Apr 15, 20213 min read

Spring: A time for renewal

Every spring I think of the wonderful cycles of life renewing again into the next generation. The evidence is everywhere from the great monarch migrations, to the birds serenading in the treetops, to the wonderfully intricate egg cases from marine life washing up on the beaches. Springtime is a season of rebirth, growth, and renewal for a reason. Butterflies are literally transformed through metamorphosis from a caterpillar to a liquidized soup of cells to a stunning butterfly. This connection resonates on how much we have the capacity for change. We can transform our lifestyles to be a healthier, more sustainable one for the environment and ourselves. It may take some effort in the beginning, habits are hard to break. Once you are in the routine of things it becomes like everything else, just a part of what you do EVERYDAY. Beginning with small changes is key to not overwhelm oneself and just keep moving forward small steps at a time. SMALL steps can lead to BIG change.

I always tell people one of the first things to do is to bring your reusable bag and reusable bottle! That means when you go to the grocery store don’t forget to keep your reusable bags in the trunk (or backseat) of your car (and to bring them in with you!). If you’re thirsty from all the shopping be sure to have your reusable water bottle with you instead of a single use plastic water bottle.

There are several other ways you can reduce your single use plastic consumption in your everyday life starting with what you eat and drink. Eating and drinking is to nourish our bodies, but we have turned it into something else where we are treating it as an inconvenience. We are not making enough time to ensure what we are putting into our bodies is actually fueling our body, not slowing us down! We shouldn’t be sacrificing our meals for convenience drive thrus.

Take out food is a huge contributor to single use plastics usage by consumers. Starting at home and meal planning can go far when reducing single use plastics- no take out containers, no plastic straws, no plastic utensils, no plastic cups…you get the idea! However, there are also times we want to get out of the house and enjoy someone else doing the all the work for us. So what to do then? You can find products that are alternatives to these common single use plastic items such as, Kleen Kanteen for reusable bottles, Chico bag for reusable bags of all kinds, To-Go ware for utensils on the go, and Bee’s Wrap for a sustainable food storage alternative to plastic wrap.

If you don’t want to carry anything around then opt for smaller portions and opt out of plastic straws. In addition, voice your opinion to the restaurants and stores that you frequent and ask them to switch from Styrofoam (polystyrene (number 6 on the “recycling” code)) and/or plastic containers to cardboard ones and to only give out straws if they are requested. Again, small steps can lead to big change!

We want to keep the beach like this: