As a human being living on the planet, I think the climate crisis seems an insurmountable problem to tackle on one’s own. Sometimes, I want to bury my head in the sand and let the scientists deal with it. But time and time again, I come across a gut-wrenching statistic or image that really opens me up to wanting to live more intentionally on earth – my only time living on this planet. 

I am committing to learning about plastics by examining my living space to evaluate my current habits and identify ways to reduce my plastic use. I plan to make small, consistent changes in my environment, with the hope of confronting the reality of the situation, taking meaningful actions, and lifting my head out of the sand.

I also don’t want to get all gloomy, overly emotional, poetic, or preachy about this. I am just an average person, not a scientist, trying to navigate life every day in this world with a little bit of gratitude for things like running water and warm shelter. I believe that, like compounding interest, our small daily actions can grow to make a difference and have some really impact in our lives and environment. 

My first foray into this endeavour will be focusing on my tiny laundry room and laundry detergent I use! Sooooo, I typically use laundry pods because I really enjoy the sweet smell of fresh, clean laundry. However, I recently discovered that laundry pods are made with a petroleum-based plastic!!!!!!

While they do dissolve in water, they don’t wholly DISAPPEAR! So, where do the remaining particles go? Unfortunately, microplastics from laundry end up in waterways and oceans, posing a huge threat to harm marine life and eventually making their way into the food chain.  I thought I was being savvy by buying a LARGE box of TIDE pods that would last me for months.

Are Dishwasher and Laundry Pods and Sheets Plastic?

Soooo… I have decided not to continue using TIDE. Instead, I will try a few different Canadian-owned laundry detergent brands to see which one I like best.

I will be trying:

Tanit Laundry Detergent Tablets

I also have many plastic bottles, so getting this refill box works well for me.

The Unscented Co. Laundry – 10 L Refill box

It may be a small step, but it feels like progress.