Hello everyone! For our second last post, I will be taking the opportunity to reflect on my consumption habits, as well as certain ‘green’ practices that I have picked up along the way 😀
Previously, Rui Qi shared how recycling has become more intuitive for herself and her family, with them setting up a recycling corner at home! Truth to be told, I felt surprised and guilty, as this sustainable habit, despite being a simple task, has not crossed my mind before. However, as the saying goes, better late than never! So let us all incorporate recycling into our daily lives, as every little effort counts!
Growing (Some of) Our Own Food
My parents have always been avid home gardeners, although unfortunately it seems that I have failed to inherit their green thumbs ( ｡_｡). However, during the circuit break period and current remote working initiatives, I have taken an interest in gardening and dare I say my skills have improved! Tending to the plants has become a habit of mine now, and it is our form of sustainable living. Growing common herbs such as Basil, Rosemary, and Mint at home has provided us with great convenience as we can just snip off a suitable portion size from the plants when needed without any wastage.
Although purchasing fresh herbs from supermarkets may be an easier alternative, the pre-packaged portion sizes are often larger than what we require. Subsequently, these perishables have gone to waste due to their short shelf-life. As we’ve learnt in Tutorial 4, food production has a significant water footprint, accounting for 90% of global freshwater consumption in the past century (Khan & Hajra, 2009). The wastage of food thus entails the wastage of significant water inputs. Additionally, as these herbs typically encased in plastic wrapping, frequent purchases would invariably lead to an increased consumption and generation of plastic waste.
Home gardening has gained traction in recent months, with the National Parks Board (NParks) introducing the ‘Gardening with Edibles’ initiative in June. Seeds of vegetables and fruits such as Cai Xin, Lady’s Finger, and Tomatoes were given to households who have signed up for the programme, and guess who signed up for it too!
Limiting Disposables
Although we do grow vegetables at home, grocery runs are unavoidable. However, to reduce the amount of (plastic) waste generated, my family usually brings reusable cloth bags to carry our purchases back home.
Additionally, a grocery list has been attached on our fridge for us to record the items to be bought. Personally, I feel that doing so has greatly reduced our impulse purchases as time spent window shopping in the supermarket while we decide on our purchases was shortened. Moreover, as our grocery list is usually based on our weekly meal plans, less food waste is generated by only purchasing the required items. (FYI: This saves us money too!)
With that, I hope that you’ve managed to pick up a tip or two from our blog posts on what we’ve tried. We look forward to hearing from you too! So do leave your comments and know-how in the replies below 😀
Lastly, I would like to end off this blog post with a quote by Wangari Maathai, the first African woman and environmentalist to win a Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 (Bona Drag):
“The environment and the economy are really both two sides of the same coin. If we cannot sustain the environment, we cannot sustain ourselves.” — Wangari Maathai
We are all catalysts of change and I believe that we can take strides in our efforts to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle (•̀ᴗ•́)و ̑̑
References:
Khan, S. & Hanjra, M. A. (2009). Footprints of water and energy inputs in food production – Global perspectives. Food Policy. 34(2), 130-140. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2008.09.001
Bona Drag. (2018). Leading Lady: Wangari Maathai. Available from:
https://bonadrag.com/blogs/leading-ladies/leading-lady-wangari-maathai [Accessed 5 November 2020]