Workspace (Zero Waste Update 7)
This topic maybe doesn’t deserve its own blog, but I will write it anyway to keep to Bea Johnson’s book chapters (maybe someone noticed that’s what I was doing :D). And it’s the second to last one of these zero waste updates anyhow.
Having finished our student years (at least for now), Nic working in a company and me – a little bit at two places, our tiny flat doesn’t see too much work and on top of that it is a very tiny flat so there isn’t much working space anyway. We have one small desk in the kitchen/living room space, fully occupied by Nic’s computer.
Analog
In situation when I do feel like working (like writing the blogs) I need to create myself a working space. The only place that it can happen on is our small dining table – just my laptop, my notebook and me.
Despite trying to make working from bed a thing in my first couple of uni years, I do need a solid surface to even feel a bit successful at my work. I also tried writing straight on the computer to save paper and ink but it just doesn’t get my creative juices flowing. Therefore I use old, half-used notebooks or scrap paper to write on while also going through my massive collection of pens.
After the pens are done I will switch to my refillable bamboo pen and when I am through the notebooks I will most likely get myself some new ones. I know it’s not zero waste but they bring great value to my life and I can’t let them go.
I also make sure to have my desk as empty as possible, which actually makes using the dining table quite useful as I have to clear it every day before dinner. The tidy space let’s my brain feel organised as well and allows me to be more creative and motivated.
Other than that I scan most of our documents, use paperclips instead of staples, limit the use of tape and use my coloured pencil collection (which still has pencils from my parents’ collections from years ago).
We receive no mail from the bank or any other establishment as we opted out for online statements. Occasionally we get advertising leaflets in the post and I am thinking of designing a polite but firm sticker to put on our front door to limit those as well.
Digital
(My dektop rotates with my favourite photos. It is not just me :D)
Most of the decluttering and organising activities of my work space happen digitally. With tons of documents, pictures, downloads, films and what not, my computer could be considered my life. Therefore, I regularly sit down and make sure my digital life is organised so it doesn’t give me anxiety next time I try to look for something. Everything is separated into so many well titled folders that it is impossible not to find something now. I have also recently started backing up all the important things on my Google Drive as I had a painful experience with my old external hard drive. I still hope my Greece pictures will return to me.
To make my online time a bit more sustainable I also use the Ecosia browser instead of Google. The browser is powered by Bing which isn’t amazing compared to Google but the money made is used to plant trees through people’s searches. For every 45 searches it plants one tree. So far they claim to have planted close to 27 million trees, 30+ of which due to my own searches. The organisation actually runs very transparently and you can read their monthly reports to see exactly where the money from advertising is going. I would be lying if I said I sometime don’t prefer Google, especially when I need the maps, but for smaller things Ecosia is just fine.
My phone on the other hand is the pest in my life. I honestly wish I had the guts to live without it as it takes so much of my time just randomly scrolling through Instagram. I do check my email on it and also use Ecosia to plant trees when I search, but other than that it is just a big distraction. But what can you do, we live in the 2018.
In my workspace zero waste, minimalism and passion go hand in hand and balance each other making me feel a little bit more successful. And hey, my workspace is now the kitchen.
You know the drill. Can you help me with sustainable options for:
Notebooks to write on
Refusing Junk Mail
Ways to detach from my phone
Stay Vivid,
Vassya
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