About saving the environment

Back in secondary school/ Jc, we always had essay questions about problems and things like that and i distinctively remember one of the 'solutions' to stated problems was always: use campaigns to raise awareness. I always thought that campaigns were feasible solutions in theory but in real life not so much. But recently I've since come to realize that campaigns do indeed have some power.......ok I was never someone who was incredibly passionate about saving the environment. Sure every now and then you see posters telling you not to litter or use plastic or to switch off the lights and fans, but it was always an one ear in, one ear out kind of thing.

There's been quite a fair bit of social media attention on NOT using a carrier and not using plastic objects in daily life, perhaps in a big part thanks to @nocarrierpls on instagram. I've realized that more and more of my friends are switching to metal straws, yada yada. Initially I was kinda skeptical because (I know this is rather cynical of me) but i didn't know if people were doing it just bc its a fad and i have to admit-- metal straws really look rather cool or whether they genuinely wanted to do a part for the environment. 

Yes so as I mentioned above, all that about saving the environment was really just like erbianfeng (han yu pin yin cause im too lazy to switch to the chinese keyboard) to me, at least until last sunday. I went to the zoo with my kid cousins last sunday and there were so many save the earth dont use plastic conservation banners on the street lamps at the zoo. THEY WERE EVERYWHERE like literally every five metres you walk, you'd see one. And you know after looking at all the banners with animal trivia on them.....something kinda got to me. I think it was something about plastic harming marine life and and those images of turtles with plastic bags around their necks or in their mouths. In that moment I JUST FELT SO GUILTY for not trying to save the environment more bc when you use less plastic, less plastic gets thrown away and there's probably going to be a lower likelihood of plastic ending up caught on a turtle's neck somewhere out there.

So after I came back home from SWOC dry run, I started researching on how to go plastic free. ALright for a normal regular person like myself, i'll have to admit. the likelihood of me going entirely plastic free is very very low. But thats okay cause I wna focus more on baby steps.

*Everything below is just my personal thoughts and opinions on how I plan to slowly start integrating the 'nocarrierpls' mentality into my lifestyle! im pretty sure some of you have differing views/ opinions but ok these are just mine

Alot of websites talk about using shampoo bars and soap bars that dont come with containers/ plastic packaging. Soap bars are pretty common, I've seen them in supermarkets everywhere. But so far for shampoo bars, i've only seen them in LUSH. And personally as a student thats abit cash strapped at the moment, shopping at lush simply isnt a viable option. Aside from that, I also read that soap bars are more environmentally friendly than liquid soap (you can google the reasons and statistics yourself). So in the past i've tried soap bars and i have to say in all honesty i very much prefer liquid soap. Maybe its because i've been using liquid soap since young, but i've always had this feeling that after you use a soap bar on your body, the soap bar is 'dirtier' now, even after you rinse it. I've since found out that its a misconception, and experts have done experiments with statistics that prove that no bacteria doesnt transfer back to the skin like that but i just cant shake the feeling that soap bars are dirtier and messier hmmmm

Aside from that soap problem, one easier way to be environmentally conscious is to stop using plastic bags when I buy stuff. I realized that this is actually very easy to accomplish, all I need to do is to keep a re-usable bag or two inside my bag pack and then its all good. Also, most times when i know im going to be doing alot of shopping, I'll bring my big herschel harversack along, and just put all my buys into my bag. Since im doing this already I don't really need plastic bags do I? But here's the thing. Im rather vain, i'd like to find a reusable bag thats decent looking enough that I wouldn't mind carrying it around. I feel like most reusable bags that I have at home have this rather aunty vibe to them like ok this is a pretty silly reason to want to get new reusable bags but im on the lookout for nice reusable bags now, if you have any recommendations or suggestions feel free to share with me!!!!!!! In the meantime im just gonna use the reusable bags that i have at home but I'D REALLY REALLY REALLY WANT SOME DECENT LOOKING ONES

About food carriers. Back in hall, they'd charge us 20cents per takeaway box. Because I had a surplus of boxes and an entire bottle of detergent, I never minded having to use my own boxes. Okay perhaps for twenty cents i'd manage to save some precious time and effort, but its okay. For the greater scheme of things I'll continue to use my disposable boxes! However right now I feel like using my own boxes isn't quite enough. A few days ago I started not using disposable cutlery that comes with the food my ahkong dabaos home, but what if im out? I guess I'll have to start bringing my own cutlery and stuff, yknow those kind that comes with a mini spoon and fork in a small pencil box like thing........now where do i buy those from anyway?????????? So even if i managed to find myself a nice small portable cutlery set, how should I wash them during camps? or times when I wont have dishwashing liquid around? DO people just keep them dirty and leave them till they reach home then wash them? 

Also about plastic bags. I get that by reusing them and not disposing of them straight away its kinda like a good thing already but I'd like to try to minimize usage of them. How do people not use plastic bags for their dirty/ wet/ sandy clothes? Do they use reusable bags with plastic lining in them? Like if its sandy beach day clothes i suppose a normal reusable bag wouldnt cut it bc they'd be wet, it has to be something with lining in it. Then afterwards i'd still have to wash and clean the reusable bag again. OR like things like my mini soap and shampoo which i bring along for camps. If not a plastic bag, then how should I keep them? Cause its going to be wet and soapy. I was thinking of maybe like a plastic reusable bag? But do those things even exist? I honestly have no idea hahaha. Something nice and waterproof. Ok technically a ziplock bag is a plastic reusable bag as well but yknow after multiple uses it just looks abit shoddy and worn out then i'll have to use a new one but i was thinking of something more long lasting (?) Even my mini shampoo bottles as well, right now im just using the smaller versions of regular shampoo bottles like i just use and throw but i remember my friend denise showing me her small mini refillable bottles from ikea and i think those are a better option yknow if i just refill those mini refillable bottles then there's no need for disposable packaging right!!!

ok I've realized that idk being environmentally friendly or anti-plastic (ok anti plastic isnt even the right word i just want to use less plastic) is actually kinda tough and maybe thats why disposables were invented in the first place i.e. to make life easier but i know for sure that theres definitely gonna be moments when im like screw this THIS IS TOO HARD but im going to try to persist for now anw if you have any ideas on where to find portable cutlery boxes or mini reusable waterproof bags for my soaps and dirty clothes and stuff feel free to share with me!!!!!!! ok I know that people dont really comment here but if you know me personally just dm me or something i really wna try to do my part for the environment now like technically im not even planting trees or doing something which is solidly considered as helping the environment but im just tryna minimize the damage and that counts too I GUESS