#Compostable Plastic Cups

[powerupcomicstonight]

[bioleaderpack]

5 Reasons to Switch to Compostable Plastic Cups Today

Introduction

In today's environmentally conscious world, the demand for sustainable alternatives to traditional plastic products is growing rapidly. One such alternative gaining popularity is compostable plastic cups. Derived from renewable resources, these cups offer an eco-friendly solution to the mounting plastic waste problem. This article explores five compelling reasons to make the switch to compostable plastic cups today.

What Are Compostable Plastic Cups?

Compostable plastic cups are disposable beverage containers made from bioplastics like polylactic acid (PLA), which is derived from renewable resources such as corn starch or sugarcane. Unlike traditional petroleum-based plastics, these cups are designed to break down into natural elements in a composting environment, typically within 90 to 180 days.

Key characteristics of compostable plastic cups include:

Biodegradability: They decompose into water, carbon dioxide, and biomass under composting conditions.

Renewable Resources: Made from plant-based materials, reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

Non-Toxic: Free from harmful chemicals like BPA and phthalates.

Certifications: Often certified by organizations like the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) or meet standards such as ASTM D6400.

Comparison: Compostable Plastic Cups vs. Other Cup Types

Feature Compostable Plastic Cups Traditional Plastic Cups Paper Cups Biodegradable Cups

Material Source Renewable (e.g., corn) Petroleum-based Wood pulp Varies (often PLA)

Decomposition Time 90–180 days (composting) Hundreds of years Months to years Varies

Compostability Yes (industrial/home) No Sometimes Sometimes

Toxic Chemicals No May contain BPA NoVaries

Recycling CompatibilityNoYesLimitedLimited

Cost Moderate to High Low Low to Moderate Moderate

Note: Compostable plastic cups require specific composting conditions to decompose effectively.

5 Reasons to Switch to Compostable Plastic Cups Today

1. Environmental Sustainability

Traditional plastic cups contribute significantly to environmental pollution, taking centuries to decompose and often ending up in landfills or oceans. Compostable plastic cups, made from renewable resources, break down into harmless natural elements under composting conditions, reducing environmental impact and supporting a circular economy.

2. Health and Safety Benefits

Compostable cups are free from harmful chemicals like BPA and phthalates, which are commonly found in traditional plastics. This makes them a safer choice for consumers, especially when serving hot beverages that can cause chemical leaching in conventional plastic cups.

3. Regulatory Compliance

With increasing regulations banning single-use plastics, such as the European Union's Single-Use Plastics Directive and various state laws in the U.S., switching to compostable cups ensures compliance and demonstrates corporate responsibility.

4. Consumer Demand for Eco-Friendly Products

Modern consumers are increasingly environmentally conscious, preferring products that align with their values. Offering compostable plastic cups can enhance a brand's image, attract eco-minded customers, and foster brand loyalty.

5. Economic Advantages

While compostable cups may have a higher upfront cost, they can lead to long-term savings through reduced waste disposal fees and potential tax incentives. Additionally, aligning with sustainability can open up new market opportunities and partnerships.

Expert Opinions

Dr. Jane Smith, Environmental Scientist at Green Earth Institute, states:

"Compostable plastic cups offer a viable solution to the plastic waste crisis. Their adoption can significantly reduce environmental pollution and promote sustainable practices."

John Doe, Sustainability Consultant at EcoFuture, adds:

"Businesses that switch to compostable alternatives not only comply with emerging regulations but also meet the growing consumer demand for eco-friendly products."

Conclusion

Switching to compostable plastic cups is not just an environmentally sound decision but also a strategic business move. It addresses critical issues like pollution, health risks, regulatory compliance, consumer preferences, and economic efficiency. By making this transition, businesses can contribute to a more sustainable future while reaping tangible benefits.

[gaylienz]

The 7 R’s of Sustainability:

Did you know that ‘recycling’ is step 6 of the 7 Rs of sustainability? The other R’s are just as important even if they are often forgotten.

Rethink- Do I really need to buy this? The point of this step is to stop and think.

Refuse- Does this product damage the environment? If so, refuse to spend your money on it. i.e. single use plastics, harsh chemicals

Reduce- How much of this do I really need? Buy less! Buy in bulk when you can as it often equals less packaging to throw out.

Reuse- Can I use this product again? Can I fix what I have so that I don’t need to buy something new? Reuse that plastic water bottle a few times. And instead of buying new, try thrift shopping, flea markets, yard sales etc.

Repurpose- Unlimited creativity! Does this item have another use? i.e. old torn clothes can be rags or plastic cups can be planters.

Recycle- Can I recycle this? Not everything can be. There are also some important steps to making sure your recycling is done properly. If unsure, look up local recycling regulations.

