Better than Plastic
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If we look around, despite all the talk about Climate Change and pledges to change things, the world hasn’t made a single meaningful change yet.
It's like there is a pool and it's super refreshing, but for the last 50 years, we have just been dipping our big toe on it, instead of jumping right in. AND WE ARE ON FIRE. WE NEED TO JUMP IN. For instance, to get away from plastic (99% of plastics is created from fossil fuels, after all), many groceries have been switching to paper bags. |
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Some of it is recycled, but recycling itself still requires use of paper, which comes from trees. And using trees in this day and age is in itself a problem.
Recycling paper is hard to do -- first of all, soiled paper is not easily recyclable, and secondly, the process of recycling also costs a lot of energy. A LOT.
There are many environmentally friendly alternatives to using trees. Using bamboo products, for instance, as bamboo is an easily renewable resource that keeps growing and rebuilding itself, is a better option.
But better even would be to do something like this grocery store in the Netherlands, Pieter Pot, where people are encouraged to bring their glass containers and have their food filled that way. Their goal is a zero-waste grocery store.
If more stores did the same, everywhere in the world, just think of the amount of energy, trees and resources we could spare!
Besides, people grocery shopping in places that still use plastic to wrap food are estimated to use 20 kilos of plastic per year, per person... so this solution makes sense!
Recycling paper is hard to do -- first of all, soiled paper is not easily recyclable, and secondly, the process of recycling also costs a lot of energy. A LOT.
There are many environmentally friendly alternatives to using trees. Using bamboo products, for instance, as bamboo is an easily renewable resource that keeps growing and rebuilding itself, is a better option.
But better even would be to do something like this grocery store in the Netherlands, Pieter Pot, where people are encouraged to bring their glass containers and have their food filled that way. Their goal is a zero-waste grocery store.
If more stores did the same, everywhere in the world, just think of the amount of energy, trees and resources we could spare!
Besides, people grocery shopping in places that still use plastic to wrap food are estimated to use 20 kilos of plastic per year, per person... so this solution makes sense!
Look at their pots and bags -- burlap lasts a very long time and is better for the environment.
If you think this is a good idea, then write your local grocery store and ask for this option!
When many people show an interest in something, then things can change.
The change can start with you!
When many people show an interest in something, then things can change.
The change can start with you!
We hate other single-use plastics, too.
Did you know what other things also use a lot of plastic AND paper? Printers.
Printer cartridges have been adding to landfills for a very long time, but you don't have to always buy a new one.
Refilling your own ink cartridge has much lower carbon footprint than buying a new, original ink cartridge because it keeps the ink cartridge going, rather than shredding it all to manufacture it all over again.
Imagine the amount of energy needed to get rid of old cartridges, and the pollution caused by all the cartridges. It's ridiculous!
Printer cartridges have been adding to landfills for a very long time, but you don't have to always buy a new one.
Refilling your own ink cartridge has much lower carbon footprint than buying a new, original ink cartridge because it keeps the ink cartridge going, rather than shredding it all to manufacture it all over again.
Imagine the amount of energy needed to get rid of old cartridges, and the pollution caused by all the cartridges. It's ridiculous!
Imagine if you are shopping for printers...
Woah! $60 for a printer, and it comes with 9 months of ink!
This is a steal!
And I have forestry-first printing tacked on for free when I activate the free ink! That's perfect!
Wait a second...so I have to give up any reasonable privacy and liberty, a more substainable way to print, have to create an account and maintain internet connection and give them a complete monopoly? Where did they get their guts?
And... of course to market the product as environmentally friendly, companies lie.
One of their lies include -- "you can only use our cartridges in your printer" which is completely wrong.
One of their lies include -- "you can only use our cartridges in your printer" which is completely wrong.
To make it worse, the company could always pull out of the free ink, like what the VERY SAME COMPANY tried in the past.
That's right, a company that is selling printers and computers and brag about sustainability is constantly greenwashing. Not only do they downcycle likely reusable plastic bottles to single-use cartridges, they also prevent you from doing something better for the planet, because apparently:
War is Peace
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength
Disposable, single-use, printing cartridge and preventing you from doing anything else is clearly NOT the best and only option for you and the planet.
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength
Disposable, single-use, printing cartridge and preventing you from doing anything else is clearly NOT the best and only option for you and the planet.
What can I do?
Well, the best option is to get a supertank (e.g. Smart Tank, MegaTank, EcoTank) or a fairly refillable laser (e.g. Neverstop, LaserJet Tank) where the actual disposable component is minimized.
Another great option is to simply refill your own ink cartridges. You could get a set of "refillable cartridge" on sites like aliexpress, with a transparent tank/top, for anywhere between $15-50 dollars, to make your life easier.
Ink costs as little as $15 per kit, less than the price of one single standard-fill cartridges (in this example, I'm using HP65), but it can refill both cartridges about 20x in the "High Yield" fill.
Another good thing to do -- buy second-hand printers!
Another great option is to simply refill your own ink cartridges. You could get a set of "refillable cartridge" on sites like aliexpress, with a transparent tank/top, for anywhere between $15-50 dollars, to make your life easier.
Ink costs as little as $15 per kit, less than the price of one single standard-fill cartridges (in this example, I'm using HP65), but it can refill both cartridges about 20x in the "High Yield" fill.
Another good thing to do -- buy second-hand printers!
