environ(mentalism) - part one: introduction

so the title of this facebook note is a little misleading what's my toothpaste tube made of and is it trying to kill me? OR how an (environ)mentalist celebrates earth day.  it is not so much about what i did on earth day (although i do try to find some sort of project and if the weather permits attend the earth day celebration at msum).  what the post is describes is my dedication to environmentalism through changes to my daily habits and routines.  some people call these quirks, others probably believe they are a result of some sort of mental disorder; however, i believe they are a reflection of my values.  i take my impact on the global community seriously and like to think about how everything in my life came to be.

"In the future I plan to find a hemp or bamboo shower curtain, buy wicker laundry baskets, buy non-plastic toothbrushes, replace my plastic hangers, and replace my plastic storage bins. (Don't worry, when I say 'replace' I mean wait until necessary or find used and cheap.) Also, deodorant that isn't in plastic...does it exist?  What about face soap?  Thinking about my art and craft supplies makes my head hurt so badly I pretend that they don't exist more often than not.  To me, tackling them seems like trying to climb Mt. Everest."

I did find a shower curtain, two of them, actually.  And I'm not sure what they are made of, but I got them both for free (both off the curb...one after a rummage sale one during clean-up week).  But, since I picked them it doesn't really matter what they're made of since keeping stuff out of the landfill is always green.  Plus, they are cloth, not plastic so that is good too!  Also, I have a wicker hamper in the bathroom now and just need another basket and I'll be plastic laundry bin free.

So far, I'm still using facial soap that comes in a plastic bottle...but that's just because I'm still using the same giant container that I had when I wrote the original post.  I think I know enough now to just make my own.  Same with deodorant and toothpaste.

As far as crafting is concerned I've basically shifted my focus to eco-friendly endeavors like re-purposing.  Here is a photo of my latest creation (this piece was donated to the FMCBW's Art in Action silent auction and fundraiser).