Several days ago I wrote about my one small action a day idea, where even when I'm feeling like shit, if I do one little action to make the world a bit better (or advocate for such), I can at least feel like I tried, in a world that wants us all to be apathetic consumers and worker bees.

Maybe that means writing a company about their packaging. Maybe that means calling my congresscritter about an issue. Those may seem like ineffective actions, but when lots of people do them, you get noticed. Companies bow to consumer pressure all the time.

So with that in mind, I thought if I put out some ideas and relevant info, people might join me. Most of the task isn't writing an email or making a phone call, it's finding out who to contact or choosing an issue du jour.

So I give you: little action ideas list #1. Care to join me?

Idea One: Get Your Reps On Speed Dial

image from anh-usa

This one is really the prep work for lots of other actions. When an org or an activist teaches you about some issue and says, "call your representatives!" ...most people don't even know who their reps are, especially at the local levels where you can have a bigger impact.

I have my senators, congresswoman, state senator, state congress, and three city council members who represent my district or are at-large saved to my phone contacts.

Someone puts out a call to action? Bam, there I am making a call. But also, call them not just when things are bad, in protest. Call them about an idea you have. Call them when they did something to make you happy. Let them know what the public wants. If they only hear from the public when it's OUTRAGE TIME and we're on the defensive (stop the TPP! stop SESTA/FOSTA! stop selling public lands!), well, you're losing ground or fighting to maintain it at that point. Get ahead of the game, don't just respond.

Type in your address at: https://www.commoncause.org/find-your-representative/ and you will find allllllllll the politicians who represent you (supposedly). There are some on that list I've never heard of, and I pay attention to this shit.

If you are outside the US, you'll have to Google, sorry. I don't know how it works everywhere!

Phone calls are the most impactful way to contact your reps (per a former congressional aide who was asked about it). Paper letters rank second. Emails are overwhelming in numbers and largely ignored with auto form letter replies.

Idea Two: Get Specific About Packaging and Individual Products

A while back I filled out the form at https://www.kissmyface.com/contact-us/ because with my ridiculous amounts of allergies, there are very few products I can use, and one of the few soaps I can use is from Kiss My Face. Yay, right? Except there's this frustrating conundrum. The soap I use is their plain olive oil soap. You can get it in a gigantic bar that costs more per ounce but is wrapped entirely in paper, or you can buy a three pack of smaller bars that cost less per ounce and are DOUBLE wrapped in plastic. Wtf? Why is the cheaper option wrapped twice in plastic film? It's the same soap. You couldn't wrap it in the same paper? Frustrating!

If you have a staple product you use that has a shitty package, find that company online and ask for better, specifically. And if you want to click the link and agitate for my special soap, I would appreciate that, too!

Whyyyyyyyyy?

Idea Three: Tweet At A Trash Bag Company

Why are trash bags plastic? You're making new plastic, for the specific one-time purpose of wrapping garbage in and throwing it away.

Now, I use packaging for my trash bags (toilet roll bags, cat kibble bags, etc.), but obviously plenty of people buy trash bags just for the purpose. Why the fuck are they plastic?

"Because it'll leak otherwise," I hear you say. Ya know what won't leak? A wax paper bag like you find inside a cereal box. I know, because I've used them as trash bags. You're not using it as a water skin, are you? Wet coffee grinds, grease, and cat litter are all fine in a wax paper bag. It doesn't matter if it's recyclable since its going in the landfill or burned, anyway.

Let's make this a thing, because the world is fucking drowning in plastic.

Tweet Glad at: @gladproducts. Hefty is at @Hefty.

Idea Four: Tell Trader Joe's To Stop Making The Produce Section, The Plastic Section

Ah, the produce section. One of the last areas of an American grocery store that isn't just shelves of wrapping, right? Not at Trader Joe's!

If you've never been to Trader Joe's, let me paint a picture: two celery heads in a plastic bag. Organic or conventional. That's your options. I don't even need one whole head of celery, let alone two, and I certainly don't need it in a sealed plastic bag.

Salad only in plastic. Carrots only in plastic. ARTICHOKES in plastic. YOU COULD PROBABLY PLAY BASKETBALL WITH AN ARTICHOKE AND STILL EAT IT, WHY DO THEY COME IN THREE PACKS IN A CLAMSHELL PLASTIC BOX??

You're beginning to understand why I don't buy produce at TJ's. It's the stupidest section of the store.

https://www.traderjoes.com/contact-us/general-feedback ...tell them how shitty this is, would you? Thanks. Naming a store as the one you shop at is required, so you can tell them 8th and Colorado Boulevard in Denver if you don't have one.

Idea Five: Contact Amazon About Their Delivery Practices

image from adage

You're going to have to log into your Amazon account for this one, but did you know if you live near a distribution warehouse for Amazon, your packages are often delivered by a local courier rather than the post office or some other delivery company?

For real.

Amazon doesn't even provide the vehicles. Basically you're an Uber driver with a van and a dolly. USPS, FedEx, and UPS workers get paid pretty well and have benefits. Bezos can't be supporting that if avoidable, can he?

So I emailed customer service and asked them a) to provide the vehicles and stop being Uber, and b) make those vehicles electric, charged with solar panels on the warehouse roof. I even brought up that it would be good PR that they kinda need.

The behemoth won't care if just one hippie in Colorado demands it, but what if everyone did?

Idea Six: When It's Time To Replace Your Comb Or Brush, Don't Buy Plastic

Because seriously, we need to slay this plastic monster.

This is less a daily action than an FYI, but hey, prep work and knowledge counts. You can get wooden, bone, and horn combs:

mine is horn, ox I think

And wooden and boar hair brushes:

mine is a bamboo handle with boar hair on one side and plastic bristles on the other. You can get wooden wide bristles like that with a rubber base under them, but I'm allergic to rubber (because of course I am), so I got this one. I love the dual sided option.

Basically, rethink everything that's plastic. Often a Google search for "plastic free ____" can surprise you!

Idea Seven: WHAT YEAR IS IT

A while ago, I contacted Blue Sky Soda (http://www.blueskysoda.com/contact-us), though you might also contact Hansen's (https://www.hansens.com/contact), or Pepsi (https://mobile.twitter.com/pepsi) for the same thing. Or your favorite beer or energy drink that maybe does the same. What thing?

BECAUSE

THEY STILL

USE THESE

MONSTROUS

AND UNNECESSARY THINGS.

I've been carefully snipping six pack rings so that there are no rings left before tossing since the 80s. WHY ARE THESE STILL A THING?? You don't even have to get all "newfangled replacement" with it. Just put the cans in a cardboard box. Ya know. Like twelve packs. But smaller. What a concept!

And there you have it, seven ideas, a week's worth of actions for your activist heart. I hope you join me and try a few! Let me know how it goes if you do! Thanks for reading!

That Red Fish your momma always warned you about

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