by Olynda Smith, AMS Certified Montessori Teacher and Simplicity Parenting Family Life Coach
When I think about the challenges that stand in the way of humans living sustainably on the planet it can feel very overwhelming! I mean really - the water, the air, the landfills, the plastic, THE PLASTIC!!
Did you know that if nothing changes by 2050 we are projected to have more plastic than fish in the sea (by weight)?! I probably don’t have to tell you that plastics are incredibly harmful to the earth and all the plants and animals who live here - including us. And thanks to the enduring quality of plastic that also includes our kids, our grandkids, their grandkids and their grandkid’s grandkids!
Harmful plastic is in our clothes, soaps, food and more. It is so incredibly interwoven into our lives it can seem impossible to take meaningful action.
It is hard not to be overwhelmed! So, I absolutely love it when solutions come along to help us clean up any part of our family’s environmental impact. I love it even more when those solutions are easy for us to adopt! There are serious bonus points if I can see immediate positive impacts to our family life as well as long range impacts for the future of life on earth.
If you, like me, are looking for small changes that can help align your family life with your environmental values, Tiny Earth is a great fit for you! The statistics, reposted by ecoBirdy, that I keep coming back to is that 80% of toys end up in a landfill, incinerators or the ocean and 90% are plastic and used for only 6 months. These are some of the statistics that have inspired our existence as a company.
If you, like me, are looking for even more ways to decrease your plastic footprint, check out the information and inspiration over at Earthday.org.
We are in this together,
Olynda
Resources:
This New York Times Article has in-depth, incredibly useful and surprising information about keeping children and parents safe from plastic exposure.
Mr. Rogers always advised looking for the people who are helping during any crisis. Here is an inspiring list and description of nonprofit organizations that are working hard to help us all have less plastic in our lives.