Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Waste and Basketball a.k.a. How Two of the Biggest Parts of My Life Clash





    As many of you might know, I am a professional basketball player. Basketball has been a part of my life basically since the day I was born because my mom was a pro player as well. I am 23 and have played basketball for 17 years.
    On the other hand, we have the environment and nature. Nature I have always loved and enjoyed, but I didn't find out about the climate crisis until I was a junior in high school, which was about 6 years ago.
    After that, it took me another 3 years to realize how wasteful my lifestyle was because of my beloved basketball.
    I thought it would be interesting to look into it more. So here are the reasons why being a basketball player can be bad for the environment.
    Since I have experienced the US college basketball player life as well as the pro player life in Europe, I will compare the two.

1. Traveling

    USA:

        In the States, we used to fly everywhere that was more than a 5-hour bus trip away. This can be drastically different in different schools. Some may never fly, but others fly to literally everywhere.
        For me, the flying didn't stop there! Since I am not from the States, I had to take at least 3 flights, one of them being a transatlantic flight, to go home and come back every summer.
        Knowing what I know now about flying, the impact on the environment, and taking into account how many games we played, I can say that my carbon footprint must be enormous.

    Europe:

        Now I can only talk about my experience in the team I was playing in, so this can also vary dramatically between different players.
        Where I played, we only ever took bus trips to all of our games. If the team played any other leagues, they would fly to the games and have games more often. For my team, though, we mostly played once a week.
        So right away, we can see the difference between America and Europe - fewer games + bus trips in Europe = smaller carbon footprint.
        However, in Europe, I got to go home 3 times, which means 4 flights each time. Again, it doesn't look good for my carbon footprint!

2. Takeout food and drinks

    USA:

        So, in general, the takeout culture is much more prominent in the States than it is in Europe. I think the life in Europe is slower, which is why people prefer sitting down at the restaurant and enjoy the experience, rather than just eating the food.
        Leaving that aside, when we played away, our team created so much waste by eating tons of takeout food, and there was a snack room providing us with all the goods, including bottled water and Gatorade.
        I am guilty of sometimes, when I had water in my reusable water bottle, still grabbing a bottled one, because it was more convenient. And on the bus, we don't recycle. Guess why... Because it's not convenient. Very often, that is said to be the main reason for not doing something.

    Europe:

        Comparing these habits between the two places I've played, you'll see that they are entirely different.
        Where I played last season after our games, we never got takeout. We always went to a restaurant or back to our hotel to eat, and then got on the road.
        Furthermore, a thing like a snack room, or provided snacks, is not a thing. And I am not saying this is better, but it does mean that I have to or get to bring my own snacks for the trip. So last season, I often took nuts, fruits, etc. with me, which come in no packaging.
        Something to point out is that in Europe, during games and practices, they provide us with bottled water, which I am not too happy about. In the US, though, during the practices and games, they have a canister of water that they use to fill our bottles with.


3. Gear

    So when it comes to equipment, there is no comparison between the amounts of stuff we got in college versus the things we got at my club.
    I am still wearing the things I wore for practice in highschool 5 years ago, but now I have 4 years worth of stuff from the states as well.
    Let us ignore the free gear we get and talk about basketball shoes. There are no ethical options for basketball equipment, and most players go through 2 pairs of basketball shoes a year. That is so wasteful, but you have to listen to your body, and if the shoes are done, you need new ones.
    Basically, we go through a ton of gear, but the amount given to us is still excessive and come from sweatshops!

4. Part of the entertainment industry

    So college and pro sports are part of the industry. That means big events, merch to buy that comes from sweatshops, free stuff given out that end up in the trash the same night, etc.
    This is something that is out of my control. But it is crucial to think about the bigger picture at times as well. For example, I personally can be zero waste, but if I use and support brands that are not, there is still room for improvement.
    When I was younger and saw teams winning championships, then splashing champagne everywhere, while confetti was flying, I thought about the poor cleaners, that have to take care of this once the party is done. Well, now I still think about the cleaners, but I also think, do we really need to waste champagne and why do flying pieces of plastic make us feel accomplished.
    Another side of this are the spectators and the culture that comes with going to watch sports. Most of the time, it means beer in plastic cups, hot dogs, fries, etc. SOOOO MUCH TRASH, I am going to get a headache just imagining it all. And don't get me wrong, I love going to a baseball game or a hockey game and getting the full experience, but now that I know what I know, I need to find a way to change it.

