Beyond Recycling... Important Little Changes You Can Make Right Now To Help The Environment Be Less Sad

Being better to the environment doesn't have to be an overhaul of your life! There are super simple changes you can make to your everyday routine that will reduce the amount of harmful impact you have over the span of your life. If you have anything to add, please share in the comments!
1. First of all, let's get some facts out of the way...
1. The earth cannot digest plastic. It is not bio-degradable. That means that once it exists, plastic is never going to be gone.
2. Plastic in the ocean now outnumbers sea life six to one.
3. One in four mammals is at risk of extinction.
4. Plastic chemicals released into our water, like BPA, DDT, and PCB, are absorbed by the body. They disrupt hormones and your endocrine system. Its a big issue. The health effects of DDT include cancer, male infertility, miscarriages and low birth weight, developmental delay, nervous system and liver damage. PCBs also contribute to cancer and cause disorders of the immune, reproductive, nervous and endocrine systems.
5. Oxygen-starved dead zones that cannot sustain life now cover an area roughly the size of the state of Oregon.
Read more at http://webecoist.momtastic.com/2008/11/26/amazing-...
6. Only 1% of Chinas 560 million city residents breathe air that is considered safe by the European Union.
7. Less than 1% of the worlds freshwater is readily available for human use.
8. Recycling one ton of paper saves 17 trees, 2 barrels of oil, 4,100 kilowatts of energy, 3.2 cubic yards of landfill space and 60 pounds of air pollution. Wow!
9. At least 50 million acres of rainforest are lost every year, totaling an area the size of England, Wales and Scotland combined.
10. If the entire world lived like the average American, wed need 5 planets to provide enough resources.
2. Okay, here's an easy one: straws
Some people need straws in their drinks for medical reasons (mobility issues, for example). But if this isn't you... why not ditch those pieces of plastic and sip from the cup like a boss?! Ain't no tiny tube of plastic gonna get between you and your drink.
3. While we're on the topic of unnecessary meal accessories... why not ditch napkins?
I get it. It's way easier sometimes to just rip a paper towel or grab a napkin then it is to go aaaall the way to the cupboard, grab a cloth, and go aaaaall the way back to the spill. And then you need to put the cloth in the laundry (which means you have to be willing to do laundry... ugh). But seriously... just use a damn cloth when you can.
4. Now what about plastic cutlery?
Ain't nothin' better than take-out. Well, actually, come to think about it, there are a lot of better things, like a vacation, or your loved ones, or that puppy you saw on the way home from work, but you (Continued)
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but you get the point. Anyway, when you decide to indulge, ask the restaurant to skip the plastic cutlery because NEWS FLASH: you're eating it in your own house, and I know I'm assuming but I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that you have cutlery in your drawer.
5. Bike or walk to work, use public transit, arrange a carpool
For some people this is impossible. I get it. You live in the middle of nowhere and work in another remote part of town where you couldn't possibly share a ride to and it's not accessible by transit because it's at the top of a mountain and your bike got a flat tire and you've got bad knees. Sound like you? If not, maybe you've got some arranging to do.
6. Be like Sweden... no ridiculous car trips
Have you ever hopped in the car just to go to the variety store down the street? A friend's house that you could easily walk to? Or somewhere else that is ridiculously easy to get to? The city of Malm, Sweden started a whole campaign around this, to try to get their residents to quit it with the ridiculous car trips. Check out their promotional video:
[vimeo_embed https://player.vimeo.com/video/15329560?color=dedede&portrait=0 expand=1]
No ridiculous car trips from Martin Lang on Vimeo.
7. Buy local when you can
If you can buy your food local, not only do you get fresher food, you get the benefit of knowing that you have stopped 1,300 miles of needless travel that it takes (on average) for non-local foods to travel from field to your plate. If you can't wrap your head around that, try this: it takes 435 fossil-fuel calories to fly a 5 calorie strawberry from California to New York. Check out some farmers markets if you can, or see if your township has a food box program you can join.
8. Turn the dang lights off!
I'm not going to go on about this one. You know the drill. But I will say this: if you or the people you live with are notorious for leaving the lights on, post a reminder sign in a high-traffic area or near the light switch to help them remember.
