Day 13: Doodling for the environment

Zero Waste challenge
Jas (The Ginger) and Morgana (The Vegan) are undertaking the Zero Waste Challenge: finding ways to refuse, reuse, reduce, and recycle as much as possible in their lives, and ask you to join them on their journey.

The Problem
Paper has been a key factor in the advancement of the human race. Its origin is somewhat scribbled out in history because no-one had anything to write the date down on, but it probably came from China in 200 BC. The invention of paper goes hand in hand with intellectual thought around the world; when ideas are written down, they get read, debated, they create conflict and initiate progress.
Now, we use paper for more than the spread of intellectual thought. Marketing. Maps. Maché. Magazines. Photos. Postcards. Packaging. You can even make a plane from paper if you’re procrastinating hard enough.
There is no denying papers usefulness and versatility. There is also no denying the problems that accompany it. Deforestation, for one, is literally destroying the lungs of our planet.

The Solution
We've already tried cutting down on our paper use by saying, alas it wasn't enough. We are now greedy zero-waste monsters. So, we've come up with another solution to stop wasting paper. What is it you ask?
Drop the stereotype. Writing on the walls no longer indicates lost marbles. Whiteboards took a little while to become popular, but they are now an integral part of every classroom — why not make them a part of your home as well? Yes, this is not a drastic change but it falls under the "every little bit helps" category of zero-waste solutions. 
“But Jas mate. This is just regressive, and you know it. Whiteboards and pens are made of plastic.” No longer they aren't. If your excuse is that the idea of writing on whiteboards brings out sweats and traumatic memories of high school you would rather forget, try the windows in your house. Forget post-its and write your grocery list on the kitchen tiles. Make stupid doodles all over your room. Go a step further, get some whiteboard paint and cover an entire room. Your three year old will be thrilled.

Evaluation
Owning a whiteboard is contagious. It is a visual aid for your thoughts in a way that paper just can’t manage. This is a super easy swap that can definitely become a habit in no time. Also, Jas loves using diagrams to teach Morgana about political systems and current affairs, so this will definitely become a zero-waste household staple. It allows our house to grow in knowledge, and not waste.

This article is part of our 30 days Zero Waste challenge.
Read what Jas and Morgana were up to in the past few days.


Day 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12

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