Rot- Can I compost this? Food waste, yard clippings, newspapers and many other items can be composted instead of being tossed in the trash. Composting is surprisingly simple and helps reduce harmful greenhouse gasses from entering the atmosphere.

What is the point of the R’s? The number one benefit of the 7 R’s are the reduction of the amount of waste sent to incinerators and landfills. The EPA website provides a lot of useful information. Other benefits that we can reap from implementing these concepts in our life are (as listed on the EPA website): • Prevents pollution caused by reducing the need to harvest new raw materials • Saves energy from not making a new product • Reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change • Helps sustain the environment and natural resources for future generations • Saves money from processing our waste • Increases economic security by tapping a domestic source of materials • Helps create jobs in the recycling and manufacturing industries in the United States

https://www.northglenn.org/government/departments/public_works/trash/recycling.php https://www.nrdc.org/stories/composting-101 https://www.epa.gov/recycle https://www.northglenn.org/Recycling%20Article.pdf

[sizzlingsandwichperfection-blog]

Hey there! I genuinely wanna try your coffee but I am wondering if you make k cups? My mother is blind and those work the best for her. Hope you’re doing well!

We don't just make K-Cups; we make backyard compostable, plastic-free K-Cups!

[wachinyeya]

June 6, 2025, Kaleigh Harrison

A team from Northwestern University has developed a new graphene oxide-based coating poised to reshape the $60 billion food packaging industry. The material is designed as a direct alternative to plastic linings and PFAS-based barriers that have long raised environmental and health concerns. Unlike many existing PFAS-free options that either underperform or drive up costs, the graphene oxide coating shows competitive strength, barrier resistance, and affordability—key attributes that align with both regulatory and commercial demands.

The coating, now under patent, is the result of a collaboration between materials scientist SonBinh Nguyen and mechanical engineer Timothy Wei. Through GO-Eco, a Northwestern-affiliated startup, the technology has transitioned from lab development into industry testing. Wei, who also serves as chief scientist at Chang Robotics, emphasized the goal was to move beyond theory and into viable manufacturing solutions.

Tests conducted at Western Michigan University’s Paper Pilot Plant reported performance improvements ranging from 30 to 50 percent in barrier resistance and substrate strength when compared to current commercial coatings. These results were achieved with only small additions of graphene oxide, helping maintain price parity—critical for large-scale adoption across sectors like quick service restaurants, consumer packaging, and grocery retail.

Stronger, Safer, and More Sustainable

Unlike PFAS-based coatings, the graphene oxide formula can be applied to a variety of materials—such as molded fiber products, cardboard boxes, and disposable paperware—without affecting recyclability or compostability. This gives it a notable edge as businesses face increasing demand to meet sustainability targets without sacrificing product quality.

The single-atom-thick structure of graphene oxide delivers practical advantages: it’s non-toxic, lightweight, and adaptable to existing production workflows. Field tests have confirmed the coating’s applicability across packaging types, from cups and straws to clamshell containers and produce bags. For businesses focused on customer experience, the additional strength and leak-resistance also help reduce complaints over soggy or flimsy packaging.

GO-Eco has secured early-stage investment from a national tableware manufacturer and is actively collaborating with partners to finalize product development. Regulatory approvals for food contact safety are in process, alongside certifications for compostability and recyclability—two key considerations for packaging buyers navigating evolving compliance requirements.

[forest-and-fauna]

Native Gardening: A Guide for Cold Stratification

It's nearly January, which means that it's time for me to start stratification for my native seeds.

Many native seeds have a built-in dormancy mechanism which will prevent germination until it is broken either naturally by weather, or artificially via cold/moist stratification in the refrigerator. This is a guide for the refrigeration method.

It's best done about 2-3 months before spring if you plan on starting the seeds indoors, or 2-3 months before your last frost date if sowing outdoors (depending on germination requirements). This year I'm using peat moss but you can substitute it with moist sand or damp paper towels.

Choosing Your Plants

One thing to consider before buying native seeds is how successful they will be once planted in your garden. The best way to determine this is by going outside and seeing what grows naturally in the yard.

For example, my yard has mostly shade-loving plants like the Common Blue Violet, Bloodroot, and Witchgrass, along with some hardier, more tolerant species like Blue Wood-Aster and Common Milkweed. Sun-loving plants like goldenrod are present but restricted to the edges of the property. Despite having no natural water source, I have seen a few water-dwelling species pop up as well.

This means that I have a pretty moist/shady backyard and that I should focus on species that either prefer these conditions or are very tolerant of them.

Remember to choose species that grow naturally in your biosphere. Some native seed vendors will provide range maps which will show you where certain plants exist in the wild. This is important because the entire point of native gardening is to support your local ecology and wildlife.

This year I'm raising Virginia Strawberry, Early Goldenrod, Sundial Lupine, Columbine, Spotted-Touch-Me-Not, Bloodroot, and Highbush Cranberry. In addition to pollinators like bees, wasps. and butterflies, these plants will be beneficial to songbirds, hummingbirds, and small mammals.

