So recently walking or doing self care has been hard for me. I struggle with depression and a lot of anxiety. Walking was just not working for me but I started picking up a little bit of trash and it made me have some motivation to go outside again. Not to sound like I’m grabbing for attention or anything.
I want to be safe while I’m doing it and would really appreciate any tips! Right now I use trash bags, a leather glove that is very thick and I wash my hands when I get home.
I always wear pants and socks as well as long sleeves and if I remember I tie my long hair back. Any tips to stay safe?

Hi everyone, I have recently gotten a lot more serious about my sustainability in daily routines. One thing I have noticed I need frequently are Q-tips. I use them for acne spot treatment (to dip into tea tree oil) and to wipe mascara off my eyelids when doing my makeup.

I recently ran out of my last few disposable Q-tips and don't want to buy more but this is really an essential part of my routine. Are there any reliable reusable ones or at least more eco-friendly brans?

I still have a couple of hair gel/wax tubes at home that includes microplastics and probably some other questionable ingredients. I try to minimize the use of hair gels at all, but still use it when my hair grows longer or on some occassions. I prefer looking for all organic/biodegradable products in the future, but it could take literally years to finish the non-sustainable products I already have at home.

So I wonder if, A, it makes sense to keep using them untill they are empty or B, if it would be enviromentally better to empty them in the bin so they get will get burned at the waste incineration (and I will throw te package in the plastic recycling bin).

Scenario A:

-Microplastics will partly end up outside or inside due to wearing out and wind, the rest will end up in wastewater after showering. In my country there is a great water filtering system, but I don't think it can catch very small compounds.

-I don't need to buy a new natural product in this case, which seems like a pro because that still requires resources, transport and probably still plastic packaging

Scenario B:

-The product will be processed and burned with bulk waste, which also is quite well controlled in my country, but I have no clue if it fully breaks down te microplastics at all.

-I will buy an alternative hair product.

I know it's quite a specific and relatively very small example of sustainable living, but I still wonder what would be the best thing to do environmentally in cases like this.

When I moved into my building everyone was adding white roofs to their apartments buildings for energy savings. Now it seems like they are going back to black. Why could this be?

i consider it a form of charity, because it also helps people in the developing world live better lives in a more sustainable way.

Then I offset an extra 2 tonnes, just because….

I am feeling very guilty about flying.

If it wasn’t for flying I would have a very low footprint.

I have clean power and gas and I ensure there is more clean power and gas on the grid on my behalf than I use, I have no pets or kids, I buy almost everything used, I eat very low on the food chain (basically oysters and clams are my meat,) I take short showers, I have no car, I wash my laundry in cold water, I repair, I have no car, I live an apartment, don’t drink bottled water or pop, I don’t eat ultra processed foods, I have very little food waste, I don’t wear makeup or dye my hair, I don’t drink coffee, I buy tablets, powder, and reuse containers for cleaning supplies, I use bar shampoo, conditioner, hand soap, body wash, and stain remover. My moisturizer comes in a reusable container that I reuse, my deodorant comes in compostable packaging , I recycle, I compost, my toothbrush only needs the head replaced, I use safety razors, I steam mop, I reuse plastic bags, I avoid plastic bags, I pick up litter on a daily basis.

I feel so guilty about flying, even though my footprint is still lower than the average North America even with flying.

this is just a confession post.

Halloween is my favorite holiday, but I noticed that the month-long celebrations cause a lot of waste. Thrift stores are lined with used-once costumes and plastic decorations. There is so much candy being eaten, leaving plastic waste behind. I want to make sure I am not a part of that problem.

Every year I make my Halloween costumes from scratch, but this year I wanted to be extra careful about how I am doing it. I like to have several costumes, so this has made it tricky, but I’ve done it!

My first costume is Ilya Rozanov from Heated Rivalry. I thrifted a black hoodie to use as the hockey jersey. I then thrifted a red and white shirt made for a hyper-specific event that would not get thrifted otherwise(the white shirt was for donating to an organization, the red shirt I forgot now) to be used as the stripes on the jersey. I hand sewed all of it because I want it to last past this costume as I plan to wear it as an everyday sweater. I did not buy new hockey sticks; I am borrowing hockey sticks off of a friend’s parent for this, and am giving them back as soon as the celebrations are done. I already had a Boston Raiders hat (found at a yard sale a year ago) that I paired with the rest of this costume. 

My second costume is a cowgirl. I’ve always wanted to wear chaps, and I knew that I could make a quality purchase here for something that I can wear to other events. I found real leather chaps off of Facebook Marketplace. Otherwise, the rest of this costume was stuff I already owned: shorts, shirt, bandana, and cowboy hat (borrowed from my brother). I know that past Halloween, I would have no other reason to wear cowboy boots, so I’m not purchasing any for this costume. 

My last costume is a little bit niche, but it leaves me with less details to worry about. I’m going as Johnny Knoxville. All I need are rainbow suspenders and a sailor hat. While these may seem like unnecessary props that will be thrown away after October 31st, I am unconventional when it comes to my everyday outfits, so I can find ways to style both of these accessories when the time comes. I bought both the rainbow suspenders and sailor hat secondhand! I already own a white t-short and pants that will work fine with this costume. 

On top of that, I will not be buying candy for my house. I live in a neighborhood with barely any kids, and the ones that do trick-or-treat, go to other neighborhoods. I don’t want to perpetuate plastic consumption for no reason.

How are you staying sustainable during this spooky season? I’d like to know more sustainable approaches to fall festivities that I can apply to my Halloween celebrations!

I'm sure we all have friends or family who keep the tap running the whole time while they put toothpaste on their toothbrush and the few minutes as they brush their teeth. Polite requests or shaming them doesn't seem to work. Perhaps seeing something from a third party might be more effective? Any tips?

I'm looking for a Google Drive alternative that is sustainable, any leads?

Same with emails!

Companies often promote electrification as a climate commitment. But the transition also depends on whether drivers can realistically afford EVs and access the incentives offered to them.

Uber advertises a $4,000 Go Electric incentive for eligible drivers. I applied and was denied. After more than five contacts with support, my cases were closed without a clear explanation.

I'm not claiming that one denied application proves greenwashing. But it raises a legitimate question: how transparent and accessible are these programs in practice?

If a company wants drivers to switch to electric vehicles, shouldn't eligibility decisions be clear, consistent, and open to meaningful review?

Have other drivers experienced similar problems with EV incentives?

(it is a local issue but it's very general, it's applicable in most urban cities)

In my city, waste is dumped in a ground and goes through no treatment, absolutely nothing.

the place stinks, it's overfilled, and the trash is on the road.

they ask us to segregate the waste but both types of waste are dumped in the same ground so that's no use.

I can't look at it, it's so disgusting to see, i really want to make proposals to the municipal corporation but i need EYE OPENING ideas, i understand if this post isn't appropriate for this subreddit, but please contribute and share how your city manages waste?

i live in the city right next to the capital city of my country and it's fairly urban. what change can be brought?

I'm a casual golfer, and I think the sport is tons of fun. Though, as one who tries to live sustainably, studies sustainability, and will eventually have a career related to sustainability, I have this guilt whenever I play. I know that golf courses are awful for the environment; they're ecological dead zones, use absurd amounts of water, and use tons of chemicals. Is there anything that can be done about this, or should I just quit the sport?

Like what are all the things to do , from solar panels , heat pumps , too little things like changing to a more environmentally friendly products or growing more trees in your garden , idk other stuff