9. While we're at it with the lights, think about your... (Continued)
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9. While we're at it with the lights, think about your bulbs
Traditional lightbulbs are energy suckers. Electric lighting burns up to 25% of the average home energy budget. And get this: you're being ripped off. The electricity used over the lifetime of a single incandescent bulb costs 5 to 10 times the original price of the bulb itself. Replace them with LED bulbs and the earth and your wallet will be thanking you.
10. Okay, I get it. You don't like the gross "fluorescent glow" of an LED lightbulb.
Not so fast... you're not getting away that easy. Have you considered CFL lightbulbs? They are simply miniature versions of full-sized fluorescents. Or, you can purchase the Cree LED bulb a light that was recently invented for people who want to save energy and have the warm cozy glow of traditional bulbs.
11. Use clothing to offset your thermostat
Okay, I know how nice it is to come home in the winter to a warm, cozy house. It's tempting to crank the thermostat all the way up and bask in the pretend-tropical heat. Next time, try opting for thick socks, long johns, and a sweater before you resort to your thermostat. If you can't remember, put a note over your thermostat that says, "Have you put on a sweater yet?"
12. Print a list of the things you can recycle and put it on your fridge
It's hard to remember what can and can't be recycled. Thankfully, most cities have recycling guides that are easily google-able (ahh, the beauty of the internet!). Print it off and post it on your fridge for quick reference.
13. Drivers! Make sure your tires aren't getting tired
So for all those times when you need to use a car, make sure your tires are properly inflated. Low tire pressure wastes money and energy, and causes pollution. An informal study by students at Carnegie Mellon University found that the majority of cars on U.S. roads are operating on tires inflated to only 80 percent of capacity. The average person who drives 12,000 miles yearly on under-inflated tires uses about 144 extra gallons of gas, at a cost of $300-$500 a year.
14. Bring reusable bags to the grocery store. Or better yet...(Continued)
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14. Bring reusable bags to the grocery store. Or better yet, a backpack
If you can't remember to bring reusable bags, toss a few in your car / backpack / bike basket and keep them there for times when you swing by the grocery store. Also, if you use a backpack it's way easier to carry your groceries home (for all you "walkers out there).
15. When it comes to packaging, "the more the merrier" rule doesn't apply
You know those packaged foods where you open the package but then everything inside is individually wrapped in its own tiny package? Yeah... that's no good. Try opting for products that use less packaging and buy in bulk if you can.
16. No flyers please!
Reduce the amount of unwanted (wasteful) mail you receive by putting a "no flyers please!" sign above your mailbox. Who wants to sort through useless junk mail anyway?
17. Get some Macklemore swag
Macklemore had it right when he sang, "I wear your granddad's clothes / I look incredible / I'm in this big [cut] coat/ From that thrift shop down the road." Every garment purchased second-hand means one less new one produced, which is important because regardless of material, the production of clothing is costly to the environment. Plus, you can get your new threads on the cheap!
18. You know what I'm about to say about plastic water bottles, don't you?
Quit it. It's 2017. Did you know that making bottles to meet Americas demand for bottled water uses more than 17 million barrels of oil annually, enough to fuel 1.3 million cars for a year; And thats not even including the oil used for transportation? Perhaps you prefer bottled water because its filtered. But according to Dr. Gina Solomon (a senior scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council) there is no reason to believe that (Continued)
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bottled water is safer than tap water. Often when you buy bottled water, youre simply paying Pepsi or Coke for the same Municipal water you could get for free from any drinking fountain or faucet. I love my Kishu Charcoal filter to ensure my tap water is free of nasty lead that can be in the pipes of older buildings. I simply fill my kanteen with that filtered water before heading out the door! You can get a Kishu to-go filter too if you want to be extra safe when filling up from public drinking fountains and such. Lets #TakeBackTheTap!
19. Electronic is the new paper
There are a bunch of simple ways you can start opting for the electronic (aka less wasteful) version of something compared to paper. Convert to electronic statements and bills. If someone offers you their business card, take a picture of it instead. Switch to electronic tickets for planes, trains, and venues (when you can). Yay! The world is getting happier as we speak!
