Taking Responsibility -- Grace

When I assess my personal impact on the environment, waste is one of my main concerns. Living in Thailand, I am aware that we do not have effective waste management, for instance, separate bins for waste sorting are not always available, especially in night markets or among street vendors. Furthermore, Thailand also lacks strict regulations that address the waste problems compared to other countries. While there have been attempts to encourage reusable shopping bags over plastic ones, there are not enough incentives for people to practice proper waste sorting or make habitual changes in consumption.

Since Thailand is famous for its food culture, I am aware that the food packages I buy are not designed with environmental concerns in mind. For instance, I can go to any market or coffee shop and receive plastic containers that I simply throw away when finished. Similarly, I can visit any convenient store or order food online for quick meals, then discard the container without much thoughts. This lack of incentives makes me less mindful of my consumption habits, which creates unnecessary waste.

However, I try to be more mindful about my waste management. For instance, I use reusable bag for groceries and bring my own water bottle when getting coffee. I also try to minimize waste by buying less packaged food and be more mindful before purchasing them. One practice that I have been doing is to challenge myself to produce less waste in a week, which has helped me become more mindful of my consumption and hopefully help me develop a more sustainable lifestyle.