I like to do what I can to be environmentally-friendly and lessen my impact on the planet.  Unfortunately, I have found that much of this behavior is considered unusual and people often seem to judge me because of it.  Not for being environmental, but for other reasons.  Take plastic bags, for example.  When I go to a grocery store, I have to very loudly and assertively ask to not have my food bagged (except in Whole Foods).  Otherwise, a bagger will come over and immediately start dumping my food into more bags than is necessary, sometimes even double bagging.  Each one used makes me cringe.  Where will that end up?  Will some poor bird try to eat it one day?  It’s hard to say.

When I make that request, I often get looks and people ask me if I’m sure.  Of course I’m sure!  Gosh, why do you think you’re selling reusable cloth bags but to reduce use of these stupid plastic ones?  It’s slightly annoying that they are so incredulous that I may actually want to inconvenience myself a bit with carrying the items separately than to stuff it into a bag.  I guess I should start bringing my bag just so they won’t wonder why I chose to carry those five items in my arms.  Not that that is such a difficult task anyway, but it seems people don’t understand why you wouldn’t even bag one item nowadays.  It’s a mentality that needs to be broken before our disposable habits trash the world even worse than it already has.

Then there is my habit of bringing my own set of utensils to use.  The first thing people think is that I do so because of hygiene issues.  But no, my handy dandy To-Go Ware is purely for a conservation purpose.  The less disposable utensils I use, the better, since fewer will be thrown out later.  Having a bamboo set solves all my problems.  I have my very own fork, knife, spoon, and chopsticks for any food I might encounter.  I also intend on getting my own reusable straws to bring around.  Until then, I refuse to use straws.  They are, after all, completely useless except for sucking up boba.  Sometimes I get looks then, but really, can your glass be much dirtier than the plate you eat on?  Please.  Don’t think it’s unhygienic to drink directly from a cup when you eat directly off a plate.

And finally, another consistent thing I do is not use paper towels.  What’s wrong with air drying?  I also bring around a little People Towel in my purse most of the time, which is great for wiping your hands.  Although having wet/damp hands after each wash is a bit of an inconvenience, people seem to find it a bit gross.  Perhaps because you never know if that’s water or something else… but that isn’t an issue that people should be worried about, unless you’re dealing with a young child.  Yet nonetheless, I am on the receiving end of looks all the time, for these little habits I have that aren’t the norm.  Alas, it ain’t easy living a green life!