Protecting the Planet is Part of Being a Good Physician, Too
Medicine is infamously one of the most wasteful industries in the world--single-use PPE and medical instruments, TONS of packaging for individual doses of medication, the list goes on and on. Recognizing this, there are many ways that we aim to practice safer, better, and greenerΒ medicine today and for the future.
Recognizing this, I have started making some small changes in my day-to-day life that have been not only easy but also affordable! Remember: itβs not about the scant few being perfectly zero-waste and eco-friendly, but rather about everyone taking the small steps they can to make a BIG difference... and about advocating for the minority of big corporations that are making the biggest negative environmental impacts to change their ways, however we might be able to do so.
In case anyone is wondering/interested in exploring more, here are some of the little swaps I made that were very feasible as a poor medical student and resident!
Laundry detergent: this was one of the best swaps I made! From big, clunky plastic bottles of detergent (or the micro-plastic heavy detergent pods, which, as a pediatrician, I hate on principle) to these plastic-free, space-saving, and liquid-free detergent strips? HECK TO THE YEAH! These were also a life-saver for those month-long away electives where I was too cheap to pay for a checked bag so lived in -20C temperatures on whatever clothes I could cram into a carry-on since again: NO LIQUID! And they take up next to no space at all (in your home and your luggage!) so extreme win for these. You can find them at TruEarth, Kind Laundry, Nature CleanΒ and many other companies; Nellieβs also has some plastic-free detergent powder options if you donβt mind the real estate that the box takes up in your laundry space.
Toilet cleaner: on a similar note, toilet cleaner is available in liquid-free strip format for all the same benefits as laundry strips! You can find them by Nature Clean, TruEarth, and many other companies.
Bar soap: so far, Crate61 Organics is one of my favourite brands for bar soap with no plastic packaging when I think about scents, variety, texture, lather, and value for price. Often I can get their soaps at a discount at Winners/Marshallβs, but theyβre also available at Bulk Barn and multiple grocery stores. Lush is quite a bit more expensive but Outback Mate and Sexy Peel (which might be discontinued... T-T) are two of my favourite scents and you can ask to have no wrap to keep your soap packaging-free.
Solid shampoo and conditioner: Lush was one of the first shampoo bars I ever tried, and to be honest, it didnβt work great for my hair (pin-straight, long, and relatively coarse). They are, however, very long-lasting and get a great lather, and worked great for my spouseβs curlier hair. My favourite solid shampoos so far have been Naturally VainβsΒ βLovelyβ set and BKINDβs grapefruit eucalyptus. I also really liked Kloraneβs mango shampoo bar but it had less of a sudsy feel and it was quite a bit more expensive than most other options. Garnier has an even more budget-friendly bar (especially when they go on sale at Shopperβs Drug Mart!) so Iβve picked up a few but tbh have not tried them yet... really hoping I do like them since theyβre so affordable! A few other companies that seem to really specialize in solid shampoo include Bottle None, Not!ce Hair Co, and Hello Good Juju. There are tons more out there!
Dish soap: EteeΒ has many liquid concentrates including dish soap in really cool compostable pouches, and the Net Zero CompanyΒ and the Earthling Co. (among many others) have solid dish soap bars with plant-based dish-cleaning brushes. I have heard great things about the Make Nice Company solid dish soap bars as well!
Dishwasher tablets: TruEarth, Tanit, and BlueLand, among many others, have some easy plastic-free options!
Reusable zip-closure food storage bags: So Pyrex has these super cute 1qt resealable silicone food bags that are safe for use in the freezer, fridge, microwave, and sous vide, and dishwasher safe. I wish I had found them sooner, because my local Dollarama was selling them at $4.75 (CAD) per bag, which is by far the best price Iβve ever seen for this type of product. The Stasher version is similarly versatile, and comes in a bunch of fun colours as well as a large variety of sizes, shapes, and functions (e.g. the bowls that you can use on the stovetop!), but are more pricey. These are also carried at Indigo, Kitchen Stuff Plus, and some bed/bath/kitchen and department stores that sometimes go on sale for under $20 for the medium, snack, and sandwich-sized bags. Cuisipro also has a very similar product line for a similar price range. This was honestly one of the most fun swaps from single-use zipper-seal plastic bags since you can take some of your frozen meal prep straight from freezer to stovetop/oven, and you can cook/steam stuff in the microwave without needing to use more dishware... you can even use the bags to pop popcorn kernels in the microwave!
