We all start sticking to a certain lifestyle when we are thrown into certain circumstances and/or some eco issue affects us personally.
My eco-friendly philosophy emerged in Cyprus.
It’s hard to imagine that such a tiny island in the Mediterranean can be the 2nd in Europe for municipal waste production, according to the European Commission data. However, if you leave your clean seaside hotel for a day and go around Limassol city center and stroll around Mesa Geitonia district – deeper in the city – you will understand what this “second place” looks like.
Indeed, not only is there insufficient infrastructure for better recycling in the island (currently around 17%), but also a habit of using single-use packaging is spread all over, and this is what mainly contributes to this horrible statistics.
At some point, after reading another piece of news about green turtles found dead near Limassol coast, and other sea animals found in the ocean (remember those poor whales and orcas in the Pacific?), due to having eaten plastic pieces, after visiting Hong Kong’s Ocean Park which had influenced my vision a lot, I asked myself: what can I personally do?
What can we all do living near the sea and thus bearing a heavier responsibility?
The answer was and is – to produce less waste and stand for alternatives. The process of changing our habits is long, it’s a step-by-step routine.
For example, train yourself to ask for a coffee in your own tumbler, as fashionable “paper” cups with fascinating design are almost impossible to recycle, since they are not 100% paper.
You can check the cafes where you can get a discount for bringing your cup, or which will just be glad to make a coffee in your own cup on this website: My Cup Please, or re-fill your reusable bottle with still water instead of buying tons of 50 cent plastic ones.
Many big European cities have water spouts installed near the main tourist attractions. If we travel to Rome, for instance, – there are multiple water wells near the Colosseum, inside the Roman Forums or Baths of Caracalla – where visitors can get pure water in their own bottles. Isn’t it amazing?
Today I am already used to traveling with my own ecobag, a tumbler from Starbucks, my bottle for water from Reebok and bags for vegetables – this is easy. They don’t require too much space in your luggage, but with them you just produce a little less waste every day.
What’s your favorite cup? What would you add to the list?
Sincerely,
Alisa Abramova
