When convenience becomes uncomfortable
If the practicality of buying all our packaged food leaves us with a mountain of waste that grows more every day, that practicality becomes uncomfortable. The time that we are promised to save when buying everything ready to eat, is it really worth it?
The before and after in consume
Created in the 1930s and popularized in the 1950s, the use of cling wrap or Saran wrap to wrap food became indispensable in kitchens around the world for its practicality, especially when storing sandwiches or leftovers from meals. This invention marked a huge change in our shopping habits: the introduction of packagedand frozen food, bread already sliced in bags, peeled, cut and packaged fruit and vegetables became part of our daily consumption, leaving behind what were historically more sustainable traditions.
The B side of practicality
In exchange for our convenience we are compromising the environment and affecting our health. Plastic film is virtually impossible to recycle as it contains very thin layers that are extremely difficult to separate. If it decomposes, it increases the amount of microplastics that threatens the health of marine ecosystems. If it is incinerated or accumulated in a landfill, it releases dioxins, toxic compounds that according to the WHO, “end up in the food chain, registering in some soils, sediments and foods, especially dairy products, meat, fish and shellfish.”
How did we live before plastic?
We just need to look back and learn from the generations that used to reuse everything: lunches were transported in metal containers (lunch boxes), glass bottles for milk or drinks were returnable (like the ones some restaurants use now), wicker baskets or carts were used for going shopping, fruit, vegetables, eggs, meat and fish were wrapped in brown paper and cloth bags were brought from home to buy bread or bulk products.
The speed with which we adapted to the insertion of plastic into everyday life did not give us time to think about its long-term effects. The seriousness of the environmental situation is what leads us to reflect on when the practical becomes uncomfortable and what measures we can take according to our consumption habits.
The “discomfort” of adopting these habits again
Although there is a privilege in accessing certain products and the ways to obtain them, and despite the fact that not all of us can have the freedom to choose all the time, it is in our hands to go for the “uncomfortable” option as a way to rebel against the mass consumption system.
A visit to the neighborhood market where you can buy bulk food from small stores without packaging, bake bread at home, prepare a family meal… choosing the long way will give us the satisfaction of having dedicated a moment to be more aware of planet-friendly alternatives, and enjoying that time will help us adopt these habits.
How to become friends with uncomfortable?
We have to be able to find satisfaction in every action and be aware that the extra time we dedicate is worth it.
An excellent option to reduce single use plastic are in fact reusable containers, bags and wraps. Go back to the materials with which we managed before, reuse the glass jars to store food in the pantry or carry a bag with us to be able to say no to the plastic bag at any last minute purchase.
A practical and natural option
Regarding food preservation, we can be inspired by the ecological alternatives that were used in ancient times, cloth bags for bread or beeswax wraps to keep fruits and vegetables fresh for longer. With this biodegradable option we can easily wrap food without harming our health or the planet’s.
Do you put any of these actions into practice? Share your ideas and opinions with us in the comments!