Bulk foods, kitchen staples, and spices: I love the bulk store. I love it. In Canada, our major bulk store allows us to bring our own clean containers and theyβll weigh them so we can continually reuse whatever weβve got! The main staples I never buy elsewhere include sugar (they have SO MANY VARIETIES of sugar!!), spices/seasoning, popcorn kernels, grains, beans, and pasta. Tbqh I SHOULD buy my rice from bulk stores but I use so much so often that I just find it exhausting, but when I want to use a special kind of rice for a recipe then I will get it in bulk! I also usually get honey, peanut butter/other nut butters, and baking stuff (e.g. flours, baking soda/baking powder, chocolate chips, candy add-ins, dried fruit, nuts, etc.) and of course, snacks... Many bulk stores also have cleaning agents (e.g. dishwasher tabs) and other home and personal care supplies, packaging-free! There are also more and more refillery depots opening up that allow you to bring your own container and fill up on essentials like cleaners, soaps, shampoos, and detergents (if youβre still using the liquid versions!), and also on ingredients for making some of these things at home!
Reuseable essentials: If you havenβt already switched to reuseable shopping bags, produce bags, utensils, and straws -- it really has never been easier since theyβre available almost anywhere! Keep some bags in your car or folded in your backpack/purse so theyβre available for impromptu trips to the store, and same with a little pouch with reuseable utensils, straws... water bottles/tumblers for drinks are also huge for waste reduction, and you can often get discounts for coffee and other drinks if you bring your own cup!
I hope this gets you excited about trying to make some greener changes in your life--remember, everything starts with one small step! Please reblog with your own eco-friendly tips and tricks--we can all learn from each other!
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The emirate banned single-use plastic bags on June 1 to protect the environment
βAbu Dhabi has reduced the use of single-use plastic bags in retail stores by 87 million since the emirate introduced a ban on June 1.
The Environment Agency Abu Dhabi said the reduction is equivalent to half a million bags a day, with the overall use of single-use plastic bags down by more than 90 per cent.
Abu Dhabi banned single-use plastic bags to protect the environment and address the high rate of plastic bag use across the UAE, which is almost four times the global average.
According to figures issued by the World Government Summit in February 2019, 11 billion plastic bags are used in the Emirates each year...
Routine inspections conducted by various governmental organisations revealed that more than 80 per cent of outlets are offering environment-friendly options or charging a fee for reusable plastic shopping bags.
Dr Shaikha Al Dhaheri, secretary general of the agency, said the reduction in the consumption of single-use plastics will also reduce emissions and will help the waste sector divert 80 per cent of municipal solid waste in Abu Dhabi away from landfills.
βThe single-use plastic policy in Abu Dhabi addresses the issue of plastic pollutants that leak into the environment and cause damage," she said.
It has also introduced an app called Baadr β named after the Arabic word for "initiate" β that aims to educate, encourage and reward users looking to shift to a more environmentally friendly way of living.
The agency said it is also partnering with 30 private and public entities to develop a recovery system to collect and recover about 8,000 tonnes of plastic bottles over the next five years, which will go directly to the emirateβs recycling sector.
In 2022, more than 30 million plastic bottles were recovered, compared with 7.25 million bottles in 2021, and more than 10 tonnes of plastic is being collected weekly, equal to approximately 850,000 bottles.β -via The National News / UAE, 11/27/22
Once again sharing my laundry soap recipe because two of these jars is a full two semesters of laundry for me (plastic-free, cost-effective):
Each jar holds a double batch of the recipe on the front, so total: 2 ground bars of soap, 2 cups Borax, 4 cups baking soda, and 4 cups washing soda. Everything but the soap can just be measured directly into the jar, but then to get the soap fine enough to dissolve in the wash, you microwave it for 30 seconds (it will get soft and puffy), let it cool, chop it into rough chunks, then put it through the food processor. For lotiony soaps like Ivory, you have to process it with some of the powdered ingredients to keep it from clumping up. Then you just shake everything together, and you have plastic-free laundry soap! Only takes about 1-2 tablespoons per load (I use the little scoop from my Dad's powdered tea for the sake of diverting a little more plastic from the landfill).
Cost breakdown two create two jars of soap (so four batches of the recipe on the jar):
1 box of Borax: ~ $6 (plenty left over)
1 box washing soda ~ $5 (none to little left over)
1 box bulk baking soda ~$3 (none left over)
1 Bella soap bars/other hard soap ~ $3 (none left over, can use any hard bar soap)
Total for like 8-9 months of laundry: $17 (about the cost of one bulk container of liquid detergent). If you don't have a food processor, it's hard to chop it fine enough on your own. If you can afford one, I've found they're a good investment.
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