242

 Gin bottle

This used to be a gin bottle, but my fellow human and I use it to store tap water to keep it cool. I am celebrating my autoethnographic paper finally being out, see here. I wrote this paper when I lived on my own in northern Sweden. The paper's journey was long, but I am glad that my fellow humans can finally read it. It's the most personal work that I've written. These autoethnographic notes are part of my autoethnographic study. When I was writing that paper, I didn't know what was the best way to share my data such as text (various notes, thoughts, sketches about my practices) and photographs. I wanted my data to be raw, living, transparent and accessible. This is why it's public. I also wanted my data to reflect my journey and various struggles and imperfections in my practice. 

So much has changed since I submitted that paper. I moved from northern Sweden to Finland and then to Denmark. In Finland my practice was more sustainable in some ways but also less sustainable in other ways. I lived without furniture, but I also used public transport more than I did when I lived in a small northern Swedish city. In Denmark, I started living with a fellow human, so many of my practices were moderated, and some were discontinued. For example, I began to buy more organic food and sharing more objects, but I stopped living furniture-free. 

241

 Simplicity

I notice that I mention simplicity very often in my autoethnography. In my previous note I wanted to capture the fact that zero waste and other sustainability practices take time. Simplicity makes sustainability practice less challenging. Some time ago, I began to use the box in the picture above to store some skincare items. The box was packaging for mushrooms that I bought in a supermarket here in Denmark. I thought the box was beautiful, but it was also useful as I didn't have anything where I could store winter skincare. In winter, I use plain shea butter packaged in a tin, a balm that I brought from Finland when I moved, and a balm that I got here in Denmark. Both glass and metal are indefinitely recyclable, meaning their quality does not degrade as they are recycled, unlike that of plastic. But recycling is not the most sustainable option. I try to reuse metal containers. Small ones I keep for travelling. Slightly bigger ones are useful for toothpaste tabs that come in paper packaging. 

At times, due to my autoimmune skin condition, I use products packaged in plastic, but I don't make it a habit. 

240

 Taking part

The fellow human I live with brought home these candle holders. He received them as a gift from a relative a while ago, but we don't use candles at home. We will bring them to a swap shop (byttestation in Danish) so hopefully another fellow human can pick them up and enjoy them free of charge. These candle holders are simple and beautiful. 

Recently I have been thinking a lot about taking part in the zero waste movement and various circularity practices. They take time. Taking part takes time, even when various helpful infrastructures are in place. When these infrastructures are scattered, it is even more time-consuming. 

Very often I notice that fellow humans throw into the general waste bin something that is obviously recyclable, such as cardboard boxes or glass jars. The cardboard recycling bin is just a few centimetres away, so it doesn't require much extra effort to sort this kind of waste. I contemplate what could be reasons for that. And when even very simple actions are not performed, how about more difficult ones?

In my own practice, I am far from perfect. Even though I try to buy bread from bakeries and vegetables from a food market, I often shop in a supermarket nearby because it is convenient and I don't have enough time to do all my shopping in various places. Perhaps if people worked less, we would have more time for participating in alternative organisations and structures. In a supermarket, I try to make better choices, such as buying unpackaged and seasonal food, but I can't help but think that it is still not the most ideal option. 

In terms of time, I feel privileged. I don't live with pets who require much time. My work is flexible at the moment. Oftentimes I can work from home. I don't have any care responsibilities, though it might change when I meet a young child soon and when my loved one needs care in the near future.