My Three-Day Sustainability Spurt

This year, I am actually going to keep my New Year’s resolution. Really, I mean it; I am being held accountable by a returning readership base (right?). My main goal is to be more mindful of my counterproductive habits — that includes any wasted energy, food or gas. I examined a typical day, and was pretty scared by the unrealized incompatibilities between the lifestyle I talk so highly about and the one I am actually living. So, I decided to make a switch. I enlisted the help of my boyfriend, and for 72 hours, we held each other accountable for our conservation. For three days, my life changed in some small but significant ways.

Exhibit A: My routine prior to the three-day effort

Every morning at 5 a.m., my cell phone sings a wake-up song until I jump out of bed and slam it off. Half-asleep, I turn on the bedroom light, then the bathroom light and make my way past two more living room and kitchen lights until I stop in front of my pot of coffee. It beeps and I pour coffee into my big white and gold snowflake mug, gulping it down. Then I walk away, leaving everything plugged in. I pack my salad into a disposable plastic container and into a plastic bag. Then I rush out the door, leaving some lights on.

The turning point: A talk about change

I was surprised to learn that my boyfriend was aware of my wasteful ways. He wasn’t hard on me, but said he noticed my habits. He had a few, too. We are both guilty of tossing Starbucks cups and using way too much water for just about everything. We made a simple pact: shorter showers, less lights on and reusing even disposable plastic containers — and we’d report to each other. Having someone else hold me to it helped even more.

My new routine: A rough first morning

When I woke up at 5 a.m., I slammed off the alarm. I turned on the bedroom light, the bathroom light and a living room light — all before remembering that I was conserving energy. I quickly switched off all but the kitchen light and alternated throughout getting ready. I unplugged the coffeemaker and closed the door, until I remembered that I left the bathroom light on. I ran back in to switch it off, and then I was five minutes late for work.

Like any change, actions take longer to become habits. The next two days were easier, and by the third morning, I found that I wanted to keep up the routine. Looking back on these 72 hours, I did in fact save water, plastic containers and use less electricity. But, did I really make a difference?

The numbers: Sustainability pays

My boyfriend and I compared notes and found that in only three days, we had conserved well: an estimated two hours of light in two different rooms of approximately 200 square feet each, 30 minutes worth of water and four salad containers. Will it save the world singlehandedly? A skeptic might very well have doubts. The one thing that I can say for sure, though, is that it is a strong start. That is what sustainable living (and recycling) is really about — small daily changes. Now I can say that with a clear conscience.