20. Take a reusable mug to the coffee shop.
Most places will be very receptive to this. Starbucks will even give you 10 cents off your drink. Sure, it's not a whole lot, but it's their way of saying "thanks for caring."
21. Libraries are for more than just books
Many libraries offer services and check-out items far beyond the reaches of literature. Games, construction and gardening tools, sports equipment, and hobby supplies are just a few of the many wonders in libraries across the world. Not only is this helpful to your wallet (free!) but it's a great way to get more use out of items that are shared between members of the community. Call your local library or look on their website to get an idea of just how much you could be taking advantage of. Some cities even offer completely separate libraries for tools, like the Toronto tool library!
22. Use old clothing for rags
Instead of buying more rags or throwing out clothing that is too tattered to be donated, try cutting your clothing into squares to use as rags. With all the money you save, you'll be going from rags to riches! Okay, not exactly, but still...
23. Consider an electric razor instead of the cheap, throwaway kinds
Sure, it's an investment upfront, but the money you'll save not having to buy new razors all the time will actually help you to save in the end. Plus, it's better for the environment. I know that not everyone has the ability to buy the more expensive, reusable type of razor, but if you're reading this and (Continued)
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looking for a way to help your community, donating reusable razors to homeless shelters is a great way to help people and the earth.
24. Skip buying plastic garbage bags
Skip plastic garbage bags and simply put your trash into the can itself. This will require you to wash the can from time to time, but if you are composting well, it wont get too messy. Especially garbage cans in bedrooms, where the main waste is tissues and paper, it won't be too bad.
25. Have you heard of beeswax wrap?
Beeswax wrap is incredible. Instead of plastic wrap, you can wrap your food or whatever else you usually wrap in plastic in beeswax wrap. Not only is it eco-friendly and reusable, it breathes similar to the natural peel or rind of a fruit, so keeps your produce at its freshest.
26. Skip the receipt
This one is simple: when you don't need to keep a receipt, ask the cashier or server not to print the customer copy. The world has one less useless piece of paper with ink on it and the bottom of your bag becomes less cluttered with old crinkled up receipts.
27. Don't use plastic bags in the produce section (just wash when you get home!)
Okay, you know those clear plastic bags that you use to put your produce into at the grocery section? Most fruits have been shipped in trucks, handled by several people, and most likely put in contaminated crates by this point so a flimsy plastic sheath isn't going to do much at this point. You're going to have to wash your produce when you get home anyway, so scrap the individual bags.
28. Think about ditching Q-tips
If you can, think about ditching Q-tips, or using them with less frequency. If you use them for blotting makeup, try a re-usable sponge.
29. Set your fridge between 35 and 38 degrees and pull it a few inches away from the wall
The optimal temperature of 35 to 38 degrees will keep your perishables fresh and cold, and while setting the temperature colder seems tempting, it just increases your energy bill. If you dont have a fridge that demarcates exact degrees, you can get a fridge thermometer to find out.
It helps to pull your fridge 12 inches away from the wall because itll make it easier to keep your food cold.
30. Seal it up!
Make sure windows are properly sealed. Make sure your oven is properly insulated and updated. Make sure the hood range above your stove isn't letting in cold air.
31. Be more critical of "Best before" labels
Best before means BEST freshness before, not ROTTON after the date. If you're not sure, look up how to actually spot if a food has gone bad and do the test yourself. Don't let dates fool you, many foods are still edible well past their best before date.
All of us have fears which some might call irrational.
Up to and including ghosts, witches, monsters.
But more often than not, reality can be far scarier than the supernatural.
And there are very few people indeed who don't have a memory of a moment when they were truly and genuinely scared.
And not by an otherworldly encounter, but by things that could quite literally happen to anyone.
Redditor GodhimselfUwU was curious to hear the scariest experiences people have lived through, leading them to ask:
"What’s the scariest non-supernatural thing that ever happened to you?"
Intruder
"I was 14, alone at my grandmas house around midnight."
"She was across the street at the bar she owned."
