Hayden Freeman

This week I was inspired to bike and take public transit to work and for my daily activities. I usually ride my motorbike, which isn’t as harmful as driving a car, but sometimes I use my roommate’s car if I’m feeling lazy or if it’s cold in the morning. I’ve noticed that I often make excuses for why I need to drive or take an Uber, and most of the time, it really just comes down to laziness. I realized that I hate being cold, and instead of dressing properly for the weather, I avoid biking or walking.

This time, I made a decision to prioritize comfort over fashion, and that small change made me much more willing to ride my bike and use public transit. It helped me realize how important it is to understand the real reasons behind why we don’t always make sustainable choices. Often, it’s something small that we don’t even realize is holding us back. I actually enjoyed biking to work a couple of times this week and appreciated the slower pace of taking public transportation.

When I first started making my products, I bought essential oils, but I quickly realized that most of them come with plastic caps and packaging. That made me think it might be better to try making my own essential oils at home. My mom had already started preparing a garden space, so I decided to plant some herbs specifically for this purpose. We also began planting some common vegetables that we eat regularly, which feels like a solid first step. Not only does this reduce the number of things we need to buy from the store, but it also supports a more mindful and sustainable lifestyle.

This week, I decided to go through all my products and determine whether they’re not only good for my body but also for the planet. I did some research on greenwashing for my Eco Change project, and with that new knowledge, I was shocked to realize how many products I thought were sustainable were actually the complete opposite.

This week, I decided to meal plan — which was surprisingly super fun and easier than I thought! I saved a bunch of money by not eating out when I didn’t have time to make lunch in the morning. I also felt much healthier and properly nourished. Instead of waiting all day to eat until I got home or splurging on not-so-great choices, having planned meals gave me a lot of mental clarity and one less thing to stress about during the day — which I really enjoyed. Additionally, I wasn’t using any plastic or other unsustainable ingredients, which you often run into when eating out.

This week for my eco-challenge, I decided to focus more on my health and take a closer look at the small things I consume every day. I started thinking about whether those things are healthy not just for my body but also for the environment. For example, I eat LARA bars almost every day, but after doing more research and looking deeper into the brand, I realized it's not something I want to support. It's also not as nutritious as I thought. This made me realize how many small habits we repeat without even noticing. Sometimes we support things we don't actually agree with, just out of routine. Removing this one item from my daily life might seem small, but over time it can have a meaningful impact on both my health and the environment.

This week, instead of going thrifting like I usually do, I decided to go through my own clothes, take pictures, and sell them on Depop. This not only helped me make some money but also contributed to the resale community, which is such a sustainable alternative to buying new clothes. I realized that by taking the time to sell my old clothes online, I’m giving myself extra spending money to shop sustainably — like supporting my favorite sustainable brands on Etsy that I know are worth it. It was also really fun because my mom got involved and even started her own Depop account. This just shows that small steps toward sustainability can be easy and fun!

This week, I decided to wash my own clothes since it was sunny. I usually wash my clothes by hand when I’m living in Asia, and it feels like the norm there. It’s not too hard and actually pretty easy to do—so I thought, why can’t I do it here? I noticed that it was extremely simple and surprisingly relaxing. It also made me more mindful of my clothing—I realized they’re actually quite delicate, and we often don’t take care of them as well as we should when we rely on machines.

This week, I decided to stop buying drinks at coffee shops—where I usually used plastic cups 2 to 3 times a week—and instead started buying sustainable matcha to make my own matcha lattes at home. I noticed that not only did I enjoy the process in the morning and become more mindful of the ingredients I was using, but I also felt less guilty about the money I was spending. It made me realize how much this new consumer world convinces us that we’re not capable of making a latte as good as an expensive coffee shop can. But really, it's just a form of brainwashing that encourages this type of behavior and makes us addicted to buying unnecessary products—many of which we can easily make ourselves at home.