While many are likely planning a New Year’s resolution centered around eating better, exercising more or removing a habit that has no use in their life, there could be a different approach to making a big change in the coming year: living a more environmentally conscious life.
With packaging from online orders, gift boxes and wrapping paper starting to pile up, making the next trip to the recycling center a daunting chore, it can be a good reminder to the vast amount of stuff consumed on a weekly or daily basis. And instead of looking at it as a negative, use it as inspiration to make some changes.
Melody Russell and her daughter Michelle live in Hancock. Michelle is old enough to have a place of her own, but they choose to live together because as Michelle puts it, “it seems silly for us to both have a home.”
Melody learned a lot from her parents when it came to the idea of reusing the stuff the family already had. She remembers one Christmas when her father took an old wooden barrel and turned it into a sled. She saw her father take gloves that had holes in the palms and turn them around to maximize their life. Her grandmother grew up during the Depression and lived a simple life, growing a garden in her yard and never drove.
Melody has been captivated with nature since she was a child, and fondly remembers the initiatives to start Earth Day and open the Wilton Recycling Center. As an advocate for social change, she identified two potential paths to take.
“It was either legislation or teaching,” Melody said.
She chose the latter and worked to use recycled materials whenever possible for her student’s art projects.
Melody realizes there’s a problem with consumerism in America and she admits she’s not perfect. She still gets a sandwich for lunch on days she’s in a rush or a paper coffee cup when out and about. And knows she should probably condense the amount of trips she makes to Peterborough by doing more in each one.
“I think people are looking for ways to change because they want to, but it’s hard to change habits,” Melody said. “Changing your behavior is very challenging.”
Michelle is constantly trying to figure out how to use less. And when she does have to buy something, she tries to do so with less packaging and with another use in mind.
“You can ask yourself the question: is this something I really need and is there another way I can source it so it’s more climate friendly,” she said. “Do I need a bag if I buy some crackers or do I need crackers if its comes in plastic?”
She can’t help but think about the big picture and how the constant waste is affecting the world’s climate. That’s why she has big ideas for a solar array, an electric car and even thinks twice about traveling.
But on many fronts, Melody is doing her part. And it comes to down a few little things, while planning for the bigger avenues. She said they haven’t bought wrapping paper in many years and makes an effort to not leave the water running while brushing her teeth.
In a way to save money, Melody’s mom stopped using a clothes dryer and she and Michelle have also chosen to use a clothesline instead.
Instead of buying more stuff for each other at Christmas, the Russells decided to buy a new energy efficient refrigerator that will result in about a two-thirds savings, a suggestion that was made when they had an audit conducted to see if solar was an option. But even the idea of throwing away a refrigerator that still works is hard to get past.
“You can’t be perfect all the time,” Michelle said. “But maybe an important first thing is to think about what energy you’re using and what your pollution foot print is.”
A few years ago they installed a masonry stove to cut back on their fossil fuel use.
Melody said as they’ve made changes to their lives incrementally, it hasn’t affected their quality of life.
“You don’t even realize you’ve chosen a very simple and happy life,” she said.
They go to farmers markets and local farms for things like meat, eggs and milk. It cuts down on unneeded packaging and supports the local economy. They also have gardens and fruit trees to supply some of their own food.
For Tom Faber, who lives in Hancock, he has been a proponent of cleaner living for some time.
“There’s a lot that people can do,” Faber said.
Faber is big on finding a secondary use for things and it shows with the fact that “my favorite place to shop is the swap shop in town.”
He recently read that since 1980, plastic pollution has increased ten fold.
“And every piece of plastic is around for 1,000 years or so,” he said. “The stuff isn’t going away any time soon.”
Faber said that starting by consuming less is one way to do your part, as well as making sure to find a way to recycle what can be – including food.
“”There’s a lot of food waste,” he said. “So if you’re not going to use something, throw it in the freezer and and take it out it in a couple weeks.”
He said about 25 percent of waste is organic material, so a good resolution might be to start composting.
“It’s a little harder to do in the winter, but it’s possible,” Faber said.
Recycling is important Faber said, but it can be difficult to know what can be recycled and what can’t, so educating yourself or asking questions is a great way to prevent recyclable items from ending up in the trash.
“Always go to your recycling center first and ask if they can take it or will someone use it,” Faber said.
Faber likes to buy in bulk, but instead of getting one of the small plastic bags provided by the grocery store, he brings his own jars.
He’s not perfect, but is always looking to make improvements.
“I guess what we can do is make small steps, but we have a long way to go,” Faber said. “We need to make progress because we’re losing the battle.”
And when it comes to energy use reduction, Faber said it’s a good idea to check out the NHSaves program through Eversource that offers a discounted audit – for those who qualify – as well as up to $4,000 for energy efficiency upgrades. “It’s like free money,” he said.
Like with the above mentioned New Year’s resolution ideas, it’s never a good idea to try to do it all at once. Slight adjustments to the way you purchase and consume can be the beginning of a journey toward making the world a better place.
“I don’t think anyone has to go crazy. Maybe if we all did cut back on things we don’t need so much, it could be fun,” Michelle said. “We have a lot of power to do more and if we collectively do it, we can make a difference.”