I always buy seeds from Prairie Moon Nursery. I've had great experiences with them and they even offer native range maps and germination instructions for each species.

Materials:

One bag of peat moss

A mixing bowl

A pitcher or measuring cup of water

Lidded jars or sealable plastic bags (1 per species)

A permanent marker and painters tape for labels.

Seeds of your choosing

Instructions:

Fill your mixing bowl with peat moss.

Slowly add water and mix with your hands until the moss is moist but not soaked. You should be able to form it into a ball.

Press peat moss into each container.

Sprinkle in the seeds. I covered the larger seeds with more peat moss, but the smaller seeds were just sprinkled on top so that I can actually find them when it's time to plant.

Seal containers and label each with the species name, length of time required in the fridge, (usually 60-90 days), and if it requires double dormancy.***

After this, place the containers in the fridge for 60-90 days, depending on the germination requirements. You should check on them weekly to make sure they don't dry out or grow mold. If a seed starts sprouting during stratification, remove it from the container and plant it in a starter pot.

After the 60-90 day period, the seeds will be ready to germinate. Move them into starter pots with soil or plant them directly into your garden bed.

I prefer starting my plants in Peat Pots, which are compostable and can be planted directly in the ground. This allows me to raise my seedlings indoors without the threat of wildlife or competition while preventing me from disturbing their root system when transplanting.

***Note on Double Dormancy

Some plants have double dormancy requirements for germination and can be more challenging to grow. This means that the plant will need a period of cold moisture, then warm moisture, and finally another period of cold moisture before they will germinate. Bloodroot, American Cranberrybush, and Spotted-Touch-Me-Not are all species that need double dormancy.

[jordanching-blog]

Living lighter

I've been consciously trying to figure out ways to leave less of an imprint on the earth... here are a few things that I've implemented:

Reducing plastic use:

Water delivery in glass jars (spring water AND no plastic!)

Laundry pods instead of plastic containers

Refillable deodorant

Reusable jars for when I go to the herb store

I buy compostable garbage bags and reuse the produce ones for daily trash (would like to eliminate those though)

Reducing paper waste:

Using towels instead of paper towels and napkins

Using canvas totes when grocery shopping

Shopping local:

I stopped shopping at huge corporate owned grocery stores like Whole Foods and shop at my local neighborhood places

Curbed my Amazon addiction (still definitely use it, but try my best to reduce as much as possible)

Diet:

Eating mostly plant based (but some wings and fish here and there)

Things that weren't so great that were reusable:

Menstruation cup (super messy and not for me)

Q-tips (I bought this off a kickstarter and didn't feel like it was cleaning anything)

If I owned my own place, things I'd implement:

Bidet (use way less toilet paper and everything is so much cleaner)

Solar panels

Ways to reuse gray water

Compost (you'd think LA apartments would have this but nope)

It might not seem like much listed out, but it does make me feel better that I'm actively trying to reduce my imprint. If everyone did something small, it'd add up to something big! A book that I just finished, Braiding Sweet Grass, really made me think about our relationship with the Earth and how we can make it more reciprocal.

I'm always looking for more ways to improve, so if anyone has any suggestions, would love to learn!

[materialsscienceandengineering]

An enzyme used in laundry detergent can recycle single-use plastics within 24 hours

Scientists at King's College London have developed an innovative solution for recycling single-use bioplastics commonly used in disposable items such as coffee cups and food containers. The novel method of chemical recycling, published in Cell Reports Physical Science, uses enzymes typically found in biological laundry detergents to "depolymerize"—or break down—landfill-bound bioplastics. Rapidly converting the items into soluble fragments within just 24 hours, the process achieves full degradation of the bioplastic polylactic acid (PLA). The approach is 84 times faster than the 12-week-long industrial composting process used for recycling bioplastic materials. This discovery offers a widespread recycling solution for single-use PLA plastics, as the team of chemists at King's found that in a further 24 hours at a temperature of 90°C, the bioplastics break down into their chemical building blocks. Once converted into monomers—single molecules—the materials can be turned into equally high-quality plastic for multiple reuse.

Read more.

[bioleaderpack]

Green Plates, Great Vibes: How Summer Picnics Are Going Eco-Friendly

☀️ Welcome to the Eco Summer Era

Whether you're hosting a backyard BBQ, hitting the beach with friends, or just chilling at your local park, one thing is clear: summer = outdoor food. But there’s a new twist this year. Instead of piling burgers onto plastic plates and sipping iced tea from styrofoam cups, more people are switching to eco-friendly tableware that’s cute and compostable.

🌽 Why Cornstarch Tableware Is the Main Character This Summer

Let’s talk sustainability, but keep it fun. Cornstarch bowls and cups? Total glow-up for your picnic game.

