Today, it's more important than ever to protect our planet and conserve our resources. And if you've been thinking that you'd like to do more for the earth, you're not alone. According to a recent survey of 2,000 Americans by The Recycling Partnership, eight out of ten believe that we're not doing enough to combat wastefulness. More than a quarter of these same people said that they'd prefer to spend their money with companies that allow them to make sustainable choices. And nearly 50 percent of people said they wouldn't shop with a brand that they knew wasn't working towards protecting the environment, lowering its carbon footprint, and protecting human health as it pushes towards innovation.
If you're reading this, you're likely among the many, many Americans who want a brighter, greener future for all. It's also likely that you already separate your recycling and bring reusable bags with you to the grocery store. So what next? It's time to think critically about how you can utilize your buying power in a way that benefits not only the planet but the communities that you live and work in.
This is sometimes hard to do. The Recycling Partnership reports that the cost of creating new plastic is at an all time low. Your voice and your buying power can encourage companies to use recycled content and make their products more sustainable. It's up to us to show companies that while cost is a factor in what we choose to buy, it's just as important that the products and packages we bring into our homes are reducing stress on the environment.
Looking to up your sustainability game? Then ask yourself three questions when you're ready to scan your items at the self-checkout line or click "buy" on the cart you've lovingly curated from the comfort of your own bedroom:
- Is this product reusable, recyclable, or compostable?
- Is this product made from recycled content?
- Do I know how to make sure this product is recycled or composted?
These questions can't be applied to all products, of course, but their role is to give you pause before you purchase. Just enough time to decide what effect your buy could have on the planet. Many of your favorite products have admirable sustainability goals, but as you make more and more of these decisions, more of the brands you love will have no choice but to hear your voice and make changes that will help all of us be happier, safer, and sustainably moving towards a better future.
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An Irish woman went to the doctor for a routine eye exam. She left with bright neon green eyes.
It's not easy seeing green.
Did she get superpowers?
Going to the eye doctor can be a hassle and a pain. It's not just the routine issues and inconveniences that come along when making a doctor appointment, but sometimes the various devices being used to check your eyes' health feel invasive and uncomfortable. But at least at the end of the appointment, most of us don't look like we're turning into The Incredible Hulk. That wasn't the case for one Irish woman.
Photographer Margerita B. Wargola was just going in for a routine eye exam at the hospital but ended up leaving with her eyes a shocking, bright neon green.
At the doctor's office, the nurse practitioner was prepping Wargola for a test with a machine that Wargola had experienced before. Before the test started, Wargola presumed the nurse had dropped some saline into her eyes, as they were feeling dry. After she blinked, everything went yellow.
Wargola and the nurse initially panicked. Neither knew what was going on as Wargola suddenly had yellow vision and radioactive-looking green eyes. After the initial shock, both realized the issue: the nurse forgot to ask Wargola to remove her contact lenses before putting contrast drops in her eyes for the exam. Wargola and the nurse quickly removed the lenses from her eyes and washed them thoroughly with saline. Fortunately, Wargola's eyes were unharmed. Unfortunately, her contacts were permanently stained and she didn't bring a spare pair.
- YouTube youtube.com
Since she has poor vision, Wargola was forced to drive herself home after the eye exam wearing the neon-green contact lenses that make her look like a member of the Green Lantern Corps. She couldn't help but laugh at her predicament and recorded a video explaining it all on social media. Since then, her video has sparked a couple Reddit threads and collected a bunch of comments on Instagram:
“But the REAL question is: do you now have X-Ray vision?”
“You can just say you're a superhero.”
“I would make a few stops on the way home just to freak some people out!”
“I would have lived it up! Grab a coffee, do grocery shopping, walk around a shopping center.”
“This one would pair well with that girl who ate something with turmeric with her invisalign on and walked around Paris smiling at people with seemingly BRIGHT YELLOW TEETH.”
“I would save those for fancy special occasions! WOW!”
“Every time I'd stop I'd turn slowly and stare at the person in the car next to me.”
“Keep them. Tell people what to do. They’ll do your bidding.”
In a follow-up Instagram video, Wargola showed her followers that she was safe at home with normal eyes, showing that the damaged contact lenses were so stained that they turned the saline solution in her contacts case into a bright Gatorade yellow. She wasn't mad at the nurse and, in fact, plans on keeping the lenses to wear on St. Patrick's Day or some other special occasion.
While no harm was done and a good laugh was had, it's still best for doctors, nurses, and patients alike to double-check and ask or tell if contact lenses are being worn before each eye test. If not, there might be more than ultra-green eyes to worry about.