Okay, so this was a lot different from what I usually write, but I think it was important for me to think about my lifestyle and how I can perhaps be better. If you're reading this, I hope you enjoyed the whole rant I did about my two passions clashing!

Stay safe and have a wonderful day!


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Saturday, April 18, 2020

PLASTIC-FREE HOME | DIY Sugar Scrub





    Everyone needs to exfoliate their skin from time to time, whether they use a dry brush or a scrub. I used to not do it, but then I tried this DIY body scrub, and I love it. It is cheap and easy to make from stuff most of us already have in our kitchens.

Ingredients

  • Some kind of a jar or an upcycled container to make this in
  • Sugar - should be granulated. The sugar will be the mechanical exfoliant.
  • Olive oil - moisturizer, plus a chemical exfoliant (has antioxidants that get deep in your pores)
  • (optional) Essential oil - for scent, I like lemongrass the most for this.

How to make it?


  1. Get the jar.
  2. Put the sugar in first. I always eyeball it, so I don't have specific measurements to tell you.
  3. Add the olive oil little by little until the consistency is not too thick nor too liquidy. Make it your own!
  4. If you've decided to use essential oil, now is the time to add that in. About 15-20 drops should be good, depending on the amount of scrub made.
  5. Enjoy the beauty product you just made!

Using the scrub

  • I have mainly used it for my legs before I shave. This scrub makes them super silky and allows for a closer shave.
  • PRO TIP: make sure to rinse off the oil after scrubbing to avoid blunting/clogging the razor.
  • I have seen people use similar scrubs on their faces. I wouldn't recommend it just because the sugar can be a little harsh on your skin, and if you have oily skin like me, olive oil is just way too much for it.
  • Super good for using on your feet!!!

    So this is how to make your own sugar scrub, which is cheap and easy to prepare. Also, the sugar comes in paper packaging, and olive oil comes in a glass bottle, so after you are done with those, it's an easy recycle.


I hope everyone is healthy and safe! Have an amazing day!



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Tuesday, April 7, 2020

Mother Earth - A Poem by Me



MOTHER EARTH

    A Poem by Me


Ever since I was little,
I have cared about this thing.
No, it's not Brownie Brittle,
It's not just anything.

Nature is what I am talking about,
Shouldn't have been hard to guess.
It's on my mind day in day out,
This, I'm willing to confess.

Nature is powerful and scary,
So I wouldn't piss off our Mother.
She doesn't have a military,
But she has something other.

She's trying to show us,
Her breaking point is near.
There's nothing left to discuss,
It is all very clear.

We treat her like we are in control,
But oh, how wrong we can be.
When a couple of ozone holes,
Can result in dying seas.

She doesn't have arms or legs,
She doesn't even have a voice.
It's other ways she begs
Us to make the right choice.

Our house is burning,
It can't be denied.
It is concerning,
'Cause it's happening worldwide.

From hurricanes
To acidic seas.
Melting ice
And dying bees.

We still just sit and wait for someone
To change the world for us.
When it should be everyone.
Who can then ignore us?

So here I sit,
Writing these lines.
And I won't quit,
I won't stay on the sidelines.

Do what you can,
And know your worth.
You don't have to be batman
To help save Mother Earth!
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Saturday, April 4, 2020

Monthly Feature | The Unpaper Towel





    This month I am shouting out the Unpaper Towel, the company, and the idea behind it!
    According to EPA, paper makes up the largest share of municipal waste in the US. Included in that are disposable paper towels.
    Paper towels are popular everywhere these days. We, as a society, are used to disposing of most things after one use. Our parents, and the people before them did not do that (mostly because of money and accessibility where I'm from).
    In 2017 in the US, about 18 million dollars were spent on paper towels per 1 million people. This is by far the most money amongst all the countries in the world. The second place went to France, where about 9 million dollars were spent per 1 million people.
    I noticed that difference in my time over in the United States. And I have to admit, at first I went with it. It makes life very easy. You spill something - grab a paper towel, clean it up, and throw it away. DONE! You never have to think about that piece of paper again. But you should, and here's why.