"I was playing games on her computer, about 15 feet from one of the windows facing the backyard."
"All of a sudden the glass from that window shatters, and I ran to one of the bedrooms."
"I can hear my name being called."
"Eventually I see my grandma's ex-boyfriend enter the living room where the computer is."
"He keeps saying my name."
"I’m scared sh*tless, but I walk out and confront him."
"He says my grandma stole his ID and that’s what he came for, as he’s taking money from my grandmas purse."
"He looks f*cked up on something."
"I forget how he leaves but when he does I call the bar and people come over looking for him."
"They didn’t find him."
"About a year later he did it again, and I was once again alone there."
"Except this time instead of breaking a window he decides to try to kick the side door in."
"I’m just there chilling when out of nowhere I hear the loudest bangs coming from the side of the house and I instantly knew what was happening."
"I immediately called the bar and they sent a bunch of people over before he could make it in."
"He apparently tried to jump from one of her sheds into the alley next to her house and broke his leg."
"He went to prison."- nfreshn
They're coming right for us!
"Two bison charging right toward me down a narrow wooded path in Yellowstone when I was 12."- pcc2
Uncomfortable in new surroundings.
"My sister has mental health issues."
"We were in a foreign country, driving across mountains on a one lane dirt road with no guardrails."
"She had a complete mental breakdown and threatened many times to drive off the edge."
"To this day, my mom swears my sister wouldn't have done it."
"All I say is, 'you weren't in the car'."
"'You have no idea'."- BlorengeJulius
Lost in the woods.
"Getting lost on 350 acres of woods in southeast Georgia."
"Was found about 6 hours later."
The dog found me hours before the people did.- No_Regrats_42
A near death experience.
"Was working as a linemen tasked to replace a 16m wooden power pole which requires climbing up to untie the lines from the isolators."
"I checked if the pole had any rot beforehand, climbed up, untied the lines, climbed down, as I was packing my tools up , the pole fell from its own."- LimaRadek
He wasn't who he claimed to be.
"A man claiming to be a meter reader was in our yard and tried the back door AFTER trying the front."
"It was unlocked because there was a field behind us and our gate had a lock, that he somehow got by."
"The meter reader man was nearly eaten by our Great Dane who was dumb and peaceful, except for when she laid eyes on him."
"Our other dog also wanted to kill him and he was up on our trampoline begging us to call the dogs off, which we, my then 11 year old sister and I, refused to do and went to get our dad, who worked from home."
"The guy escaped while we got our dad and my dad let the police know what happened."
"The real meter reader man came the next week."- Applesintheorchard
Had no idea what they were witnessing.
"I guess watching a loved one have a seizure when I didn’t understand what it was."
"Legit thought I witnessed a death."
"Scary stuff."- Peppapigisgodly
Always look both ways.
"I got hit by a car while in a crosswalk a few months back."
"Had a split second where I saw him coming and realized what was about to happen."
"I thought I was going to die."- jolalolalulu
Big Sister to the Rescue.
"Saved my sisters life."
"We were boating and my parents just kinda assumed we’d be ok with them only out a couple hundred feet."
"I was about 17 and she was about 7."
"I’m laying there chilling and see her slip and fall into the water and just straight up sink."
"Ran over, dove in and pulled her to shore."
"She spit up a bunch of water and was fine but that experience rocked me to my core."
"Not a super crazy story but almost seeing a sibling die has always stuck with me."
"I’ve broken almost every bone in my body, I died one time and was in a coma for a little bit but for some reason this one stuck with me."- Present-Trip5231
Often, an experience that left us scared does make for a good story down the line.
Though whether it was a good enough story to make having gone through the experience worth it, is debatable.
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Having to work for a living is hard work.
Some jobs come with difficulty and two extra sides of stress.
So the last thing people need is unwarranted hate.
I'm so glad I work from home. Writing alone.
I have issues with me, but that I can deal with.
I do hate internet issues.
But that is warranted.
Redditor PM_ME_URFOOD wanted to talk about the jobs where a ridiculous amount of vitriol is all part of a days work. They asked:
"What profession gets an unjustified amount of hate?"
