When Convenience Becomes Essential

If you close your eyes and reflect on your day, how many things have you thrown away? 

Coffee cups, takeout boxes, tissue papers – multiply that by 30, that is a lot in one month. This piece is not to criticise or shame anyone, I guess it is just a story about how I started asking myself the same question. 

In the past few years, "adulting" has become a common term that my friends and I use. We celebrated our first paychecks, were surprised by energy bills, and are now living independently from our parents for the first time! We try our best, but the rat race is not easy (as expected). 

It was a transition with lots of trial and error—lots of trying, giving up, and trying again. It requires a daily subscription of caffeine, taking most meals to go, and a sacrifice to our physical health. There is simply no time to think about things like cooking or cleaning. Lucky for us, we live in a convenience-centric society with endless time-saving solutions for effortless living. We have plastic-wrapped everything and disposable anything. We don't need to search for meals when they can be delivered straight to us. Otherwise, how else can we survive "adulting"?

As I started to find my footing, what became apparent was my trail of rubbish. I was collecting maybe 10 plastic containers a week and throwing away a bunch more paper boxes. I could have built last year's Christmas tree with the coffee cups I found at home. While I did keep all the plastic to reuse (because my mother taught me to!), they were piling up and hoarding up too much space. 

Realising that my problem revolved around food, I started cooking. I took some Tupperware from Mom and experimented in the kitchen. And the results were instant! Just like that, I used 40 fewer plastic containers a month and 480 fewer a year. I named my belongings, from my laptop to my water bottle, and brought them wherever I went. Sure, there is a little more washing and carrying, but I am happy. With this small step to reduce my waste, I've gained new skills and discipline. Living feels more fulfilling even though the hamster wheel is still rolling.

The Green Agenda 

I know, I know… It’s tiring to listen to environmentalists preach the same thing over and over again, and I'm sure it is even more exhausting for them to repeat themselves without seeing much change. Our lifestyle of convenience does cost our planet, and I wish we could work together to protect her, but I will preach about this next time!

Instead, let's talk about the cost of speed and efficiency that is rarely spoken of, that is losing connectivity. Not to the internet, but to one another, our belongings, and Earth. We have become so intertwined with the ease of disposability that appreciation for resources and other people feels unnatural since everything is replaceable. This disconnection is why we waste and pollute without thinking about Earth, which is ironically, irreplaceable.

Old Habits Die Hard

How do we go back to a time when single-use items did not exist when we grew up with them, and how do we remove plastics entirely when we are surrounded by them? Both are impossible and unsustainable. Not utilising inventions made for convenience only makes things, yes, inconvenient and frustrating! The "R" is to Reduce and not Remove! We can appreciate and coexist with plastics and only use them where we need to. Otherwise, there will be no phones, furniture, or fashion!

So where do we start?

1. Begone, single-use items
   
   Single-use items are one of the biggest polluters. They take longer to produce than they are used. It does no justice to both Earth and the single-use item. Plus, they're the easiest to reduce. No need to buy a new cup or container; just ask your parents!
   
   
2. You can't do everything all at once
   
   You can't be an activist, a vegan, an anti-plastic advocate, and a straw hater all at once. Start with whatever you're most passionate about. If you are concerned about methane released from cattle farming, cut down beef consumption gradually! If you are worried about pesticides leaking into our rivers, try planting a small herb before planning a garden! There is no need for big steps. When you find what you care about, it will not feel like a chore.
   
   That's really it! Celebrate every milestone, take pictures of every meal you bought with your container (which you may have named by then)! May it be as fulfilling for you as it is for me.

Posted 18 Dec 2023