ON BEING ENVIRONMENTALIST...(pt 2)( or trying to be...)

We, Adik and me, were on our way  to get our weekly grocery supply and Adik reminded me to update my blog and I said I just dont know what else to write and can I stop posting entries already, please? Adik reacted strongly to this and gave me quite a lecture....hmmmh!!

So, between picking up this and that  and referring to my shopping list, while Adik disappeared upstairs to get some stationary, I thought of a few things I could write on. But all of them lack essence ( haha, as if my previous entries did have some). Adik met me while I was queueing  to weigh the veges. I got a small pumpkin ( to be pureed for our healthy high protein mug cake and pancake recipes), a small jicama for the salad bowl and some old gingers, all in one plastic bag. In another one, 5 limes and a handful of green chillies. Since Adik was there, I asked her to hand those to the lady at the weighing counter. And Adik was horrified that I mixed everything together and thought that is was shameful and I shouldnt do that. I shushed her and went to get some tortilla and asked her to meet me at the cashiers. She came with all sour face and complaining...

Favourite shopping bag...big n strong!!

  Aha! Now, I got things to write up on, and what better is, educating my daughter, who one day soon, Insyaa Allah,will be doing the grocery shopping just as her Mama does now.



I usually do our grocery shopping on a weekday, in the mornings. So, Adik is not exposed to this until now, the school holiday and she's bored at home and decided to accompany me.( Abang will be arriving soon as his madrasah only started its vacation on the 1st June.)

I'm sure, Adik, you do realise that plastic bags really are an environmental hazard and how we have been trying to reduce their usage since a few years back. I wrote about it here. So, why should I take a different plastic bag for each vege when all three could fit into one? Adik argued my practise slows down the line and gives the lady extra work. Owh Adik, that is just a tiny price to pay compared to what those plastics cost to the environment! Plus, those people manning the weight stations are supposed to know about this. They should, after I have been giving them short lectures week in and week out!! And at the cashiers too if some ignorant ones gave a blank stares at me and my shopping bags. And at some customers too...Some people actually looked at me and reminded me that it's not Saturday, you dont have to bring bags!! Yes I did...and I even went further and asked to see the management after one too many frustrating episodes. You knew about this...You and Abah rolled up your eyes at me over that!! But,but...it did  produce result alright. No more explaining to the staff nowadays and they actually praise me and keep telling me I am about  the only one they know that bring bags on weekdays. So, if you see a makcik in niqab, wearing sport shoes,walk very fast , carrying recyclable bags in Kubang Kerian, that would be me hehehe....

Annnywayyy....havent you noticed how our household trash greatly reduced with this green effort of me? Few years back, Abah has to take  the garbage out every 3 days,  but its a fortnightly chores now.
Imagine the energy and resources saved!! And imagine the benefit those plants in our backyard gets from the composted  kitchen waste. And how those bottles that we deemed as thrash could actually feed a family. How many times have we seen people ransacking the waste bins by the road side,looking for recyclables. So, our state is still very much backward in recycling technology, cant even provide enough recycling bins, but we can help by separating the recyclables, thus making it easy for those people to actually collect them. My heart goes out to those people thinking how they have to go through those awful smell just to get a few bottles. I actually wince everytime I saw people just chucking their empty bottles into the bin together with all sorts of waste from their home. If our guests ever do that in our home,by mistake, I would unhesitatingly pick it out the instant I saw it. 

So, I'm still trying... and I really hope you and your generation would do that naturally. Sadly though, most people still regard it as unnecessary. Some shopping malls still unashamedly hand out plastic bags even on Saturday!! I like it very much when we go shopping in Penang where everyday is no plastic day. No wonder Penang is much cleaner than Kelantan!