Waiting tables was always the bane of my existence. Customers are rude. Staff is rude. It never ends.
Filthy Hours
"Trash men. They’re looked down on as dirty and uneducated, but they do a hard job that is absolutely critical to our public health."
kirkl3s
You're Out!
"Youth sports officials. I umpire baseball as a hobby and the way parents act is deplorable."
kennsing75
"The parents on the other hand deserve loads of hate sometimes. I was a coach for soccer and volleyball while I was in the Air Force. You would have loved to be a sports official for our leagues at our base. If a parent got sh**ty they are immediately ejected, no questions, and reported to whoever is their higher authority. It almost never happened."
DaniTheLovebug
Behind the Counter
"Any customer (client/patient) facing job. They get the abuse that stems from managements decisions, mistakes and incompetence."
HighlyOffensive10
"I did customer service for automotive companies at a call center for years. People get so unhinged, between dealerships, management, people calling into the wrong department, angry customers who were itching for a fight over a rental car. The job paid for five free therapy sessions a year, but honestly, it would take every ounce of restraint not to break some days."
"You aren't allowed to defend yourself or hang up, you can't transfer them to supervisors for a call, you technically work for a third party company that exists to keep the customer from ever actually speaking to the corporation. It was the worst job I've ever had, and that's coming from someone who used to work at a seafood processing plant."
Bromelia_and_Bismuth
I'm Hungry
"Food service. The workers have to eat too, you know."
stinky_cheese33
"Working fast food sucked. Not because the job was hard. But because people were *icks. For like, no reason. Working in an actual kitchen also sucked. Not because the work was hard, but because you never did it quick enough and your boss was a *ick for like no reason. But at least you didn't deal with customers."
thedankbank1021
Too much stress...
"Defense attorneys. People hate them because they defend violent criminals. However, as one lawyer put it, their job is not just to defend these people; their job is also to make sure that the cops did their job correctly."
TomoyoHoshijiro
I've always wondered about defense attorneys. How do they reconcile their morals?
They're Smart Too
"I live in Germany and currently in my (hopefully) last semester of university to become a pharmacist (4 years of university, one practical year and three exams of state required). A lot of people here think pharmacists are only cashiers and don’t know we get a scientific education. And God help me if I question a doctor's decision."
this_is_lune
Hard Hours
"I usually just lurk as a guest, but I made a Reddit account just for this. Cooks for public schools. They are constantly overworked, underpaid, and disrespected. Most schools have only a few ovens and microwaves, so school chefs have to either jam unsafe amounts of frozen food into ovens and microwaves, which is a giant fire hazard, or work non-stop from early morning."
Clingitty
Green Thumbed
"Plant breeders and plant geneticists. Imagine you're a plant nerd and you spend your life studying genetics so you can figure out how to improve food crops. Like, to make them yield more, taste better, be healthier, survive drought, etc. But on the internet, you're apparently trying to poison the world and control the food supply."
kjhvm
Heartless
"Veterinarians. My doctors CONSTANTLY get yelled at or called heartless when, for instance, we refer them to a hospital more suited to care for the animal than us. Like bro we didn't just tell you know we are giving you options and trying to ensure you seek the proper care. Don't call me a heartless b**tard for that crap."
Zfullz
No Fun Involved
"Janitors. Trash-related work. Sewage workers. Plumbing."'
SubiWhale
I feel for everyone in these jobs. They deserve better.
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Short of having a shopping addiction, no one actually likes spending money on stuff.
Why would you ever willingly give it away? It's your money!
Which might be why it feels so bad when you have to spend money of something that should be free from the beginning. People/ corporations are going to chase that cheddar, though, so there's little you can do besides complain, which frankly might be the best thing the internet is for.
Reddit user, woodside37, wanted to know what we should never have to pay for again when they asked:
"What should be free?"
Let's get these out of the way first...No, let's get this first one out of the way first.
Hidden fees are the worst.
Hidden. F***ing. Fees.
"Transaction/processing fees when you order a digital product online. Such as a concert ticket, where you pay 6 euro extra while you pay online, and have to print the ticket yourself."
rickmitchel
"Or processing fees to pay bills that you need. Duke energy charges a $7 processing fee for you to pay your energy bill. Like wtf."