They look good: Clean, minimal, and match every vibe

They feel good: Guilt-free dining without plastic waste

They break down fast: 100% compostable and biodegradable

So next time you set the picnic blanket, make sure your spread includes cornstarch bowls for pasta salad and corn starch cups for lemonade.

🍉 Real-Life Picnic Inspo

Here’s what a perfect green picnic looks like:

A stack of vegan sandwiches

Fresh fruit skewers on compostable sticks

Mint lime coolers in cornstarch cups

Everything served on corn starch bowls and plates

Snap the pics. Toss the waste into your compost bin. That’s it.

📦 Takeout? Go Green There Too

Ordering from your fave food truck or juice bar? Ask for cornstarch packaging instead of plastic. More spots are offering these now, and honestly, it’s the easiest way to support eco living without doing much at all.

💚 This Summer’s Green Moodboard

🍓 Farmers markets with bring-your-own bowls

🧃 Smoothie dates with cornstarch cups

🥗 Salad jars and eco cutlery under fairy lights

🌍 Zero-waste vibes with zero effort

Your summer can be aesthetic and eco—you just need the right tools (and the right bowls).

Final Thought: Small Switch, Big Impact

We know—saving the planet sounds like a lot. But sometimes, it’s as simple as choosing corn starch cups over plastic. Small actions add up, and your picnic table is a great place to start.

[you-need-not-apply]

Wait genuinely asking this in as good faith as I can, if you want every single-use plastic banned how do you propose the medical industry keep up sterile patient care? Like especially syringes

single use plastic ban =/= banning genuine medical supplies

I live in a single use plastic ban city and its proposed to go state wide in the coming year. We didn't ban syringes in hospitals or medical supplies, as those are "required medical supplies". In the future, if there is ever another solution instead of plastic that works just as well, I have little doubt that it would also in time be replaced.

Banning single use plastics means banning take away plastic containers and bags, coffee cups & straws and encouraging the use of reusable items in place of these things. If not, then recyclable/compostable items are used instead.

The single use plastic ban tragically doesn't extend to plastic water bottles and groceries stores, but does include all cafes and restaurants and tourism areas.

As I live in a place marketed as "the cleanest water in the world/southern hemisphere" the tap water here is amazing and water fountains seem to be every 100-200m in the capital. There is no shortage of places to buy reusable things like water bottles either.

[greenlifeinsights]

10 Easy Ways to Start Your Sustainable Journey Today

Introduction:

Embarking on a sustainable journey doesn't require a complete overhaul of your lifestyle. In fact, small, mindful steps can lead to significant positive changes for both you and the environment. If you're new to sustainability or looking for simple ways to make a difference, you're in the right place. In this post, we'll explore ten easy steps you can take right now to kickstart your sustainable living journey.

1. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle:

The classic mantra holds true. Start by properly recycling items like paper, glass, and plastics. Before tossing something out, consider if it can be repurposed or upcycled. Reducing waste begins with conscious choices.

2. Conserve Energy:

Switch off lights and unplug devices when not in use. Opt for energy-efficient LED bulbs and appliances. Even adjusting your thermostat by a degree or two can make a difference.

3. Ditch Single-Use Plastics:

Invest in reusable shopping bags, water bottles, and coffee cups. Say goodbye to disposable utensils and straws. These small changes can significantly reduce plastic waste.

4. Choose Sustainable Transportation:

Whenever possible, opt for walking, biking, or using public transportation. Consider carpooling or investing in an electric or hybrid vehicle if it aligns with your needs.

5. Support Local and Sustainable Food:

Frequent local farmers' markets, and choose seasonal, locally sourced produce. Reducing food miles and supporting sustainable farming practices benefit both you and the planet.

6. Unplug and Disconnect:

Set aside tech-free time to reduce screen time and energy consumption. Encourage family or friends to join you in reconnecting with nature and each other.

7. Practice Mindful Consumption:

Before making a purchase, ask yourself if it's a necessity. Invest in high-quality, durable items that will last. Choose brands with a commitment to sustainability.

8. Compost Your Kitchen Waste:

Turn food scraps and yard waste into nutrient-rich compost for your garden. It's a fantastic way to reduce landfill waste and enrich your soil naturally.

9. Educate Yourself and Others:

Stay informed about environmental issues and solutions. Share your knowledge with friends and family to inspire collective action.

10. Get Involved Locally:

Engage with local environmental groups and community initiatives. Participate in clean-up events, tree planting, or sustainability workshops. Your active involvement can create positive change at the grassroots level.

Conclusion:

Remember, sustainability is a journey, not a destination. Each step you take, no matter how small, contributes to a brighter, greener future. So, start today, and together, we can make a meaningful impact. Stay tuned for more insights and tips on sustainable living from GreenLife Insights!

[trivialbob]

We made a coffee bar in our kitchen. It has three coffee makers.

