myautisticpov:

Do you ever just think about how if they reduced the working week, it’d contribute massively to waste reduction?

I mean, cutting out commuting is obvious, but, like, most people with more time on their hands use it for something.

Like, cooking more meals at home, or taking up crafting hobbies like soap-making.

We wouldn’t need as much ready-bought shit.

And even people who physically can’t, say, cook regularly or make their own things would benefit because friends/family members who could wouldn’t be so strapped for time.

I stayed at home while at uni, so I didn’t have to work a lot, and my uni hours weren’t too taxing.

And yeah, if a family member says “hey, can you pop around and help me with this”, it’s much easier to say “yeah, no problem”, if you’re not having to add it to the massive to-do pile in the short time you have outside of work.

And when I make things - like bread, I used to bake a shit-ton of bread - I tend to make way more than I need, so I give it to other people.

Idk, starting on drugs for my ADHD that have made handling things easier has also given me more free time - because it’s not spent struggling to do basics - and one of the biggest changes has just been remembering to keep a reusable coffee cup clean and in my handbag, along with a tote bag for shopping.

5p bag charges did nothing. Being able to think straight was the thing that helped. You know, the thing that overwork prevents?

And, like, imagine if you had a whole extra day? Like if the 4 Day Week campaign succeeded.

I’d be fucking sewing clothes that are actually durable and fit me properly. I’d get into soap-making. I’d look into how to protect the garden from feral cats enough to actually grow some veg in it.

And yeah, that’s probably a lot for one person, but it doesn’t have to be one person. Like I said, I tend to make too much food for just me when I bake. And I imagine soap-making is done in batches. And if I could get a veg patch going, I’d probably have too much for just me to eat.

So, if, like, every other person or every third person decided to have a hobby in making things… Well, I imagine we’d use a lot less packaging and shit, is all I’m saying.