Wednesday 28 October 2020

The Lesser Of?

I often think about the fact that things aren't really as clean cut or black and white as I'd like them to be.

For example, when we went into Covid lockdown and I got more serious about PPE, I tried to find ways to be more environmentally respectful (and less wasteful).

One of the things I've mentioned is that I purchased uh, what do we call them, handkerchiefs?  You know, cloth kleenex/tissues?

I originally got them as my "grabber layer" - as in the thing I hold to open doors or whatever.  I also, since I have them, have started using them instead of literal Kleenex.  You know... it's Fall, the nose, it drips, right?

And that's the example... each item has its plusses and minuses.  Paper tissues (to not use the brand name) have manufacturing impact and transport and they go into landfill (compost?) and, well they have biohazard on them, especially if you suspect you are sick in some way.  Handkerchiefs also have issues... their manufacturing and transport, and then they need washed when they're dirty which means soap of some kind and water and drying.

And I would imagine that someone has done the "weighing" to find out which type of nose blower has less of an environmental impact.  In whatever way.  But am I really being more environmentally sound by using the cloth ones over the paper ones?  Yes?  But I don't really know.

And it feels like when it comes to the environment there are quite a lot of "not sure"s going around.  Or there should be, perhaps.  Nothing (that I can think of) is pure and clean and has zero negative impact.  And I don't want to upset myself with overthinking, even though I really would like to be continually lowering my footprint...

It's complicated.  Or complex.  Or all of the above.

I suppose in some ways it just matters that we think and we try and we care. 

2 comments:

Jason Langlois said...

The world is a complicated place, for sure and it feels like it's impossible for us to not have some impact.

But handkerchiefs (snotrags, as my dad loved to call them) are old school.

Victoria said...

I've heard that term too... ewwwww ;)