Introduction
Welcome to My Blog
Hello, everybody, and welcome back to my blog. My name is Raheem, and in a blog not very long ago, I talked about ugly sustainability. Generally, I asked out into the internet if you wanted more ugly sustainability tips. The reason why I am talking about this is because the way I show my home, the way I show my life, is often very curated. When you make content, it ends up being curated no matter what you do. As such, it can be really easy to participate in or add to a narrative about sustainability that is very focused on the aesthetic.
The Problem with Aesthetic Sustainability
If you search on Pinterest, Google, Instagram, or anywhere else, you will find a lot of the same things when looking at zero waste sustainability. You will look at eco-minimalism, etc. All of these things are good, but if we end up focusing too much on making it look beautiful and aesthetic, we might end up not doing the most ideal sustainable thing. Does that make sense? I made a video about five mistakes I made when I began my zero-waste journey. One of these mistakes was related to aesthetics and focusing too much on that.
Ugly Sustainability Practices
1: Napkin and Tissue Reuse
First thing, I keep a bag of napkins from restaurants in my kitchen. Even if you don't touch them when you're out, they're still going to be thrown away. When you order takeout, you also get lots of these as well. I use them around the house for cleaning, for messy fingers, and if we run out of toilet paper. I also save wet wipes, antibacterial wipes, etc., that I collect from here and there. I bring them with me when I travel. At this point, I always have a napkin or tissue on hand for whatever emergencies, and I didn't pay for any of them. I store them in a bag that I got my salt cosmetics in, and it's proven to be a really handy reusable item. You can also use napkins as filling in your compost. This is one of those things that can quickly look super messy and, yeah, ugly, so keeping the napkins in a bag in a designated spot can really help with that.
2: Chopstick Reuse
Quick side note: the way I use these disposable napkins is different from the way I normally use dishcloths that are reusable in my kitchen. You can make kind of the same point with the next item. I also save and reuse single-use chopsticks around the house, either by washing them and using them as chopsticks again and again, but I also like to use them as support for my plants. A single-use item that's made from solid wood is anything but sustainable if it's discarded after just one use, so luckily, there's plenty of other ways to use them. I don't actually think this is ugly at all. I love how it looks, and it's definitely prettier than those plastic support sticks.
3: Supermarket Jars for Storage
One thing I've seen other people refer to as ugly or less desirable is using jars from the supermarket in your home decor for food storage, etc. However, using these is tons more sustainable than going out and buying a set of 20 similar jars. I love using my mismatched jars and often don't even bother with removing the labels. I just let it wear off, but you can also remove it if you want to. I use these in my pantry. I freeze in them, I store leftovers in the fridge in them, I drink from them, I use them as decor and as vases. The possibilities are low-key endless, and they were free. Now, I don't think this is an ugly item, but if I had to highlight something about it that could be ugly, it's how I store the lids to my jars.
4: Collecting Mismatched Tableware
I know, I know, I know. Okay, so one thing I don't think is ugly that I actually vibe with completely but someone else might find it ugly (they would be wrong, though) is collecting my glassware, plates, cutlery, etc., from different ceramic shops, thrift stores, and family heirlooms. As a result, nothing matches, but in my opinion, it looks really nice. In contrast, going to IKEA or another store and buying a six-person starter set that isn't ethically produced and that you perhaps don't care a whole lot about might mean that you're more likely to buy new or to throw it away rather than trying to fix it. Of course, you can still be sustainable and like things looking a different way. I've just personally found that it's easier to acquire eco-friendly tableware this way. But even if you have other preferences, you can still follow that aesthetic and also be sustainable.
5: Reusing Plastic Containers
Waste is not waste until you waste it, and that also goes for plastic. Because it's really difficult to be 100% plastic-free, we might as well get the most out of the plastic that does end up with us. That's why I keep using the occasional plastic container. I do, however, only store cold, solid foods in them, and I use them for bulk shopping. But yeah, not cute, but certainly practical. While this might take up some room and thus might not be the prettiest, it is super practical.
6: Reusing Cardboard Boxes
And that's saving cardboard boxes to reuse for future shipping. We store them in the basement until we need them. By the way, I also like to write inside where the package came from to encourage other people to keep reusing it again. This might not be an ugly zero-waste thing, unless you sometimes have like stacks and stacks of cardboard boxes waiting for you to organize them, then it might be a little bit ugly. But you know, instead of post-it notes, I rip apart some cardboard packaging to write on. This is definitely not an aesthetic, but using what you already have on hand is more sustainable. And of course, the cardboard is still going to be recycled.
7: Cardboard for Bookmarks
If you ever need a quick bookmark, you can also rip apart some cardboard packaging or cut it out to make it look nicer. I don't know, I'm not the boss of you. Anyway, I've done this thousands of times. I don't think I've ever bought a bookmark. I simply just use packaging. It's fine.
8: Finishing Unsustainable Products
Finish the unsustainable products you have before buying new sustainable products. There's no need to throw away perfectly good products just because you wouldn't buy them again. I still have a couple of lipsticks I'm working my way through, and they might not fit the zero-waste aesthetic, but it's definitely less wasteful. Alternatively, you can also give them to someone else who will finish them.
9: Gift Wrapping Drawer
If you're into sustainability, chances are you also have a gift wrapping drawer like me—a drawer where you keep wrappings, ribbons, and greeting cards that you've received and that you want to reuse. And I feel ya. I primarily use reusable gift wrapping, which also takes up space, by the way, but I also definitely reuse the single-use wrappings that I receive with gifts. This lemon wrapping is going on three years of birthdays and Christmases, by the way. And while the single-use wrapping does not necessarily fit into the desired vision of reusables and eco-friendly materials, reusing them still is absolutely essential.
10: Buying Ugly Produce
Now, I don't think this next thing is ugly. Actually, I have fully made it my aesthetic, and that's buying ugly produce. Many consumers often, without knowing, gravitate towards the nicest looking produce—the produce that looks the most like an advertisement picture—while most produce with cosmetic flaws end up being wasted even though they're perfectly fine to eat. So, I always try to go for the ugliest looking veg I can find, you know, for the planet and also because I feel sorry for it, honestly.
Conclusion
Thank You for Reading
Thank you so much for reading this blog. I hope that you liked it. Leave a comment down below and share your ugly sustainability tips. I would love to hear you out. Also, let me know which one of these you thought was like the worst or the best. If there is any one of these that you didn't think is ugly, or perhaps you even thought some of these were beautiful, I certainly do, actually. So, there is that. Thank you so much for reading. Have an amazing day, and I will see you guys next time. Take really good care of yourselves until then. Bye!
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