The Joy of Less, a Minimalist Living Guide (31 page)

You can even do some recycling in your own backyard. Instead of bagging up your leaves, twigs, grass clippings, pine needles, and other yard waste for the garbage collector, start a compost pile. Add kitchen scraps like vegetable matter, coffee grounds, tea bags, and eggshells to the heap; when everything decomposes, you’ll have a wonderful, organic substance with which to enrich your garden soil. Consult a gardening book or website for a complete list of “eligible” waste, and to learn how to layer and stir the materials. Composting is doubly good for the environment: it keeps trash out of the landfill, and eliminates the need to buy packaged, commercial fertilizer.

Although recycling occurs at the end of a product’s life cycle, keep it in mind from the very beginning. When you’re shopping, favor products that can be recycled over those that can’t; they’ll usually be marked with the universal recycling symbol (a triangle formed by three arrows). Different plastics are identified by the number inside the symbol; make sure the particular type is recyclable in your community. If not, consider a more eco-friendly alternative. Likewise, avoid acquiring hazardous and toxic materials (like paints, cleaners, oils, and pesticides). Improper disposal of such items is harmful to the environment, and a threat to human health; you’ll need to drop them off at special collection sites to get rid of them. Take the easy way out, and seek safer, non-toxic products to meet your household needs.

As minsumers, we aim to purchase as little as possible; therefore, we want the stuff we buy to last a long time. We must consider the lifespan of an item in our decision to acquire it. Why waste all those precious resources—for production, distribution, and disposal—on a product we have for just a few months?

For this reason, favor items that are well made and durable. That sounds like a no-brainer; but how many times have you let price, rather than quality, influence what you buy? When you’re shopping, it’s easy to compare prices, but it can be difficult to determine quality. How do you know if that chair will collapse next month, or if that watch will stop ticking next week? You have to put on your detective hat, and look for clues: like where the product was made, the materials out of which it’s constructed, and the reputation of the manufacturer. Although price isn’t always a gauge of quality, low cost isn’t typically associated with longevity; and while replacing the item may not break the bank, we must consider the environmental costs of doing so.

Accordingly, refrain from purchasing trendy items—like the handbag that’s “hot” one moment, and “out” ten minutes later; the décor that’ll look dated next season; or the electronic gadget that’ll be obsolete in a few months. These items will never wear out before you tire of them (or before you’re too embarrassed to own them). Even if you donate them, resources were still wasted on their manufacture and distribution; better to have never purchased them in the first place. Instead, choose pieces you truly love, or classic items that’ll stay in style forever; then, you’ll be able to measure their lifespan in decades, rather than days.

Finally, avoid disposable products whenever possible. We certainly don’t want to deplete our natural resources on items we use for
minutes!
Unfortunately, “single-use” stuff has become increasingly popular in our society: from plates to razors, napkins to diapers, cameras to cleaning cloths. Many such items are used daily, and generate a tremendous amount of waste. You can slash your carbon footprint dramatically by favoring reusable versions: like handkerchiefs, canvas shopping bags, rechargeable batteries, proper tableware and utensils, and cloth napkins, diapers, and towels. As always, let the lifespan be your guide; if it’s ridiculously short, look for a longer-lasting alternative.

When evaluating a potential purchase, give due consideration to the materials from which it was made. By choosing items produced with sustainable or renewable resources, you can minimize the impact of your consumption.

As a general rule, favor products made from natural materials over man-made ones. Synthetic substances like plastics are typically made from petroleum, which is a non-renewable resource. Not only is the manufacturing process energy-intensive; it can emit harmful toxins, and expose workers to hazardous fumes and chemicals. Furthermore, some plastics contain additives that can leach into food and water, and pose a health risk. Disposal presents an additional problem. Plastics degrade very slowly, and can persist in landfills for hundreds (or even thousands) of years; burning them, on the other hand, can create toxic pollution.

Natural materials don’t require the same energy inputs, and are significantly easier to dispose of and recycle. But just because we’re buying something made of wood, doesn’t mean we’re in the clear. We must still be vigilant with regards to its origin and harvesting. Large swaths of land have been deforested to produce paper, furniture, flooring, lumber, and other products. Illegal logging and unsustainable harvesting have destroyed ecosystems, displaced indigenous tribes, and altered local climates. To avoid contributing to such tragedies, look for wood that has been certified as coming from sustainable sources, and favor rapidly renewable types (like bamboo) over endangered species (like mahogany and teak).

Alternatively, reduce your environmental impact by purchasing products made from recycled content. You’ll find paper, clothing, handbags, shoes, flooring, furniture, décor, jewelry, glassware, and plenty of other items that are enjoying a second life as something new. Buying recycled goods preserves natural resources, saves energy, and prevents the original items from ending up in a landfill. Show your true minsumer spirit, and take pride in the fact that your tote bag was made from soda bottles, or your dining table from reclaimed wood.

Finally, consider the packaging. The ideal, of course, is none at all—especially considering the brevity of its lifespan. However, many of the items we buy will come with some sort of outer casing. Favor those products with the least amount of packaging, or packaging that can easily be recycled. And by all means, don’t bring home your purchases in a plastic bag; make it a habit to use cloth ones instead. This action alone can save a significant amount of energy and waste!

Not only must we evaluate the materials from which a product was made; we must consider who made it, and under what conditions. That tchotchke on the department store shelf, or that dress on a retailer’s rack, didn’t materialize out of thin air. Some person either constructed it by hand, or operated the machinery to do so; and before we buy it, we want to know if that person was treated fairly, provided with safe working conditions, and paid a livable wage.