CrispyCrunchyPoptart
Pay To Pee
"Public bathrooms! The amount of human piles of poop around because the homeless have no where to relieve themselves!"
AuntyMarcy
"Live in a very tourist-y part of the U.K., all public toilets charge and most cafes/pubs/libraries won’t let people use their toilets. As someone who lives here year round it’s really frustrating and doesn’t seem to make sense."
JonesNewport83
Want A Better Society? Educate Them.
"College. Or at the very least, college APPLICATIONS. If you're gonna require it for most careers, atleast make it accessible for people. And I just think it's stupid that people have to pay to get rejected."
callmeventibcimavent
"Oh god I hate that so much. Same with applying to apartments it’s such a waste of money if you don’t get approved. It racks up quickly too."
Kydra96
It does feel grimy when "official documentation" that is "mandatory" has to be bought and paid for not by the people requiring it, but by the people needing it.
Forcing Us To Pay For Something We're Forced To Have
"ID cards issued by the government. Especially since you need them for almost every aspect of daily living."
waqasnaseem07
"I. Exist."
"Birth certificates"
alexchico3
"I'm not the biggest fan of free stuf but having to pay for a piece of paper that says "I exist" is ridiculous."
Spaghetti-Evan1991
It'll never not feel bad having to pay for something we expect to be free, but it feels ten times worse when it's something you need to get by in life. As in, need to live.
Let's All Agree To Take Care Of Each Other
"All base needs up to a level. I mean stuff we need to survive, eg. power, water,... and things we are required to use to be relevant in daily life internet,..."
"Seeing how now power companies are fuel companies are having THE biggest profit in years while more and more families are pushed into bigger and bigger deths just to get by."
"Same goes for internet tbh, poor kids are just not getting by in school becasue they lack the basic stuff every other kid has to get further in life. I am not saying they need the fastest possible internet with unlimited dl, but give them so they can work for school so the vicious cycle can be broken."
Amelsander
We Need It More Than Anyone
"All mental health services. If you don’t have benefits or a VERY good paying job, they are unaffordable for how often most people really need them. At $120-160/ session even once a week is not affordable for most people these days"
pennylayne77
A Fine Line Between Need And Want
"Water"
selfishnerd77
"Drinking water, sure. But water is an expendable resource and it should honestly be more restricted when we think about cases like people watering their lawns."
I_Am_Become_Dream
Paying To Live
"Insulin. People are dying because of greedy pharmaceutical companies."
Astronimus123
"But We're 'Pro-Life'" - Jerks
"Birth control of all kinds."
"For anyone who b*tches about spending taxpayer money, I'd ask whether it costs more to provide condoms or to house prisoners."
AlexReynard
"Giving birth (In the us)"
z0k0n
"As a female US citizen the more I learn about the whole giving birth sh*t the less I want kids. My friend just had a baby, there were some complications. She is now paying off a 14k hospital bill! The lowest I have hears is 8k. 8k just to have a f-cking kid! For a country that is gung-ho about forcing women to have kids they have missed the mark completely."
Main-Yogurtcloset-82
Everyone is looking for their payout, and unfortunately sometimes we're the ones who have to give it to them, whether it makes sense or not.
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The worst part of having breasts is Florida.
I didn't even say large breasts. Just breasts, any breasts. Florida and breasts are mortal enemies sworn to battle one another into oblivion until the end of days.
In other states, you and your ladies can live a more peaceful life. Here in Florida, it's A Song of Sweat And Fire Ants.
Ever get tiny little jellyfish stuck under your side-boob? Happens here all the time.
Bikinis should come with a "Sand Lice, Your Titty Crease, And You" informational pamphlet.
Wanna jog? Hope you accounted for the fact that the air is soup and will chafe and cauterize your nipples.
Know what limits your field of vision, making you more likely to accidentally step on a snake and/or gator? Boobs.
Know what slows you down as you try to escape the angry reptile from the above paragraph? Also boobs.
Reddit user Saibotnl1 asked:
"What's the most negative thing about having boobs?"