Reasons to change your disposable paper towel habit


  1. To make 1 ton of paper towels, approximately 17 trees and 20 000 gallons (~75 000 liters) of water are used. If you opted for the recycled paper towels, you would remove the trees from the equation and save about 7000 gallons of water per ton of paper made.
  2. Paper towels, before being used, are very easy to recycle. After we use them, though, they can only be sent to landfill.
  3. This one is just me asking you if you really need something disposable, where we already have a ton of stuff we could use that are reusable. Everyone has towels at home, or some sort of old clothes (preferably cotton) you could cut up into rags. I just think they are so unnecessary in the quantity we use them.


Disclaimer: I still use paper towels, but it takes me like 9 months to work through one regular roll of them.


NOW for the feature!

    "The Unpaper Towel. 12 towels snapped together placed around your ordinary paper towel holder. /.../ Completely washable, completely reusable." 
    This is how the product is described on their website. 
    The Unpaper Towels are such a fun way to spice up your kitchen while being more eco-friendly. Check out their website for more!
    And remember, it is an investment that will save you money later, so don't be scared off by the price of $55. You pay that once to never have to buy disposable paper towels ever again!


The idea

    As I mentioned earlier, I am not just shouting out the company and the product, but also the fantastic idea behind it!
    I know not everyone can pay for this product, and another problem is that they only ship to North America.
    So if you're not from North America or you do not have the opportunity to pay for these, there are other options. 
    If you search Pinterest for Unpaper Towels, you get a ton of DIY tutorials on how to make these yourself. 
    AND if you are like me and are not great at sewing, you don't need rags to be fancy! They're for cleaning up, they can look funky!
    In my home, we just cut up our old towels into square pieces and use those until they get too dirty to keep using.
    Be creative! It is your house, and that makes you in charge, no one can tell you that you're doing it wrong!


    So this is it for my Monthly Feature for April 2020. 
    This month, I encourage you to try and use less paper towels. You can just start by using 2 pieces instead of 3 and work towards stopping entirely.
 
Stay safe, and I hope you have a beautiful day!



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Tuesday, March 31, 2020

5 Must Watch Sustainability Movies





    Since we are going through a time where we are pretty much stuck at home, I thought I'd share some movies that motivated me to start my low-impact journey. Some of these also helped me find my way back to sustainability when I had lost my way a little bit.
    All of these movies are super educational, and there is a lot in them that I didn't know before watching these.
    Let's get into it!


1. Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret

    This movie came out in 2014 and instantly gained fans as well as many haters.
    Mainly the movie is about the impact of animal agriculture on the environment.
    There were some very controversial facts and stats presented that made some people call this movie "vegan propaganda."
    However, now it is pretty much proven to be true. In a 2019 Forbes interview Steven Chu (an American physicist) said, "Let me say it again: agriculture and land-use generates more greenhouse gas emissions than power generation."
    This movie is available on Netflix. Check out the trailer!



2. The True Cost

    This is a 2015 documentary on fast fashion and the impacts of it on the environment, but mainly on the workers in developing countries. They are paid an extremely low wage and work in inhumane environments.
    The movie also explores the after-effects such as river and soil pollution, pesticide contamination, disease, and death.
    This movie made me genuinely hate fast fashion! While I still own stuff from companies that are not sustainable, I try not to buy any more of their stuff, unless it's second hand.
    This movie used to be on Netflix, but if it happens to not be there anymore, you can find it on their website. Check out the trailer!



3. The Story of Stuff

    This short animated documentary came out in 2007.
    This is how I found out about consumerism when I was in middle school. The movie explains the supply chain very well, and I mean, I was in middle school, watching it in a foreign language, and understood almost everything.
    The Story of Stuff Project has a couple of more videos on Youtube about different sustainability topics, and they are all worth your time!
    The full 20-minute movie is available on YouTube, with all the other videos accompanying it. Check out the full movie!



