Transformative practices (borrowing and reusing)
When I was preparing to leave Sweden, there were several items such as glasses and bowls that were essential. I used them on daily basis but could not take with me simply because they were too heavy to carry. Some of them did not belong to me, I borrowed them from the university. The items which belonged to the university I of course returned. The ones I bought but could not take with me to Finland I gave away to friends and colleagues. Getting rid of things and buying similar ones again every time one moves is not an ecological practice. It is wasteful. Here in Finland I asked my friends if I could borrow some items from them. Interestingly, there were quite a few offers. Many people have spare plates, glasses and so on. Another option would be to buy all the necessary items from a second hand store, and hence to participate in consumption of the objects that already exist within alternative spaces. Yet another option are social media platforms: many people use them to give away and sell items they do not need, though I try to avoid social media in general as much as possible. Somehow my personal preference is towards borrowing from my friends (as well as sharing with them), even though I have donated items to charities before and would be happy to know that someone uses them. Perhaps one explanation is that I prefer not to go shopping even if it's alternative spaces and organisations.
It is still rather cold in Finland, and cold air affects my skin negatively at times. In winter I use natural, locally made (either in Sweden or Finland) ointments. It is easy to find them packaged in glass, aluminium or even paper. I also like to carry one in my bag. Not long ago I ran out of the ointment I would usually have in my backpack. Its packaging was made from recycled aluminium. Instead of recycling it again, I kept the packaging and refilled it with some organic shea butter.