Now take all this stuff they said sucked, and then put it inside of a steam oven filled with mosquitos. That's Florida.
And Florida is incompatibile with breasts.
Cardio Is Hardio
"I love them but running can be a nuisance even in a good sports bra."
- [Reddit]
"When I go to work, there is a woman that usually runs on the shoulder of the road. I gasp at how much her boobs bounce. Isn't that doing damage to tissue? Painful?"
- notanotherbreach
"Yes! I literally always hold mine when going up/down stairs so they dont bounce. Running is uncomfortable even with a good bra :/ "
- k_g94
"If it's a sports bra that holds you, it's so tight that it's impossible to get into or out of without a whole team of people like a pit crew."
"If you can comfortably get into it, it won't hold the girls for long."
"Cardio is just not worth all this."
-[Reddit]
"As a kid I wasn't fit enough for jump rope, but now that I'm older and have the big boobies it feels even more impossible to ever indulge in."
- PoiLethe
Literally In The Way
"They get in the way!!"
"Lately I've been getting frustrated with exercise. My personal trainer will say to hold something a certain way and I'll try but it's so uncomfortable because my boobs are completely in the way."
"She has small boobs so she doesn't account for them being in that space right in front of your chest."
- J09Lynn
"My English teacher in 10th grade was drinking water one day when a few drops landed on his shirt. He then complained about getting older and how he never stuck out far enough to get his shirt wet."
"I just sighed."
"4th grade. 4th grade is when I stuck out too much to avoid drips."
- wheredMyArmourGo
"So very much this."
"I refuse to do mountain climbers when my trainer suggests it, she started to get mad saying it's a great exercise. My retort was that I'd really rather not knee myself in the breasts as part of my workout."
"The lady has small boobs and replied that she had never thought of that!"
- Pauliester
Growing Pains
"Probably growing them."
"It hurts, and if you get big boobs young and quickly, it’s both physical and social agony."
"It hurts to grow them, first of all, your chest aches and bumping them against anything really hurts - and since they’re a sudden, large addition to your body, you’re ALWAYS bumping them on stuff."
"But the social aspect is worse."
"Your female family members comment on them slyly and smirk at your response."
"Your male friends look at you weird and you have to realize they see you as more sexual than girls with smaller chests, even though you literally cannot control this."
"Other girls can be nasty and jealous."
"Eventually I learned to manage all this and I like having breasts now; but from like 11-16 I was so frustrated and upset that I had developed them at all."
- Individual_Ad_7523
Two Volcanos
"The sweat and itch!"
"Also that they're like two volcanos, which isn't especially practical during summers or when you're a constantly hot temperatured person anyway."
- Queen-of-meme
"No matter what I try, the skin under my boobs never cools down!"
- Local_Masterpiece_
"Boob sweat is the bane of my existence when it's even a little bit hot outside - and sometimes even when it's not lol..."
- PleasuredMeatStick
"I hate the feeling of sweat on my boobs. I just put tissue between and underneath my boobs to hopefully absorb the sweat so it won’t start to itch and drip."
- LuckyBugHarley
Technological Advancements
"I STILL am not able to remove them after a long day. Why?!"
"Why can't I just set em aside for the night, all done. Why hasn't technology advanced to this possibility yet??"
- IAmNotLookingatYou
"Absolutely they would. The relief we would get ... oh my god it sounds divine."
"Maybe I wouldn’t be so b*tchy."
- Object_Prize
"I’d honestly probably only wear them for ren faire, and leave them at home the rest of the year."
- AbbyNormalKnits
Double Trouble
"The double standard of girls with small chests and big chests."
"If you have a big chest no matter what you wear or do it's sexual. But for girls with smaller chests they can get away with crop tops or v necks or even swim suits."
- BigBunsLittleBunbun
"Lol the bigger girls who spent their entire grade school years getting sent to the principal's office for breaking dress code will agree with you."
"Loose shirts will tent and billow up in the wind as you walk-- dress coded."
"Tight shirts that don't tent but cling to your chest-- dress coded."
"And don't even think about anything but a crew neckline, or you'll be dress coded again."