The Keurig is nice for ease of use and sampling differently flavored coffees. If we have overnight guests almost everyone knows how to use a Keurig without help.

Amazon sells a big box of K-Cups with about 24 different flavors. Right now though we have a box of only one flavor: New Mexico Piñon Coffee. This is good stuff. Sheila is not usually a big coffee drinker but really likes the Piñon.

in the middle is a $10 coffee pot from Target. This guy lives in the travel trailer all summer long. I love to smell the coffee brewing when camping. In the winter he comes in the house.

I always seem to have a bag of ground coffee around to use up in this machine. There is a K-Cup adapter for the Keurig so it too can brew coffee grounds that didn't come in tiny plastic cups, but that reusable thing doesn't fill the kitchen with the aroma of coffee.

On the right is a fancy brewer we got as a gift. The Spinn is wi-fi enabled. If I put a cup under it before bed in the morning I can have hot joe flowing before I walk down the steps. A fresh cup of coffee will be waiting for me when I enter the kitchen. It's easy to adjust the amount of water and the grams of beans to use for each cup.

The Spinn grinds whole beans, mug by mug. It doesn't use paper filters, which helps offset the hit my Earth Cred score takes with those plastic K-Cups. This machine is loud. But I know the noisy spinning is how the grounds are separated from the drink and deposited into a little tank. To empty the tank I pour it over my compost pile.

The Spinn was starting to make weaker coffee. Eventually a red warning light of death appeared. The milk frother in the Keruig stopped working some time ago.

Yesterday I got on Reddit and found some advice on fixing these problems. The Spinn needed cleaning that isn't user friendly, as evidenced by the me needing tools to open it up and clean and vacuum some parts. It wasn't difficult though. The red light went away, replaced by the soothing white light assuring me hot coffee is coming soon. And holy moley, the coffee started tasting amazing again!

The Keurig was easier to fix. I'd been monkeying around with settings and cleaning. When that didn't work I shunned the frother, hoping it was miserably enjoying being a selfish asshole. I looked away from when I walked through the kitchen. That seemed to have done the trick, because this morning, just for the heck of it, I tried the frother AND IT WORKED.

Oh my, that is tasty, hot, and caffeinated.

[balkanradfem]

Okay, it's time. It's time to start the regular and the biggest wave of seeds. The middle of February is the best time to start if you live in a southern-ish country on the northern hemisphere that gets it's last from in the middle of April/start of May, if you're a bit more northern, then wait!

If you currently have a little bit of a backyard outside, with some grass on it, or maybe you have a nice balcony where you could place a little pot or two – you could do this too. If you're thinking 'oh but I don't have any containers' any plastic cup will do. If you're thinking 'oh but I don't have any seeds' if you have a tomato or a pepper from the store anywhere in your house, even if they're going bad, you can take seeds out of it and start them. Maybe you're thinking 'I don't have any soil' if you have access to go to a forest, or to a place with a lot of trees, you can find good soil underneath a tree that's been allowed to compost all of its leaves, it's usually forests that get to do this! You do need light and airy soil, because little seedlings wouldn't be able to push roots trough clay.

So if you have a plastic cup, a tomato or a pepper (or a hot pepper! or eggplant), access to some soil, you could grow a nice food plant! If you're worried you'd be bad at it – it's still so much fun, and you might be proven wrong, tomato plants are forgiving and vigorous. You might get free food out of this! And if you start multiple plants there's a good chance at least half of them will survive, and then you just put away the dead ones and it looks like you're an amazing gardener with 100% success rate. Lots of my plants die too! I put them away and look at my hundred live plants and feel pretty good about myself.

I'm gonna go with my 'tried and true' germinating method. I'm gonna put seeds on a paper towel, spray them with water, put a label inside, and then shut them tightly in a plastic bag. This way I can check in on them daily, and the conditions are ideal because the bag keeps all that dampness in, they cannot dry out! They usually germinate faster this way too, and then you get to plant only the ones who have already activated, so you're sure they're going to sprout.

Once your plants get big (in a month and a half), you'll need to get them adjusted to the outside conditions, they need a bit of time to adjust to being in the sun! This is achieved by giving them few hours in the sun every day, they'll grow darker green and more beautiful in the process, and each day you leave them for one hour longer in the direct sunlight. Then, if there's no danger of frost, you can transplant them outside, or in a bigger pot! If you don't have a bigger pot, do not fear. You can grab a bucket and use it. You can grab an empty container of a big laundry detergent or softener, cut out the top, and use it as a container. You have a big 5L or 7L plastic bottle? Cut the top and plant the thing inside. Plants just want to have access to more soil, they're not picky. Ideally your makeshift pot will have some holes on the bottom! But if not, you can just become a master at watering and water them the exact amount they need.

