There are always many projects I have percolating at any given moment. Besides my usual reading, reading aloud to the boys, fair weather running, parenting and general household management, I usually have some sort of home decorating project going and lately I'd added become closer to Zero Waste to that ever growing list.
Since I wrote a post in May about {4} Books That Have Changed What I Thought About Being Green and then followed it up with {10} Green Changes We Are Making, I thought it was due time for a follow-up. Also, I read another Zero Waste book that I really liked and wanted to talk about it more. I intend to do an update on this topic about every 3 months because they are not quick switches and it's an ongoing process. I have learned through my years of blogging and in person inspiring (nagging if I'm being a bit more honest) on recycling that one person CAN make a difference.
The book I read most recently was 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste by Kathryn Kellogg. Reading a book on this topic every couple months has been a good reminder of more things I could be doing (or not doing) and a refresher on things I am kinda working on. What I appreciated about this one was about how realistic she made it. She said a few times that your health comes first and you shouldn't compromise your health to be zero waste but think about it in smart ways. Also, she mostly said make-up is hard to zero-waste so do your best and Terracycle (I've been collecting that for a few years) which I appreciated because the idea of zero-wasting my make-up was overwhelming.
This book had many doable ideas and things I have probably read before but was just in the right frame of mind to implement more of them. She also talked about using up what you have because it's not zero-waste if you are throwing something out just to replace it with something more sustainable. A problem I've had with other books in the past is that they seem to encourage sending items to the thrift stores and then replacing with bamboo kitchen utensils or something because plastic is bad. Well, if plastic is bad for you, it's bad for whoever is shopping at the thrift stores so it seems anti- zero-waste if you are getting rid of things just to replace them with a more sustainable option. It's important to use up what you have unless it is detrimental to your health or safety.
Anyways, so much of what was in this little book spoke to me and it really lead to me make some changes to our life and routine. It's certainly an ongoing project and we are not where I'd like to be yet in terms of zero-waste (we're never going to hit ZERO) but we are making steps and I hope I can encourage and inspire you to make some changes of your own! Every small changes make a difference (Please stop buying and using bottled water unless it's an emergency...it really is the worst.)
All the things I wrote about in my May post still stand true. Cloth napkins, very very rare paper towels, reusable water bottles, etc. I've also been primarily using reusable bags for over a decade, when I go into stores.
More Recent Changes:
1) Bamboo Toothbrushes
Currently three of us have switched over to these (Matt still has a perfectly usable plastic toothbrush) and they work just fine. When they are done we'll break off most of the handle to compost and just trash the bristles. Easy change. Luke's been using his the longest, maybe 6 weeks, and it's been working just fine! Sam and I switched more recently.
2) Detergent Sheets
We've been using these for a few months now and they are even easier than the powder I had been using the previous 2 years. Sam especially takes great delight in getting out 1-2 sheets and throwing them in the washer with a load. Another very easy change. I linked the exact ones I have on subscription!
3) Refusing Freebies
We haven't been offered too many lately but when 3 of us went to the dentist last month I did tell them we didn't need any toothbrushes or little toothpastes (we have PLENTY for travel purposes) and we didn't need the little plastic bag. One kid got away with a prize but it was just a pencil so I suppose that is ok (although caused a little tension with the kid who earned but didn't get a prize). And when the whole family did races last weekend (the "final mile" for Luke's kid marathon which we all ran together with Sam in the stroller and then Matt & I did a 10k together the next morning), we avoided taking any of the offered plastic water bottles at the end by taking our own (especially easy on the kid marathon because we had water bottles there in the stroller).
I was very excited to make this switch but then it took me awhile to figure out where to buy loose tea leaves! I stumbled upon some at a local soap shop and used a whole bag before going back for 2 more. I kept track of how many servings I got from that tea and it came to 13 cents a cuppa instead of just under 12 cents SO...essentially the same. I can pay an extra $3.65 a year for my tea. I did buy a tea infuser from Target which cost a couple dollars but should be metal recycled when it breaks beyond repair. I've been composting my tea leaves forever but now I'm not throwing away the little foil wrapper every day!
5) Switching to Bar Soaps
I bought bar shampoo but am still using my usual commercial shampoo from Target until it runs out. I also bought a shave bar that I will use once my bottle of conditioner is used up AND a face wash bar I will use once my face wash bottle wears out. These bars are all from the same store and come practically zero waste since the owner just puts them all together in a small paper bag (yes, I should take my own). I needed to have these all on hand so the switch would be easier once what I have runs out and I'm not fumbling through a last minute Target pick-up to get shampoo. I also need to figure out how to store all of these bars in the shower far away from a certain 3 year old who might like to try to empty a whole bottle of soap into his bath and would DEFINITELY take the opportunity to use up a whole soap bar in one bath.
We become somewhat regulars at the sno-cone place over the last month and started taking our own extra cup, metal straws, and plastic spoons (that we had probably gotten there in the first place and since washed and reused). We usually buy 3 sno-cones and all share some with Sam so instead of asking for an empty cup we take our own. Then tell them we don't need any straws or spoons and I take cloth napkins too. Maybe next summer I'll ask about using our own cups for all so we don't have that waste but I want to make sure the sizes are the size of the ones we buy.