- cryptic-coyote
"Exactly!"
"I always got in trouble for wearing dresses in school, but skinny Minnie wearing something even worse gets by no problem just because she doesn't fill it out the way I do."
- APD2269
Expensive
"They're expensive."
"Bras are expensive and you need regular bras, sports bras, probably something special like a strapless or low back if you have a special occasion or something."
"And don't even get me started on women's healthcare ..."
- SailorSpoon11
"Stage 4 breast cancer patient here, and it costs me about an extra $5000/yr to stay alive if everything goes well."
- insertcaffeine
"I just stopped breastfeeding and none of my bras fit anymore."
"I’ve just been wearing sports bras every day because I don’t even know what cup size I am anymore and I don’t want to spend a fortune replacing all of my bras."
- kaytay3000
"Plus if you choose not to wear bras for any number of reasons, you’re treated as deviant or an acceptable target of inappropriate attentions."
- letsjumpintheocean
Getting Comfortable
"Laying on your stomach can be tricky."
- ChadweenaThundervag
"Laying on your back can be tricky as well."
"And on your side."
"Just laying in general with big boobs is a hassle."
- Skkaj225
"Am guy."
"However women in my life have found it difficult to get a decent back massage because of this. I've seen plenty of massage tables with head holes, but none with boob support..."
- DeluxeWafer
"Semi-suffocating yourself on the beach while trying to get some sun on your back is fun."
- Miikami
Either Or
"The fact that I look like a walking refrigerator if I wear a loose fitting top, as it billows shapelessly around my body in an odd fabric rectangle."
"But if I wear something form fitting, I look like a lady of the night and am treated as such."
- batchofbetterbutter
"OMG this !!"
"I feel like all my girlfriends around me have such a fashion sense and can wear things with such grace but I always look as you’ve described. Like either I look like a couch pillow or Jessica Rabbit."
"Sometimes I just want to cut them off honestly."
- octokisu
"Yeah I’ve been wanting a reduction since a was a teen because of the back pain and catcalling, and many people I know with a bigger chest feel the same way."
- didithedragon
"I had no idea women hated their boobs so much! It honestly is shining a light on an idea I have never thought of."
- Peter_the_pear
Attempted Murder
"They might try to kill me."
"Breast cancer runs in my family and I have to have my first mammogram this year at 36."
"My mom was negative for both BRCA genes but there are 6 others they’ve discovered since she had cancer that we haven’t been tested for."
"Insurance won’t cover me to test unless she tests positive for one."
- Outrageous-Proof4630
"Fun fun fun."
"My mom died from breast cancer at 46. I started getting mammograms at 34."
"Luckily, I took the BRCA test and was negative."
- lil_ho_on_da_prairie
It's Constant
"Constantly being sexualized."
"I’m the least sexual person but people assume I’m super sexual because of my body. And I hate it"
- Plus_Bison_7091
"Yup, I'm ace and I honestly just want them chopped off to be rid of the constant sexualization of my body."
"It makes me really uncomfortable."
- zapsquad
"My friend in elementary school had a condition where she went into puberty super early and had large breasts by 3rd grade."
"We would walk together to elementary school every morning and get cat called a lot, but we were too afraid to tell our parents because we thought they wouldn't let us walk together anymore."
"She would have teachers make comments about them."
"When we were older she talked about how insanely awful and alienating it made her feel growing up. Her younger sister had the same condition, but went on puberty blockers for it."
- gentlybeepingheart
Destroyed
"These pendulous bags of hell have destroyed my back."
"Even a decade after a reduction surgery, I remain in daily pain. And now as an added bonus they get to be misshapen, scarred horribly, and completely useless for raising a baby."
- Originalluff
"I didn’t realize how heavy they are until I got together with girl with big boobs and woooooow they are heavy!"
- I_love_pillows
"I got C cups in fifth grade and those f*ckers went all the way to G by senior year."
"My posture was/is awful and I've felt like an old woman since I was a teenager. I don't even want babies, so they're never actually gonna be useful either."
- Rozeline
See what I mean?
They're kind of awful once they hit a certain size, and that size is pretty much ANY size if you're in Florida.
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