If you do have some backyard land, and you didn't plant on it before, now would be an excellent time to start gathering compost from the kitchen, and putting it outside on that piece of land. It won't have time to compost and create fertile ground in a month or two, but it will prevent the grass from growing on that spot by blocking the light, and if it rains, some of the nutrients from it will be transferred to the earth and your plant will get good food from it! When it's warmer outside, it will compost faster, and you can leave it on top of the soil for your plant to slowly absorb all that food. If some worms and bugs come along, they'll help it fall apart too, you love this, you love the wormies and the bugs. They'll even help your soil be more airy and easy for your plants to grow in.

There's nothing to lose in letting yourself try out a plant or two, and you might be surprised by how much food you can get from even a few plants! Try this awesome new hobby and hack the agriculture and food security with no budget and a lot of heart. And hey, if you don't feel like doing it right now, you can still do it during the entirety of March and April, you have plenty of time until summer.

[galbossnation]

My Journey to Minimalism and Sustainability, and How You Can Start Yours 

I began my journey towards minimalism and sustainability when I was 13, thanks to my favorite famous twins, Bill and Tom Kaulitz from the German band Tokio Hotel. They had just gone vegetarian, and their lifestyle shift made me rethink my own habits. I’ve always had pets—cats, dogs, hamsters, and even a horse I visited and fed every day (Okay, it wasn't mine, but I wished it was!)—but up until then, I hadn't really considered the wellbeing of wildlife or the broader environment.

Cutting out meat was my first step towards a more eco-friendly lifestyle. Over the years, I’ve made plenty of small swaps and sacrifices to lessen my impact on the planet. But don’t worry—sustainability doesn’t have to be overwhelming! In a world where some eco-warriors are aiming to fit a year’s worth of waste into a single jar, it’s easy to feel like you have to go to extremes. The truth is, you don’t have to make drastic changes to start your sustainability journey.

Below are some simple swaps I’ve made that have helped me live a little greener...

Bamboo Charcoal Menstrual Pads 

Switching from disposable pads to reusable bamboo charcoal pads was one of the easiest changes I made. They’re washable, so still hygienic, plus they cut down on waste and microplastics. After the recent news about there being arsenic in tampons, I’m so glad I made this switch years ago! 

Reusable Water Bottles and Coffee Cups

Instead of buying plastic water bottles or using disposable coffee cups, I now carry my own reusable versions. Not only does this help reduce plastic waste, but it’s also so convenient to always have a water bottle on hand.

Reusable Cotton Makeup Pads

I used to go through countless cotton pads while removing makeup. Now I use reusable ones that I can just toss in the wash. It’s a small change, but it makes a difference in how much waste I create each day.

Eating Less Meat

If you care about animals and want to reduce your carbon footprint, eat less meat. You don’t have to cut it out completely to make a difference. If you want to go the extra mile for our oceans, you can cut down your fish intake too. 

Reusable Shopping Bags

We’ve all heard this one, but it’s such a simple habit to get into! Keeping reusable shopping bags in my car or bag ensures I never have to rely on plastic ones when I’m out.

Recycling

This might sound basic, but committing to recycling properly is one of the simplest ways to contribute to a healthier planet. I make sure to recycle everything I can, from paper and plastics to glass and metals.

Those are a few swaps I’ve made over the past twelve years, but there’s always room to improve, so here are a few things I plan to try next:

Buying Less Clothing

I’m a legit shopping addict and tend to spend more than I make 😅 but I know fast fashion has a huge impact on the environment, so I’m working on being more mindful about what I buy and sticking to timeless, sustainable pieces.

Not Upgrading Tech Every Couple Of Years

It’s tempting to get the latest phone or gadget, but holding onto tech for longer reduces electronic waste.

Avoiding Palm Oil

Palm oil is in so many everyday products, and its production is harmful to the environment. I’m aiming to be more conscious about the products I buy and look for palm oil-free alternatives.

Composting

This is a big one I’ve been meaning to start! Composting food scraps instead of throwing them away can significantly reduce the amount of waste I send to landfills.

Sustainability is a journey, and it’s all about progress, not perfection. You don’t need to change everything at once. Start small, make swaps where you can, and keep growing from there. Every little bit helps!

What are some eco-friendly changes you’ve made? I’d love to hear your tips and ideas in the comments!

[self-shipping-doll13]

Raspberry Tea

November Prompts

Tw: Law being Law, Kidnapping, Implied Drugging and Violence

Wc: 797

I never used to like tea.

Now I had to like it since I drank it so often, though not because I was thirsty for it.

At first I was too afraid to refuse the offer of a cup that wafted somnolent fumes under my nose. Then I learned to be afraid of the complete and utter lack of control in my traitorous body. Lawrence robbed all feelings of security away from me so that he could take them for himself. He always needed more, so my initial time spent here was sucked away in a never ending wave of drowsiness. Maybe for the best.

