Slowly Approaching Zero Waste
I’m going to preface this by saying I am far, far away from zero waste. I’m not sure that I will even get close. But I’ve continued to be more conscious about how to reduce waste in a way that works for me now, because as I am learning, it’s a practice, like many things.You may already be applying these pro-tips on the regular (reusable water bottle, maybe!?) so I hope you’ll find these helpful. Below are some things I’ve been practicing in real life:
- Carrying reusable items: I try to have with me at all times, the following:-a 24oz reusable water bottle; I carry this so much that it annoys my husband when I ask him to “hold this for a second.” I added a carbineer to the lid so I can attach it my tote without worrying about spillage. It also encourages me to drink more water. I have a 16oz one for coffee as well.-reusable utensils + straws; Restaurants in Portland are using straws less. I still like straws for cocktails sometimes. If I’m on the run and taking food to go, I’ll use my own utensils. All of this is fairly lightweight, so it’s not a big deal to carry it. I am looking into getting some of these as well.-reusable grocery bags. We have LOTS of them. I carry a compact version in my bag.
- Kitchen Things:-Stretch lids for containers; We use them for opened metal cans, bowls without lids, etc.-Reusable food wrap; Got half an onion or lemon to save? Wrap it! We also use paper snack + sandwich bags as another alternative to plastic wrap.
- Other Things:-Imperfect Produce: I love this service. While I can’t always get everything I need, this is a great way to save produce that would otherwise be thrown away. It also encourages us to cook at home more.-COMPOSTING (and recycling!) They’re both relatively easy things to do and I predict it will become part of our daily routines.
- Other Things we’re working on:-Groceries; alongside using reusable bags, we found a cute little co-op where we can buy in bulk (food and non-food items, like shampoo). We still need to accomplish one full shopping trip there.-Homemade cleaning and beauty products; I’ve made natural deodorizing spray that I am happy with. I use shaving bar soap and not shaving cream. Once we’re out of toothpaste, I’m willing to make some to see how we (my husband gets a say, of course) like it.
This almost feels like I’m bragging about how I am saving the environment. I’m none the wiser and it doesn’t make me better than anyone else. But I am taking part of the change in our environment as we continue to consume more and more as years go by.This post is inspired by a good friend of mine wrote a helpful blog on her zero waste effort, which includes environmental facts we’re currently facing. Here’s a recent TED radio hour podcast on circular economics.Happy Zero-Wasting!