HOW TO REDUCE WASTE AND PLASTIC CONSUMPTION IN ISTANBUL (OR ANYWHERE)
- Jan 13, 2015
- 9 min read
Istanbul is a lot of things: inspiring, beautiful, frustrating, paradoxical and confusing. One thing it is not: a hub for an eco-friendly lifestyle. If you want to live a more health and environmentally conscious life, you gotta work for it here. While I don’t believe in pushing or shaming people into changing certain habits, I do think that small changes add up. When we live our life in a way where our actions reflect how we want to feel and what we want to create, we often send an unconscious vibration into the world. We shine brighter, we live better and we inspire people to implement changes in their own lives, at their own pace and in a way that feels natural to them.
Since deciding to make Istanbul my forever home, I have been implementing changes into my daily routine in an effort to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle, regardless of what others around me are doing. I never shame or blame anyone for the choices they are making, but people do start to notice certain things, like that I refuse plastic bags, carry my own glass straw around in an effort to avoid plastic ones and compost. This creates a conversation, for better or worse, and invites people to challenge their own habits and make changes that contribute to their health and the health of the planet. I will admit, it is an uphill battle, especially in a country like Turkey, where people quite honesty have bigger problems to think about. That shouldn’t stop us from trying, though, so in an effort to spread knowledge and inspire, I have compiled a list of things you can do to reduce waste and plastic consumption. Some suggestions may seem absurd to you, some too easy, some difficult, some you already do and some you may have never thought of. That is all OK. Take what serves you and leave the rest. My suggestion is to start with two or three things you know you can implement. Once those things feel like second nature, add a few more.
General Tips
Start saying NO…to plastic bags that is. You will have to be forceful. You will have to say it many, many times. People in Turkey are attached to the plastic bag like it’s their childhood blanket. I have had people look at me weirdly for refusing a bag. I have also had people say thank you because I didn’t take a bag I didn’t need. Instead of plastic, I take cloth bags to the store and put my groceries inside of them. I do my shopping the same day of every week (this schedule works for me), so I know when I need my bag. If you shop at a local market, it is easier to avoid plastic bags used for fruits and veggies, because people will weigh the food in front of you and hand it over. At the store, don’t use plastic bags for every individual fruit and veggie item; just put them in one cloth bag and put the stickers, if the store uses them, on a piece of paper, the back of your wallet or on your hand (I have done all of this). I also use reusable, individual cloth bags for fruits and veggies. You can also find cloth grocery bags that fold up and are easy to keep in your purse for unexpected trips.
Avoid packaged foods as much as possible: Not only is this better for your health, because a lot of packaged foods contain questionable ingredients, but it limits waste. Yes, there are things that you may love that are impossible to find outside of a package. Pick and chose what works for you, but for example, instead of buying lettuce in a plastic container, can you buy the fresh head that you need to wash yourself? Stores like Ismar in Besiktas have a bulk bin section, albeit small. You can find lentils, rice, legumes, etc. Instead of buying these things in plastic, bring your own reusable bag or jar and fill up. The same goes for nuts, seeds and dried fruit which are found fresh and plentiful in a kuruyemis. If there is something you want packaged, are there different options? I am a mustard freak and some kinds come in glass jars, while others in plastic bottles. As much as possible, I try to buy the glass jar so I can reuse it. Lastly, are there things you can make yourself instead of buying? Which brings me to my next suggestion…
Cook at home and limit takeout: Learning to cook will save you money, allow you to have more control over what you put in your body and reduce waste. My Sunday ritual is to get myself set up for the week: making batches of soup, and rice and lentils to mix with veggies. I also make my own nut butters, nut milks, tomato sauce and even ketchup. Some people say they don’t have time for all this, but it is about choices. My perspective is, in the time it would take to order takeout and for it to arrive, I can easily cook something more nutritious and better tasting. I also see cooking and baking as a meditative process. Something that forces me to slow down, focus on one task and invest in taking care of me.
If I do eat out, I physically go to a restaurant where I will use real plates, glasses and utensils. Takeout tends to come with a lot of unnecessary waste. Everything is wrapped in plastic and put in a plastic bag with plastic utensils. If you must order takeout, again be firm and request no plastic utensils or plastic bag, at the very least.
The same goes for coffee. I love coffee. I love going to cafes, but I always try to drink from an actual cup. I like to take that extra 10 minutes and force myself to sit down and drink the coffee out of a ceramic mug, rather than a plastic and paper one. If you are truly on the go, invest in a reusable, travel coffee mug. You can find them at kitchen shops around the city, including at Esse, Tantitoni and local kitchen stores. My favorite kitchen shop is in my neighborhood, Besiktas, and is located across from the fish market near Simit Molasi. Just be sure to get a mug that is BPA-free.
Switch to glass: This is one of the easiest things you can do to reduce plastic consumption: use glass instead of plastic. Glass jars can be bought everywhere: Eminonu, Migros, Esse and local shops. It makes finding food easier and keeps goods fresher. I use the jars to store everything from vegetables to rice. I also use jars for portable lunches. I am a frequent consumer of the salad jar. I drink out of a giant glass jar and have been known to bring it on planes with me to avoid drinking out of plastic. I even have a glass straw that I carry in my purse for iced drinks. In Istanbul, we drink filtered water that is delivered to our house. Normally, people use plastic jugs. We found a company that has glass jugs and have those delivered instead. It may be worth asking your local water guy if they have glass jugs available. The moral of the story is, if glass is an option, go with glass.
