It’s Monday so for me, it is “Mending Our World” blog post day. Today I’m sharing a product that I’ve been using for several months now that replaces large plastic liquid laundry detergent containers with little strips of soap packaged in a paper envelope.
Mending Our World — #2
Though I like to focus on conserving, using less, and buying less, this new (to me) product has been a pleasant surprise. Because I have very sensitive skin and many laundry detergents cause me to develop eczema, I waited until I had used this product without skin irritation for several months before recommending it to others. It works well for me and causes no skin irritation.
“We are the first generation to feel the sting of climate change, and we are the last generation that can do something about it.” – Jay Inslee
The only disadvantage of it that I’ve seen is that it seems more expensive than the liquid laundry detergent I was using. However, I consider it well worth the price difference to choose a product that does not use plastic.
“Plastic disposal not only pollutes the land but the water and the air, the three primary elements for any living being on the earth”
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It comes in perforated squares that you pull apart. Half a square is enough for a full load of laundry. I just tuck one of them in at the top of the clothes in the washer. I actually waited once in the laundry room until the washer had filled with water and begun agitating the clothes to see if the laundry soap actually created suds. It does. And my clothes get clean. There is a scented version of this product but I haven’t tried it because I prefer no scent in my clothes.
Plastic Pollution Everywhere
Recently a friend of mine told me about a sailing trip a friend of ours had made from Hawaii to the west coast of the United States. He reported seeing huge masses of floating plastic debris all along the way. Where on previous trips in years past they had been able to rely on fishing to feed themselves on the trip, they caught almost no fish on this trip.
This week, I ask one thing of you — simply pay attention to all of the plastic in your life. And pay attention to how much of it goes into the trash can. Experts tell us that plastic cannot be recycled into a product of equal quality; it can only be down-cycled. I know that plastic is ubiquitous in our lives. Simply focusing on how much of it we all use can be discouraging. Don’t let the fact that you still use a lot of plastic discourage you from choosing plastic-free when you can and advocating for companies to use less plastic. I’ve been focusing on plastic as much as I can and it’s hard changing habits. Keep speaking out and looking for ways to change your behaviors. Be willing to pay more for plastic free goods if you can afford to.
“But I’ve learnt that no one is too small to make a difference.”
― No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference
Even small changes add up over time. It’s up to each of us to speak out and do what we can even when it feels like our small actions are too small to make a difference.
May you walk in beauty.
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