As I documented my consumption for two days this week, I was a little surprised and actually slightly embarrassed at the amount of “stuff” I use. Here is just a sample of my morning routine and work consumption:
AM Routine:
– 15 minute shower; quarter size amount of shampoo; dime size amount of conditioner; 1 pump of face soap; 2 tablespoons body wash; 1 loofah and razor (reusable)
– Towel – hang dry to reuse next morning
– 1 multivitamin
– Pea-size amount of toothpaste; 3 minutes to brush teeth (using sink water)
– 1 pair of disposable contacts
– 2 squirts of contact solution
– Handful of hair mousse
– Dime-size amount of facial moisturizer
– Pea-size amount of make-up primer
– 2 tablespoons of body lotion
– Deodorant
– 2 Q-tips
– Pea-size amount of makeup foundation
– Dab of concealer
– 2 swipes of blush
– 1 swipe of bronzer
– Eyeliner
– Eyeshadow
– Mascara
– 2 sprays of setting spray
– 5 minutes of hair dryer use
– Perfume
– 1 pair of capri pants (borrowed from friend)
– 1 shirt
– Sandals
Office Routine:
– Work Computer on at 8:30am (2 monitors and a laptop)
– Additional laptop on (transferring data to new laptop)
– 1 iPad in use
– Heat lamp for office bearded dragon on at 7:00am (timed to be on in 12 hour intervals) – tank heat pad on 24/7
– 1 florescent light on (normally not on, but it is cloudy today)
– 1 small desk lamp on; small desk heater on intermittently
– Flushed toilet 5 times using approx. 6 squares of toilet paper each time
These were the two areas in which I was most surprised. It appears that I am somewhat of a high maintenance person, despite my insistence that I am not! I use so many different products in the morning, it actually seems a little ridiculous. I also feel like my work routine is somewhat interesting. I have a small office and yet I am powering a lot of things.
My food intake everyday is pretty basic. I usually eat 3 meals and have some snacks in between. I live in a rural area, so there aren’t many restaurants therefore I typically bring lunch and water from home. I also think that despite the access to more open spaces and nature in rural areas, it can actually mean more consumption in the areas of fuel and time. I seem to spend lots of time on the road traveling to work, meetings and the “city” in order to buy groceries and shop. The nearest grocery store is about 15 miles away, so no matter what, rural citizens have to drive somewhere.
The two days that I documented (Wednesday and Thursday) were typical days. The only thing out of the ordinary was that I was running more than one laptop on Wednesday. I was transferring my data from my old laptop to my new laptop, so that is not something that normally occurs in my daily routine. It’s usually only once every 3 years.
Overall, I found this experiment interesting and quite eye-opening. If I am using all these resources, then others are probably using the same, if not more, resources every day as well. It really puts in perspective how we as Americans live despite our saying or thinking that we are being environmentally aware.
P.S. That is not me in the picture.
naturerockseducation 