I WOMP to Reduce Plastic Pollution

By Nathaniel Thomas, founder of Terra Haven 

(6 minute read)

We have a HUGE plastic problem. 94-95% of all plastic in the United States is NOT getting recycled, including items with the little recycle # logo. Ugh, that’s bad news! 

These days the Number One way to reduce plastic waste is to reduce plastic consumption by avoiding single use plastics altogether. This includes water bottles, plastic bags, and even your laundry tub. 

I know sometimes this is easier said than done, I regularly forget my reusable bags in the car. I like to skip the bag when I only have a few items anyway. Or I’ll take the cart to the car and bag it there whenever I can. I know I don’t want plastic bags to needlessly end up in landfills, or worse, floating through the wind, getting caught in trees and waterways where they can injure wildlife. I know I could avoid or reduce my plastic bag consumption whenever possible. 

I want to introduce you to my special technique for change. I like to put the idea of life design behind my concept of intentional living. It means aligning with your values to make a committed plan for action with mindfulness in 5 steps. We humans have a gift—the power of conscious choice over our lives. 

My technique for change is called I WOMP. I chose the acronym because it’s memorable and I want make difficult things to be a little fun. Our brains like efficiency, so we often default to the commonly accepted way of doing things even if it isn't always ideal… usually without much thought... womp, womp… 

I WOMP is meant to be a gentle reminder that we are human, and although we have the best intentions, our environment isn’t always set up for us to make the best choices. 

If you’re a fan of SMART goals, think of I WOMP as the values-based step before the actual SMART goal—recognizing what needs to be changed and why by checking in with yourself. I WOMP is about life design and setting ourselves up for success by overcoming or eliminating obstacles that prevent us from doing the right thing that we know we really want. When it comes to sustainable living, there are so many moving parts and obstacles in the world—AND we can choose to change what we have control over. 

Here’s an overview of the 5 steps of I WOMP:

• IDENTIFY what is out of alignment with your values 
• Know your WHY
• OWN your actions & obstacles 
• MAKE a decision to change 
• PLAN for commented action 

As much as I cringe at plastic bags, I do like to have some on hand to use as small waste bags. Reduce, reuse, recycle, right? Except sadly now we’re running out of options on the recycling part. Some organizations accept plastic bags for special recycling projects, like making park benches for Scout programs. I would love to see someone come up with other great ideas on how to upcycle plastic bags into other cool projects, art, or jewelry!

Ok, I’m going to walk you through the I WOMP process with my plastic bag example. 

I identified that excessive plastic bag use is painfully out of alignment with my values and my “why”—protecting wildlife and the environment, as well as reducing petroleum plastic in general. I own my actions and where I could improve: I need to limit my small bag collection at home and commit to skipping the plastic if I forget my reusable bag. My only objection might be looking weird leaving the store with a cartful of unbagged items…

Doing things a little outside the box can feel uncomfortable, but it’s actually a great talking point and a powerful way to model values in action. I tend to beat myself up when I forget and default to accepting the plastic, but I can practice compassion on myself, remember my “why,” and acknowledge I can try again next time. It’s never a lost cause. When I’m at the checkout and realize I’m bagless again, that is the moment I can take a pause. Feel that misalignment. Identify where it’s coming from. Make the descision to change, and say it out loud if I need to. Then I can stick to the plan. 

Just to recap, here’s the 5 steps of I WOMP:

• IDENTIFY what is out of alignment with your values - this might start as a feeling such as frustration signaling that something is off
• Know your WHY - this is the value you hold, include all the reasons you want to align your actions to support it
• OWN your actions & obstacles - don’t judge yourself here, just observe where you’re at & all the complaints that tend to keep you there, with compassion
• MAKE a decision to change - no one is expecting perfection, it’s all about a willingness to try something different, make it fun if you can. Saying it out loud helps. 
• PLAN for committed action - reflect on what this process has uncovered, use a little creative problem solving to overcome your objections, and commit to sticking with it. Keep checking in with yourself gently. 

You can start small—one thing at a time, one area of your life. Change can be hard, even something as simple as using less disposable plastic. 

That’s why the I WOMP steps are so helpful to overcome objections and make a commitment by recognizing what is out of alignment. It takes a little practice with mindfulness and noticing what is going on inside you. Your feelings certainly shouldn’t rule your life, but they can be an integral guide if you let them. Your body processes information on both a conscious and subconscious level at all times and sends signals to you. I WOMP can help you become more aware of those signals, practice identifying what they mean, and what action, if any, is possible.

If you’re reading this, I’m sure you want to align with your values to take care of the environment, and one way to do this is by reducing plastic pollution & consumption. 

I want to make reducing laundry plastic easy on you with Earth Breeze Eco Laundry Sheets. 

Why Earth Breeze? First off—less waste, no plastic bottles. And equally important, it works great—and comes in Fresh Scent or Unscented. Turn laundry into an act of kindness with Earth Breeze Eco Sheets. With each purchase, Earth Breeze donates 10 loads of detergent to those in need. Over 100 million loads donated and counting!

What do you WOMP to change? Feel free to comment with your questions or successes below! 

Thanks for reading! Be well.