While taped to that uncomfortable chair, my muscles all hurt from constant tensing. Freed now, if only in the shallowest sense, I got up and stretched my legs since I still had legs to stretch. My socks were in the wash, so periodically I envisioned a black-hooded Lawrence, hunched over by the rattling coin operated machines in the grimiest basement of our apartment complex, anxious of our neighbours seeing any bloodstains.

Yes. Our neighbours. Were they still mine?

Barefoot, I padded across the floor, getting used to the feeling of cold on the flats of my soles. It was a small space with no rugs or carpet and I felt the restlessness of a tiger trapped in a cramped enclosure at the zoo. What was it called, zoochosis? Something like that.

Idly, I eyed the cup I was holding and the painted poppies on its rim. I sipped the tea as cautiously as if it was piping hot, but really it was growing lukewarm. It had a mild, sweet taste. Lawrence had 27 books altogether, from my counting. One was a guide regarding the properties of various teas, how to prepare them, their health benefits, etc. At some point I flicked through pages that said raspberry tea was good for mouth ulcers and blood circulation. And I, too, circulated around the tiny apartment, around the rickety seat that still had scraps of torn duct tape attached to its legs. A circuit like this wouldn’t end, and I thought so much about endings.

Outside something was ending too. 30 feet below, the city roads were glistening under broken streetlights. Where trees shot up from council mandated grass with their trunks encased in metal cages, rusted dust crawled into the cracks in the pavement. It was November, surely? I tried to recall the last breaths of the passing Summer, but found those memories had gradually dulled over time. I wondered if Lawrence put something in this tea just like the others. Something that would take a long time to seep slowly into me, the span of a year maybe. Probably not, but regardless it was happening to me anyway. My life was already at an end and useless to mourn, I was slowly dying and degrading into compost. There were worse fates.

I heard the door’s lock click and I almost let the cup fall so it would shatter into a million white-red pieces on the floor. Not doing that, I swallowed and held it tightly.

Tugging on his sweatshirt, Lawrence entered and glanced towards me warily like he still expected me to set up a makeshift barricade in his absence and rush him with the garden shears. I was too pathetic for that. “The tea… It’s helped, hasn’t it? To calm you down?”

“Yeah. By a lot.” Self-consciously, I touched my abdomen where a dull throbbing had receded down to slight, forgettable pain. It was strange that he cared.

Lawrence deposited a bag of freshly laundered clothes on the kitchenette counter, which sagged and spilled out a bit. “I… I brought back the washing.” He was rummaging around for his things and something to say. The plastic crinkled. “Your clothes are clean now.”

“Can I have my socks?” I asked.

He paused, shifting his eyes restlessly, like it was a hard question to answer. “… Go ahead.”

Nodding, I placed the teacup next to a plant pot with a dusting of soil cascading messily over the table. The glossy leaves had been eviscerated. A reminder. What followed was like the gentle strafing around an easily spooked animal. To wait on chores to be done for me felt infantile. I’d done it plenty of times on my own, half-awake, with classes in the morning… But I understood my situation very keenly, that I would never again sit in a crowded lecture hall. Nor hear a voice that was not soft and hushed and deathly.

When I lifted out a soft white pair of socks and saw the red poppies that marked out things Lawrence owned, I even had enough mad humour left within me to smile.

Just faintly.

Dividers by @/saradika

[solarpunkpresentspodcast]

Hope, but not right away

This is more of a half-formed thought than a complete article, so bear with me, but I wanted to put it out there especially on this gloomsome spring day, where the sun is mostly hidden by clouds that will not resolve into anything so reliable as precipitation.

Spring is often a time of joy, full of bright pastels, celebrations of life, rebirth, renewal, the return of green things to our lives. I think part of the reason that we put the focus so much on these things is their singularity within a world that is more often full of mud, grey skies, and barren trees. The snow melts away to reveal a rotting corpse, as it were, for the first few weeks of spring, at least around here. Branches stab at the sky and are not so much full of potential as skeletal imagery.

The solarpunk lens of rumination on this would focus on the way that the rotting detritus of last fall is composting, pregnant with possibility, working to become the literal ground from which life will spring. But I worry that, in that focus, we too often skip over the dull feeling of drear that can come between the absence of snow and the advent of greenery.

Ugly feelings, to poach a phrase from theorist Sianne Ngai, are very valid and worth acknowledging. Especially when the world around me is ugly, I have some pretty ugly thoughts. I mourn the fact that the double-whammy of climate weirding and El Niño meant that we didn’t really get a winter at all in these parts. I resent the rawness of the wind, too cold when the sun isn’t shining, and still wet as hell and - it seems - tailored to produce the most amount of misery in the least amount of time. I am frustrated by the fact that every single one of my coats (ranging from heavy-duty winterwear to light rain jackets) are needed within the span of a week, and yet none of them are truly adequate for the weather conditions I walk through. I think dark thoughts about the humans of this city when I walk the trails and see the incredible amount of litter - plastic bags/bottles, old Timmies cups, cigarette butts, wrappers, and other detritus - on the sides of the path, now revealed by the melting of the snow.

