friendly approach? Garden. But you have to really put in the time and effort or you can actually be harming the soil if you are composting the wrong food. The most economic approach? Depends. I use public transportation, which is very reliable in Chicago, and only spend $3 per bin at a drop off point. I go to the weekly Farmer’s Market and they take care of the rest. There are companies that can pick up your compost, although it is a bit more expensive, but they make it easier for you when you don’t have the time to drop off the compost somewhere. WasteNot Compost is a service in Chicago that uses a 100% electric van to pick up your compost!
Here is their list of compostable items:
If you happen to have a green thumb, spare-time, and free space in your backyard, grow a garden! You can build your own raised garden bed if you have limited yard space, which is common when living in the city. If you don’t have space for that, you can still grow small herbs indoors or on your windowsills. I would recommend growing essentials like basil and mint, which are easy to care for indoors and are fairly small. A larger garden bed could call for hot peppers and lettuce, but it would really depend on the seasons as well. The more you grow yourself, the less you have to spend on produce that is not organic, even if it is just one herb you are investing in, it counts!