Recycle: Istanbul doesn’t have a formal recycling system in practice. In theory, every municipality is supposed to have proper receptacles to collect trash and recyclable materials like glass, plastic and paper. Sadly, there is a lack of education about recycling and therefore, people don’t bother to do it. They often throw trash in the recycle bins or vice versa. The people who end up collecting the materials are informal recycling collectors who need the recycled materials to survive. While I wish these people were given a living wage for the service they provide, until then, I try to work with them to make their job as easy and humane as possible. I found out what materials these waste pickers can recycle and when they pick them up in my neighborhood. I separate my materials and leave them at the recycle center outside my apartment. If you don’t have a recycle center, leave the materials outside the waste bins. Don’t throw them inside because then the collectors have to sift through trash, which exposes them to toxins. A word of caution, too. While, recycling is a noble cause, the first steps should really be to reduce consumption and reuse before resorting to recycling. Can that plastic bottle be used a planter? Is an old glass jar perfect for making candles or can it store filtered water in your fridge? Can an old plastic container be used to take your lunch to work? Think outside the box and try to reuse or upcycle ( a term used for items that instead of being recycled or thrown away are used for a higher purpose) as much as possible.
Compost: For those who don’t know, compost is made from the decomposition of organic material (like food scraps) and is used to improve soil health and deliver nutrients to plants. Did you know beside food scraps, you can also compost hair, coffee grounds and tea bags? For a fairly comprehensive list of what is compostable, go here. I have just started on this journey, and my plan is to use a paper bag and keep compostable materials in my freezer, then every few weeks transfer to a larger compost bin outside my door. My husband and I live on the top floor of an apartment and are the only apartment there. We keep our recycle and compost bin outside our door. Once the compost is ready for use, I plan to give to friends or neighbors who garden, or return it to the earth in a park or around our neighborhood. I have also heard you can take compostable material to Istanbul’s Compost and Recovery Facility in Eyup, but I am trying to confirm this.
House
Limit paper products: Some paper products are harder to give up than others. *Cough* toilet paper *Cough.* Eco-friendly toilet paper is sold in Istanbul at City Farm in Nisantasi and Istinye Park. It is pretty expensive, though. If you are not ready to drop serious cash on paper you throw away, then try to limit other paper consumption. Instead of paper towels, use old t-shirts, dish rags or cloth towels to clean spills, wipe down counters and dust. Use cloth napkins for dinner parties or parties of one. Don’t buy paper plates or other one time use dishware and utensils.
Make your own cleaning products: Stop buying cleaning products in plastic bottles that need to be recycled or thrown out. Reuse an old glass or plastic bottle you already have and make your own all-purpose cleaning product. My favorite recipe is here. If you are super adventurous, you can even make your own laundry soap. In Turkey, I buy all the ingredients I need for laundry soap from Geleneksel Pazar.
Bathroom
Make your own beauty products: Making your own beauty products serves the same purpose as making your own cleaners, it cuts down on waste - namely, those plastic bottles that add up over time. I use one glass jar for my scrub, one for my toner, one for body lotion, etc. I am not buying a new bottle of something every time I run out. If I run out, I just make a new batch of the product and refill the jar. Easy, peasy. For DIY beauty inspiration, see here, here and here.
Use products that eliminate plastic waste: If making your own stuff isn’t really your thing, try buying products that eliminate plastic waste. Brush With Bamboo makes an incredible toothbrush that is completely compostable, except for the bristles. Even the packaging can compost. Instead of using disposable razors, try a safety razor or lazer hair removal. Many places in Istanbul sell soaps without packaging, thus eliminating waste. You can buy amazing, artisan soaps by the kilo at the shop near Tribecca in Nisantasi. Now, it is even possible to buy shampoo in bar form, eliminating the need to figure out what to do with all those plastic bottles. I recommend contacting Jo Harris of Momma Zen about buying natural products, including soaps, that are made by her. She can cater to special needs and takes waste into consideration.
Use reusable cotton pads to remove makeup: Cotton can’t be recycled and is full of pesticides. If you use cotton every night, like me, to remove makeup or apply toner, you may consider switching to reusable cotton rounds, such as here. If you are crafty, make your own.
A better period: I saved the best for last…period talk! The average woman will use 11,000 pads or tampons in her lifetime. That is a lot of cotton going into the trash. I have used reusable cotton pads and the Diva Cup for two years without any problems. The pads are machine washable. And to answer your burning questions: no, I don’t find it disgusting to use and clean these items. No, I don’t find it inconvenient either. I actually find it more convenient. No more worrying about whether I have the right supplies when my period hits. No more late night store runs. I don’t even think about it anymore. Also, bonus, I am not throwing tons of waste into the trash.
I hope these tips serve you well on your path to more eco-concious living. It may seem difficult or hard at times, but once you get in a rhythm and find your tribe, it becomes a lot easier. To aid you on this new path. I am giving away one toothbrush by Brush with Bamboo. To enter, see my Instagram for details.
Comments