4. Erin Brockovich

    This is the oldest movie on my list. It came out in 2000 and is actually a Hollywood film based on the life of environmentalist Erin Brockovich.
    Julia Roberts is in it! And she won the best actress Oscar for it. That's all the convincing I should do for you to want to watch it.
    This was considered such an essential movie that in two of my classes at my university, the professors made us watch it (which means I did it twice!).
     Erin Brockovich has also said that the movie is about 98% accurate, which is insane to think about when you've seen the movie. You wouldn't believe half of these things could even be possible.
    This is a harder movie to find online. I don't think it is on Netflix. But it should be on DIRECTV and the Starz extension on Hulu. Check out the trailer!



5. An Inconvenient Truth

    This is a 2006 documentary.
    The movie is about Al Gore's campaign to educate people about global warming. If you don't know, Al Gore is a former Vice President of the United States. So he is using his platform to speak out.
    This movie got its long-awaited sequel in 2017 called An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power. I haven't seen this one yet, but it's on the top of my list.
    This movie should be available on Amazon Prime Video, and possibly American Netflix (?). Check out both of the trailers here!





    This is it from me for now!
    I know there are many many more of these types of awesome educational movies. If you guys show interest, I will do a part 2 to this post, because I left some good ones out for now.
    Something interesting to notice - 3 out of these 5 movies came out before 2008, which means we have been warned for a long time about this worsening situation. It is still not too late to do your part and take action though!

Stay safe everyone, and have an awesome day!



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Sunday, March 29, 2020

My Habits That the Zero Waste Community Would Frown Upon





    So as you can see from the title, today, I am talking about some habits that are hard for me to change to be zero waste. By listing these 5 things, I hope to show you all that nobody is perfect, everyone has areas they struggle with, and that is OK.

1. Traveling and using airplanes

    If you've been keeping up with Greta Thunberg, you'd know that last year when she visited the US, she didn't fly there. She took a boat. Not all of us have the time or the money to do that, unfortunately.
    The reason, why it is almost impossible for me to not fly, is my job. I play professional basketball, which means I fly a lot, and most of it is out of my control.
    At the end of the summer, I fly to the team. Then in November, I fly home to represent the national team and fly back in a week. During that week, we have another trip for an away game. Next, I get to go home for the holidays, another 2 flights. National team break in February adds at least 4 more flights. And then finally going back home after the season.
    Now all of those flights are not counting trips my team could possibly take, my summer competitions, and an occasional vacation.
    Since I do fly a ton, I try to buy carbon offsets, to at least try and help Mama Earth out a bit.
    Now, you might suggest I took buses, trains, etc. instead, but most of these trips are out of my control. The only way for me to be able to be 100% in control would be to quit basketball, which I am not doing just yet.


2. Toilet paper

    What a great time to be testing out alternatives, taking into account that we are in the middle of a TP crisis.
    All jokes aside, I am not sure if I will ever be ready to give up this "comfort."
    There are many great alternatives out there like bidet attachments by TUSHY, pee cloths made by Kula Cloth or something you DIY-d.
    I am not there yet, and I'm not sure I will ever get there. So, what I am looking to do is to switch out my regular old toilet paper. Instead, I will probably use the bamboo or the recycled ones being sold on these two websites - Who Gives a Crap or No.2.


3. Waste management

    This is so different everywhere you go. Managing one's waste can be super easy, but some areas make it very difficult, and that can be discouraging.
    Why I put this on the list, is because living with other people or moving to an entirely new country or city is literally what my life is all about. Both of those situations add stress and difficulty to all my zero waste endeavors.
    Right now, living at home, it is hard to change my own habits that I have done here all my life, and also try to convince others to do the same.
    When it comes to moving to a new place, there is always a learning curve, and if I happen to live in a country where English isn't widely known, it is tough to make sense of it all.
    This past season I lived in Krakow, Poland, where most people actually speak good English. Still, I didn't figure out that my building had a composting bin until 6 months after I got there.
    So this has been and will be a challenge for me.


4. Skincare routine

    2 or 3 years ago, when I was still in college, I had just learned about the zero waste movement and was making plans about how I can adapt my life to it.
    One of the first things I did was making face toner out of apple cider vinegar and started using a bar of soap (specifically face cleansing one) to clean my face. Which worked good enough, I guess.
    The problem was and still is my adult acne. They tricked me, I was here thinking, "yay, not a teenager anymore, my face will clear up." Oh, how wrong I was. It only got worse.
    So today I am back to using stuff in plastic containers, and actual acne medicine also. This is really working for my skin, and it is clearing up, so at the moment, I have no intention of changing the routine, yet.
    In the long term, I definitely hope I can move away from these products and opt for better alternatives that are more eco-friendly.