In my “world of the future” fantasies, I imagine being able to scan the barcode of a product with my cell phone to discover its history: like what natural resources were used in its production; whether it can be recycled, or how long it will take to degrade in a landfill; where it was made, and the manufacturer’s track record with respect to wages and working conditions. Imagine having such data at our fingertips! We’d understand the impact of each purchase, and could make a truly informed decision whether or not to buy it.

Decades ago, such information was easy to obtain. Factories were located in our towns and cities, and we could see with our own eyes whether smokestacks were belching out pollution, or chemicals being dumped into lakes and rivers. We could visit the factory floor, or ask our neighbor, cousin, or friend who worked there if they were treated properly and paid adequately. We could trust that unions, laws, and regulations ensured a fair wage and safe environment for the people who made our stuff. With the advent of globalization, all that changed. Most of the things we buy now are made in far-flung locales where labor is cheap, and companies volunteer little information about their supply chains or production methods. Some use foreign subcontractors for their manufacturing, and may themselves be unaware of the conditions under which their products are made.

Why should we be concerned? Because even though our Uncle Joe isn’t making our jeans anymore, there’s still a human being making them; and all too often, that person may be suffering in the process. In order to cut costs and increase profits, more and more corporations are outsourcing manufacturing to where wages are lowest. Unfortunately, where wages are low, regulations are usually scarce. So the person making our hip-huggers may very well be working excessive hours, in cramped, filthy, and dangerous conditions. They may suffer injuries, breathe harmful fumes, be exposed to dangerous chemicals, and endure verbal or physical abuse. They may make only pennies per hour, and have no hope of pulling themselves, or their families, out of poverty. Worse yet, they may be children—removed from their homes, denied an education, and forced to work.

How will we know? Well, that’s the tricky part. Obviously, no company is going to put out a press release on how little they pay their workers, or run commercials showing the miserable conditions in their factories. Our best option is self-education. We should take it upon ourselves to learn which manufacturers employ fair labor practices, and which ones don’t. Search the Internet for information from watchdog groups and human rights organizations; and pay attention to exposés on companies that have been tied to child labor, sweatshop conditions, and abuses of human rights. Research the retailers and brands you patronize, to make sure their practices are in line with your values; if they’re not, take your business elsewhere. Also, inspect the origin label before you buy something; if the product was made in a region known for environmental destruction or exploited labor, pass up the purchase and move on.

In many cases, you’ll suspect—but won’t be sure—that a product was made under substandard conditions. For example, the price may be too low for anyone to have earned a decent wage in the process; or it may be from a Third World country known for slum-like working conditions. That may be enough to make you return it to the rack, lest you inadvertently contribute to someone else’s suffering. Bravo! You’ll find that such concern makes you more of a minimalist—because it’s usually easier to
not buy
something, than uncover its particular background. Your desire to save the world saves space in your closet; and your desire to save space in your closet saves the world. How wonderful is that?

We’ve talked a lot about production and disposal, and how we can minimize our footprints with respect to them. We’re not done yet, however. We must also consider distribution—and how the transport of goods from where they’re made, to where we buy them, adds to their environmental toll.

Once upon a time, the majority of our goods were produced close to our homes. We bought our vegetables from the farmer who raised them, our clothes from the tailor who sewed them, and our tools from the blacksmith who forged them. In most cases, such items traveled no more than a hundred miles (and usually quite a bit less) to reach us. Now, our stores carry produce from Chile, apparel from India, and hardware from China. Much of the stuff in our households originated halfway around the globe. The problem: the additional energy (in the form of fuel) that must be expended to transport it.

Oil is a non-renewable energy source that gets scarcer by the minute. Yet, instead of conserving it, we fill up planes, ships, and trucks with it to move consumer goods from one corner of the world to another. Unfortunately, that means more pollution in our atmosphere, and less resources in our future. Is it really worth the environmental consequences to send a mango, or a mini skirt, on a three-thousand-mile journey?

Not to us minsumers. We prefer to buy our goods locally, keep our air cleaner, and save all that energy. We’d rather purchase our chairs from a local craftsperson, than a furniture superstore; our décor from the community arts fair, instead of a global retailer; and our clothes from a manufacturer in our own country. It’s certainly not as easy as popping into the megamart, and it can be challenging to find a pair of socks without an exotic pedigree. But the least we can do is
try
. In fact, the more we demand domestic goods over imported ones, the more likely we’ll see a revival in local manufacturing.

Fortunately, there’s one category in which buying local is a breeze: food. Many of us have access to local farmers’ markets, where we can purchase fresh fruits, vegetables, honey, meats, dairy products, and more. Since the items are grown, raised, and produced locally, the energy expended in transportation is minimal. Furthermore, freshly picked produce tastes better, and is more nutritious, than food that’s been sprayed with pesticides and spent a week in a shipping container. Therefore, plan your menu according to what’s in season. Instead of buying tomatoes in January from some far-off land, enjoy the fruits of your local harvest throughout the year. Nothing’s more delicious than corn, blueberries, and watermelon in summer; apples, squash, and pumpkin in fall; oranges, chestnuts, and turnips in winter; and spinach, snow peas, and strawberries in spring.

When we buy local, we not only save the environment; we also strengthen our communities. Instead of sending our hard-earned dollars to foreign nations, we put them right back into our own neighborhoods—where they can provide the services, build the infrastructure, and fund the programs we need. We save our farmland from developers, thereby preserving open space and agricultural traditions. We foster strong and diverse local economies, which are far less dependent on (and better able to weather disruptions in) global markets and supply chains. Best of all, we build long-lasting, personal relationships with the people who supply our stuff. It’s wonderful to know that our consumption is helping a farmer maintain his livelihood, or a local merchant’s child attend college—rather than paying the bonus of some distant corporate executive.