First posts are always interesting. They are a jumble of a writer’s thoughts and hopes for their blog. A mishap of everything they wish their blog to be about.
I suppose mine will be like that too.
Welcome reader. I welcome you to my humble abode which will soon be filled with posts on ethical living, food, fashion and veganism. I’m not an interesting person but if you want to find out more about myself then you can go to the about me page which should be hovering at the top of this page. I’m a rather impulsive person and I suppose this blog was an impulsive decision so lets just hope that it all works out to plan.
The story behind my impulsive decision is this: After having a slight meltdown at Officeworks when I was shopping for back to school supplies and suddenly coming to the understanding that everything was plastic and nothing would biodegrade I got the idea to create this blog. That episode at Officeworks went on to impact most areas of my life. I struggled to go shopping with friends as all I could see was plastic plastic plastic, I rarely ate out as everything was served in plastic or polystyrene and I struggled to buy anything as I didn’t know if it was ethical.
When I went vegan I thought I was about as ethical as you could get. I was pretty close, veganism is pretty damn ethical. Other than that I did research on the clothing stores nearby to know if they were ethical or not, I had a wooden toothbrush and I bought some food products in bulk but for me, it wasn’t enough.
I still have deodorant in bottles, shampoo and conditioner in plastic bottles, I still go out and order food which comes in plastic, I still occasionally buy clothes in which I don’t know if they are ethical enough. I don’t know if I will be able to 100% ethical (especially as I share my home with three other family members and a bearded dragon) but I can make a start. I can commit to this and try as hard as I can.
From 2016 onward I pledge to create the most ethical life I can while living in a world of consumerism.
Apart from my social media and personal resolutions for the new year, I also have some ethical ones:
1. Go As Plastic Free As Possible
In 2016 I want to try and use as little plastic as possible. I want to apply this to all areas of my life such as to stop buying food that is wrapped in plastic, to buying products made of other materials such as glass rather than plastic, to use soap rather than body wash in bottles etc.
2. Only Buy My Things Second Hand
This year I bought way too many new things. I want to stop buying new things and rather buy only second hand. I’ll aim to go to markets and op shops to buy clothes ONLY when I need them. I’ll buy digital books or go to second hand shops. If I need sunglasses, jewellery, handbags etc. I’ll try find them second hand.
3. Cook More Often
I can’t cook to save my life but I have decided that this year I will learn to cook. This will mean that I can make delicious meals to take to school/work to avoid me buying packets of snacks (wrapped in plastic). I’ll also bring backup metal containers to put food in, if I have no option but to buy food. I’ll also email food companies such as Boost Juice, Sumo Salad etc. to ask if I can bring my own containers to buy food.
4. Replace My Products With Sustainable Versions
In 2016 I will write a list of all the unethical products I own and once they run out/are no longer able to be used, I will replace them with ethical ones. This will include making my own deodorant, toothpaste, skin products etc. I will also replace my pens, scissors, binders, notebooks etc. with recycled and biodegradable versions.
5. Make Minimalism My Life Motto
I don’t need things. I don’t need lots of clothes, lots of jewellry, lots of products and decorations. I simply don’t need it to have a happy life. I want to make minimalism my motto and stick to it throughout the year. Every time I go to buy something I will ask myself, do I really need this?
6. Advocate For Animals/Veganism
Veganism and animal rights was where I started. I will continue to fight for the rights of animals through my social media. I have a strong belief that a vegan diet is sustainable and ethical in the sense that its impact on the environment is substantially lower than that of a diet which includes animal products. I want to share my love of veganism and my passion for animal rights to create change.
After writing this, I am rather excited for the new year to come. Especially as it is only one sleep away. My excitement may also be due to the fact that I am embarking on sustainable living 100% and that gives me shivers. I am also very excited to share with you all my experiences during the year, my failures and successes and overall, what it is like to be fifteen attempting ethical living.
To a year of sustainable living!
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