What This Is All About: I became passionate about the low-waste movement during my second year in grad school. I realized how much packaging waste could be prevented by simple switches like not using plastic bags at the grocery store, skipping the plastic produce bags, and not buying plastic bags for snacks anymore. Not only has this (along with many other switches) helped me become almost zero-waste in my life, but it has empowered me to be an engaged consumer, making choices about the products I consume rather than simply receiving them and having no say in the matter.
How It’s Different: All the fabric used to create Low Waste Wednesday products is second-hand fabric. As the environmental movement has grown in the past few years, so has the consumeristic trend that often follows a new fad! With that, products have been created that will be used for a short period of time and then discarded, which is the opposite of the goal of the movement. I shop second hand for all of my clothes, so decided it made sense to do the same for fabric! So, in order to keep fabric out of the waste stream and give it new life, I decided to make it into things that folks will be able to use over and over again. Maybe you’ll be so inspired by these awesome patterns that you’ll go try to do some thrifting/sharing of your own in your community! Thanks to everyone who has donated/shared/helped me find fabric for this fun project!
Why It Matters: It matters because of the sea turtles and the penguins, yes, but it also matters because of human beings whose lives are being cut short because of our actively changing climate and sea level rise. The real work is around reducing greenhouse gasses, and much of that requires changes at the systemic level. Yet, that doesn’t mean we should just sit around and do nothing at the individual level. We have a lot of work to do and while that can’t all be done by just a few fabric bags being used instead of plastic bags, I do believe when we are intentional about choices, it makes a difference. So way to go! Use these bags, share them with friends, educate yourselves, remind folks that we can all do a little bit to reduce the amount of plastic we’re consuming in the US and around the world.
Shop on, low waste friends! Reach out if you have questions or want to know more! Check back for more resources coming soon so we can keep learning together about climate change, environmental justice, and our part in the work of seeking justice so all folks can have a chance at a healthy & whole life.