Scrap the Paper Receipt
And other easy sustainable living tips
When it comes to being sustainable and trying to live in a more eco-conscious way, it can seem daunting.
But, we all have to start somewhere. Being more mindful of our choices and trying in itself is a good start.
There are a few simple and easy swaps you can make to get going. Once developed into good habits, they will likely lead to larger life changes.
Ditch the single-use water bottle
“The average American consumes 167 bottles of water per year.” — Equa
On top of that, only about 23% of those get recycled.
I’ll do the math. That’s about 38 bottles recycled and 129 in the ocean per person every year. Over the course of an adult’s life from an approximate age of 20 to age 70 (50 years), that’s 6,450 plastic bottles.
Gross.
That’s quite a bit of plastic getting dumped in the ocean per person.
The World Wildlife Foundation notes, plastic has only been around 60–70 years. Yet the water bottle will take 450 years to decompose.
Those 6,450 plastic bottles will take until at least 2471 to decompose.
Can you imagine future civilizations digging up our ancient relics, and finding a bunch of plastic?
Drop the wireless phone charger
This one is a bit controversial because they’re all the rage. Plus there are pros and cons to both wired and wireless.
For starters, all you need to do is plop your phone or watch down on a wireless charging pad and you’re good to go. No need to find a plug or adapter. It also looks less messy than having a bunch of cords laying around.
Yet it’s not that efficient.
According to Eric Ravenscraft in his article, Wireless Charging Is a Disaster Waiting to Happen, he found wireless charging uses approximately 47% more power than with a cable.
But all those cords are unsightly. No matter how many organizers you use, it still looks messy.
Here comes the controversy.
We’re constantly replacing all those cords and charging bricks. Every time we get a new phone, we get a new charger. Or the charging cable breaks and we need a new one. What happens to the old ones?
The Global E-waste Monitor 2020: Quantities, flows and the circular economy potential states, “Globally, only 17.4% of e-waste is documented to be formally collected and recycled.”
We should be recycling them. Yet, as the Global E-waste Monitor of 2020 points out, most are getting trashed. They then become e-waste, classified as any discarded product with a battery or electric plug.
Back to the original question, which is more sustainable, the wired or wireless charger?
Claire, in her article on Pitaka, puts it well:
“To figure out which way is more environmentally friendly, we need to compare the energy used during the charging process, the durability of charging units, and the long-term consequences. We may also need to factor in the manufacturer too.”
It’s not clear which is better, but it is clear there is room for improvement on both sides.
Shop local and at the farmers market
When you shop local, you support local, among quite a few other benefits.
According to Sustainable Connections, when shopping local:
- There are 26% fewer automobile miles.
- Local businesses support community groups with 250% more donations. That’s 2.5 times more than large, national companies.
- Locally owned businesses make up 90% of the new jobs created in the US.
- For every $100, $58 remain in the community.
One of the best ways to support your local community is to shop at the farmers market. If you’re not familiar, you might be a bit disappointed when you can’t find blueberries all year round. But, the vast number of apple varieties in the fall might surprise you.
Plus the local growers pick these fruits and vegetables at their prime time. Not early like most produce purchased at the grocery store.
Julie M. Goolsby, M.A., in Mind Body Green states:
“In order for certain fruits and vegetables to be available year-round, post-harvest treatments, known as ripening agents, are used. These include chemicals, gases, and heat processes. Some produce is also coated with an edible film to protect it.”
We have access to certain fruits year-round at the grocery, but we’re also accepting various chemicals along with it.
We’re also requiring and accommodating mass amounts of transportation to receive these goods from all over the globe. Along with the miles traveled to get to the grocery, there are emissions and losses to consider.
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration reports:
“In the United States, food waste is estimated at between 30–40 percent of the food supply. This figure, based on estimates from USDA’s Economic Research Service of 31 percent food loss at the retail and consumer levels, corresponded to approximately 133 billion pounds and $161 billion worth of food in 2010. Wasted food is the single largest category of material placed in municipal landfills and represents nourishment that could have helped feed families in need.”
We’re throwing away almost half our food supply. By purchasing locally, we can reduce transportation ranges, emissions, and waste sent to landfills.
Freeze extra food
The EPA, “estimates that in 2018, about 68 percent of the wasted food we generated — or about 42.8 million tons — ended up in landfills or combustion facilities.”
It’s also not just food waste that we’re creating, but quite a few other things. According to ReFED, food waste also generates:
- 4% of US greenhouse gas emissions
- 14% of all freshwater use
- 18% of all cropland use
- 24% of landfill inputs (#1 input, estimated by the EPA)
Not only are we creating food waste, but we’re generating emissions and adding to our already overflowing landfills. One way to combat this is by freezing excess food. Which might seem like an obvious solution. You might already be freezing food, but at what rate?
There are many foods that we can freeze, and more than chicken and ice cream. I learned this past year that I can freeze tomato paste in ice cube trays.
In the past, I used a tablespoon and then trashed or composted the rest. I did this with tomato paste, pesto, herbs, and the list goes on. As you can imagine, I was generating a lot of waste.
I’ve done a bit of research to determine what waste I’ve been creating that I could be freezing instead. Lauren Greutman has a great list on her blog of 83 Foods to Freeze or Foods NOT to Freeze.
Scrap the paper receipt
Have you thought about those glossy pieces of paper that get handed to you after every transaction?
The most reoccurring thought I have is how annoying it is to get this tiny piece of paper. Sometimes long, but still small enough to be irritating.
I’m a millennial, so I’m not going to store this anywhere. At best I’ll take a photo to save for later if it’s a large sale. Most often I’d be happier with the emailed receipt. A physical receipt leaves me with this very annoying piece of paper I need to throw away or try to recycle.
Except it’s not recyclable.
“They are produced on thermal paper, coated with bisphenol A (BPA).” — Easy Eco Tips
They’re not only annoying but they’re coated in plastic. We’re carrying around paper that’s become something that’s not paper. It’s no longer recyclable. On top of that, we’re usually receiving them for a small amount, like a $2 charge for coffee. I don’t need that, nor do I want that.
Oh, and the plastic is BPA.
Remember when there was a big push for “BPA Free”? There was a reason.
As a reminder, Brent A. Bauer, M.D. from the Mayo Clinic explains:
“Exposure to BPA is a concern because of possible health effects of BPA on the brain and prostate gland of fetuses, infants and children. It can also affect children’s behavior. Additional research suggests a possible link between BPA and increased blood pressure.”
Based on this information there was a big push for BPA-free plastic and a switch to glass and metal drinking bottles. Receipts seem to have gotten overlooked, until around 2014.
A study on Holding Thermal Receipt Paper and Eating Food after Using Hand Sanitizer Results in High Serum Bioactive and Urine Total Levels of Bisphenol A (BPA) in PLOS One states:
“These findings show that a very large amount of BPA is transferred from thermal paper to a hand as a result of holding a thermal receipt for only a few seconds immediately after using a product with dermal penetration enhancing chemicals.”
In short, if you use hand sanitizer or lotion and then grab your receipt, you’ll be absorbing a large amount of BPA into your skin.
Pass on the receipt. Reduce paper waste and your chances of absorbing BPA into your body.
We all have to start somewhere. Making a few easy everyday swaps can make a big difference. Small changes can then lead to lasting sustainable habits.