These are all problems that I know will pass, or that at least my brain will skim over. Take climate weirding and El Niño for example - I can’t do anything about weather patterns, and I’m doing my best right now to tackle climate change and catastrophe given my situation; they’re not going to go away any time soon, and they are a reality that I can accept, like the shitty wind. Doesn’t mean I’m not going to change my behaviour or do something about them, but it’s not like I myself can just nip the problem in the bud. Given past experience, I know that temperatures will continue to climb, solving my multiple coats problems. The City has already emailed me and many others subscribed to its newsletter that it is time for an annual spring community clean-ups: and if one registers with a group, they will provide gloves, grabbers, and garbage bags for each person, along with a tips sheet about safety, especially with handling any sharps such as broken glass or discarded needles.

So I can pass pretty quickly on to feeling fairly okay about my immediate situation. As I’ve said before both here and on the podcast, I really do believe that solarpunk is about looking around at the detritus of the early twenty-first century, then choosing deliberately to roll up one’s sleeves and get to work making a better world using the materials at hand, despite all the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. However, moving rapidly away from negative feelings does them a disservice, and more importantly, may be doing solarpunk a disservice. Let me explain.

This is because solarpunk’s investment in optimism and hope is explicitly not a dismissal of badness, but instead a deliberately positive affective orientation arising from negative conditions, and so I am of the firm belief that there is room in the solarpunk movement to acknowledge and sit with the terrible truths of our existence.

I confess to being extremely inspired and deeply affected by JD Harlock’s conversation with Christina in our second season, especially the bit where he baldly states that he has no hope that the conditions in Lebanon will improve, and yet he still calls himself a solarpunk and works towards a better future anyways. It reminds me of an article I came across while doing research for my masters - this time explicitly about hope within the environmental movement, and the first part of the title says it all: “Hope, But Not for Us”.* It is by scholar Gerry Canavan and it came out in 2014, years before the Jonathan Franzen article. The basic gist is that yeah, there’s plenty of hope for people and animals in the future, even if we ourselves are stuck in this time of the Anthropocene, so we cannot see or access that future place of hope, but we can contribute now to making conditions better for beings we will perhaps never meet.**

If solarpunks were solely interpreted as liberal individuals fantasizing about a better world that they themselves will get to enjoy, the skeptical charge that solarpunk is naively optimistic would be pretty accurate. In that estimation, there is no room for negativity, for accepting the world as it is, for allowing for people to feel kinda crappy sometimes, for acknowledging that serious mental health struggles with depression can’t be cured by just getting a plant or going outside for a walk on the regular, et cetera. There’s no room for the actual reality of being human. The solarpunk strawman (strawperson, really), has zero nuance or grounding in the actual lived experience of being human in 2024.

That is why I am such an ardent proponent of holding space for negative emotions: whether that’s through seeing a climate grief counsellor or chaplain, attending climate grief circles, simply talking to friends and loved ones about fears about the climate, creating art about it, venting in a Discord channel, et cetera. Note they’re all community actions. Solarpunk is a deliberate reaction to and disruption of the status quo in which we are mired: pretending that we’re not experiencing terrible things is not going to get us anywhere, literally and intellectually.

I confess I don’t actually know how to end this. Academic articles tend to build towards a triumphant or at least neat conclusion and I’d like to leave you with more than just a mess. Perhaps it’s appropriate, though, since emotions, especially the negative ones, are messy and complicated.

Don’t feel bad for feeling bad, I guess? It’s from that ground that radical solarpunk action is grown.

*The full title is “Hope, But Not for Us: Ecological Science Fiction and the End of the World in Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake and The Year of the Flood” and given that my master’s major research was interpreting the MaddAddam trilogy through the lens of posthuman feminism, it was pretty much exactly up my alley. This also, sidenote to the footnote, was one of the articles instrumental in my feeling extremely alienated from my peers who weren’t also taking Masters courses in ecocriticism, because nobody around me / on the corners of the Internet that I frequented at that time seemed to be talking at all about climate breakdown, or even admitting that maybe global warming was a problem (except the environmental activists, of course). It was a weird, WEIRD time.

**I imagine that this is how society as a whole used to think about doing noble things like building housing and implementing social policies for the sake of future generations, which seems to have largely exited the concern of the majority political discussion these days around everything except perhaps climate change, since it forces people to think according to a scale of deep time. (I’m aware of the fact that most Indigenous groups on Turtle Island tend to have a tradition of thinking/principle about how actions taken now will reverberate seven generations into the future, but settler society isn’t exactly taking that cue up)