You decide what I should write about next!

The catch: it has to be related to Plastic-Free July, or the environment in general

Photos from my balcony garden

I was thinking about what to write for this issue, and I realized: I haven’t done anything in a while to push my advocacy forward.

Which is a shame, since it’s typhoon season in the Philippines, and Plastic-Free July too.

Honestly?

I’m in a bit of a rut on how to further push forward as an environmental advocate.

I still have my balcony garden and the little pocket garden in the front yard.

I still do my best to pick less-plastic or plastic-free options when I shop (e.g. biscuits in bulk, bringing my own bag and cutlery, shopping locally to lessen my carbon footprint, supporting shops that use compostable packaging). Any plastic I do end up accumulating gets dropped off at The Plaf.

I use cotton face pads and a menstrual disc — I haven’t bought cotton balls or sanitary pads in years.

Any petitions that come my way get signed. Surveys from brands and even Lazada reviews — ‘matic “Please use compostable packaging.” And posts relating typhoons to climate change are shared to the bajillion Facebook groups I’m part of.

Credits to the owner - variations of this have been shared so often, I don’t know who the credit really goes to.

I even join random groups like Lalamove Riders and Quezon City Buy and Sell to signal boost these zero-waste practices.

But yeah. Other than that, nothing much has changed for me advocacy-wise. I don’t have the bandwidth to join orgs like Greenpeace or Break Free from Plastic. I’m a bit worried safety-wise to start organizing a community garden in my subdivision. I manage to keep educating myself via accounts I follow, newsletters I read, and groups I join, like Buhay Zero-Waste. But…that’s about it. I’m in a space as well where I’m loaded with household responsibilities and navigating grief and changing lifestyles…so I feel like I’ve shot myself in the foot somehow? Haha.

The good news, though, is I do have some people asking me about this advocacy. Friends asking where to drop off old clothes (usable and unusable). Group posts asking about period hygiene options. Co-workers asking me about what greenwashing is. Online discussions on why we shouldn’t be so trigger-happy with AI.

And that’s great!

After all, it’s not just about those who care about the environment. We all have to live in it.

So as a way of reaching out to this little circle, I’m giving YOU, dear reader, the power to decide.

What do you want to know about being an environmental advocate? Especially as a creative professional based in a developing country?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below! I’d really love to “collaborate” with you through this piece. :)