5. Haircare

    I know, I know, literally in my last post I was talking about how good the shampoo bars are. Well, that hasn't changed. I still love them! The shampoo isn't the issue.
    About a month ago, I let my hair air dry after washing them, and without brushing them after the shower. Turns out, my hair is wavy/curly.
    So I was curious if I could get my curls to be defined and for them to stay in longer. I went and got some products. And voila - the waves looked awesome.
    Since I just found out about it and bought the products, I have no idea if there are low waste options for curly hair.
    That is something I need to look into, but until then, I love my hair products that finally made me appreciate my hair.

    These were the 5 habits that I am struggling to change. I hope this makes you feel a bit better about your journey and progress. Let me know, what you are struggling with and also give me advice on how to change some of my habits.

Stay inside, wash your hands, but don't forget to enjoy your day!!


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Friday, March 27, 2020

PLASTIC-FREE HOME | Shampoo and Conditioner Bars




    I bet most of you have already heard of shampoo and conditioner bars, but if you haven't, let me introduce you to the concept.
    Well, there actually isn't much to explain. Shampoo bars are just shampoo made into a hard bar, like a bar of soap.
    I thought it would be helpful for you guys if I talked about my experience with them.

Ditch the Bottles

    That was the main reason I wanted to use shampoo bars. I was trying to find areas in my daily life, where I generated the most waste. In second place (right after cooking/kitchen waste) was my cosmetic and shower products' waste.
    Think about it. When you walk into a drugstore or just the self-care section of a grocery store, what do you see? The right answer is a bunch of plastic bottles. Literally, everything I used to use in my shower routine or my morning/evening routine had a plastic container that it was in.
    The shampoo bars usually either come "naked" or are wrapped in compostable/recyclable packaging. This makes them SO much better for the environment.

Conditioner Bars - Not for Me

    I ordered my shampoo bar from Lush, and I honestly never even tried any other brands, because I loved my Lush shampoo bar that much. I can't say the same about the conditioner bar though. I tried 2 different ones, and neither felt good on my hair. I also think the conditioner bars were far harder to use (can't get the product from it that easily). 
    I just haven't found the one for me yet. Not all shampoo or conditioner bars work on everyone's hair, the same way oily hair bottled shampoo doesn't work on dry hair. I just have to try more of them in hopes of finding my one and only... conditioner bar.

Last Longer

    I did notice that the bar versions of shampoos and conditioners last longer than the bottled ones. I think it is because when you squeeze the product out of a bottle, you tend to take more than you need. That's not the case for the bars. Most of the time, I didn't take enough, but I'd rather have that problem than using too much.
    Also, think of a bar of soap, that thing can last you what feels like years. While the liquid soap is gone faster. The same goes for the shampoos.

Easy Travel

    Using bars of shampoo, conditioner and soap will lighten up your bag a ton. 
    Also, now you don't have to worry about the amount of liquids allowed in a carry-on bag. This makes traveling much less stressful and easier.

Learning Curve

    There is a learning curve to using the bars. 
    Questions I had before trying them out included: where do I keep it, so it doesn't get soaked during my shower, how much do I need to get my hair clean, and others. It also takes a bit of time to get used to, but for me, that made showering a little more exciting. I wanted to see how it worked, and after a couple of times, I was completely in love with my shampoo bar.

Patience - Find What Works for You

    It might be the first bar you try that converts you, but it also might be the fifth. My advice is to research the bars a little bit. There are a ton of influencers, YouTubers, and bloggers out there that have made content about shampoo bars. Most of them have different hair types. So, see what they liked and recommended. And try them out. That is the only way you will ever know.
    Don't lose hope! The perfect shampoo bar is waiting for you to find it somewhere.

    I encourage everyone to at least try these once. If you don't like how it feels or it doesn't suit your hair, there are other sustainable options out there, which I will get into in another post!

Remember to stay inside and wash your hands!!!

Stay healthy and have an incredible day!


    
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