I tried to convince Matt we should get bamboo travel utensil sets that we could take with us when we go places we'll be eating but then he pointed out we have A LOT of plastic utensil that we've accumulated since I NEVER throw them away when given (until they break) and just keep reusing and washing forever. So, I need to put together little packs of those to take with us places when we might be given new sets. Use what we have first!
7) Stopping my RA Med Delivery
I am NOT stopping taking my meds but I have one injection that I do every other week that needs refrigerated. We had been accumulating the styrofoam coolers that they were being delivered in and then recycling or reusing some but that started to be a lot of coolers. So I asked when they called to set-up my next delivery, asked if Matt could just pick them up since he not only works at the hospital the pharmacy is at but he works ONE DOOR DOWN. SO, Matt now picks up my meds and we no longer have all the coolers and freezer packs coming into our home!
I made these almost 6 years ago and used them constantly for awhile. I'm not sure why I stopped (laziness, probably) and then I spent nearly 3 years pretty stuffed up (the amount of phlegm that came out of me every morning was astonishing) but now that's finally mostly cleared up and I've started using these again! It's amazing how much more empty our trash cans are just without my constant tissues. These are also very helpful because I always would take a tissue on my runs because my nose tends to run then but they would be pretty disintegrated by the end, my homemade ones don't have that problem!
9) Homemade Facepads
I
have been using these for toner application for years but have also
started using them instead of cotton balls to apply hydrogen peroxide to
cuts. They are a little strong for my eye make-up clean-up (post homemade remover) but I use those cotton balls many days before throwing them out.
A few just general sustainability, not necessarily zero-waste:
10) Using our Rain Barrel!
We finally got this set-up over the summer and have been draining it nearly dry between many rain showers (which have been pretty infrequent lately). It's back by our garden so perfect for watering all of that without dragging out the main hose extra far or hauling watering cans back. I feel so self-sufficient using our rain water.
11) Biking/Walking More
We've put an even bigger emphasis on biking and walking more and driving the car less. Matt still has to drive to work 4 days a week and I drive to work once a week and the grocery every other week BUT I did manage to go a whole week without driving to school drop-off and we've walked (or run or biked) to pick-up every day this school year. We still drive but have been really working on driving less. (I feel rather superior to the people lined up for a different school pick-up who are 75 minutes early AND RUNNING THEIR CARS WITH WINDOWS SHUT THE WHOLE TIME IN 75° BEAUTIFUL WEATHER, as I am walking to get my kid from school. I don't fault them for driving, I'll be driving once the weather is cold (hard to push a stroller through snow) but maybe if being in AC when it's perfect outside is so important to you, you shouldn't be 75 minutes early for pick-up.)
Things I need to work on:
1) Online Shopping and Shipping Materials
The same week I proudly showed Matt how I was now using loose leaf tea instead of tea bags, thus saving the little foil wrapper from the trash...I got a Target order in the mail with A LOT of plastic packaging. It was a little disheartening because that was MANY MANY years of tea wrappers worth right there. We do often shop local and try to do that before defaulting to the internet but it feels near impossible to completely give up internet shopping. It's an easy place to find zero-waste products (I have another browser window open for some right now!) at a place that's not Amazon!
There is also my STRONG reliance on Target drive-up. I love Target drive-up, I've averaged one pick-up a week there for probably 2+ years. It has saved me a lot of time and money not going IN the store, pandemic or not. However, I also have accumulated A LOT of Target bags from these, bags I wouldn't get if I was going in store since I always take my own. It's hard to weigh the time savings vs. the plethora of plastic bags. Although, they are most of our plastic bags since we use reusable or skip the bags nearly every where else. I do 99% of the time choose drive-up instead of having things shipped if they are available locally because that seems like the least wasteful option of the two and is at least employing local people. But it still weighs on me a bit.
2) Taking My Own Containers to Stores
We've been pretty
faithful users of reusable bags for a decade but now I've talked to a
few local stores about taking my own containers to fill-up. I haven't
actually done this because I had to get some glass containers and
haven't needed to go back since BUT...I am excited to do this once I
need to.
3) Silk Floss
I don't floss nearly as often as I should (I *think* the dentist recommends more often than 5 minutes before your check-up every 6 months) but Matt is a very dedicated flosser and Luke is becoming one (I feel like it's a bedtime stalling technique?) and I like the idea of compostable floss. I don't know how Matt feels about this and we do have quite a bit of free floss to use up first.
4) Bamboo Scrubbers
I'm looking at bamboo dish scrubbers that can be composted when they are too beat-up to use any more (those are the browser tabs I have open right now). I really like the idea of having something I can compost instead of just throwing something plastic away.
5) Giving Up Microwave Meals
Lunch has been a struggle with me almost the entire 8 years I've been home with kids. Some days there is a single leftover serving left, not enough for the family but just enough for me. That's perfect. But other days I really struggle to figure out what to eat. I decided last year or something that I could have a microwave meal once a week, on the day when I work. After working a whole 3 hours (and all the running around I do to get kids where they need to be while I work) my brain is a bit fried and I give myself a lunch break with a microwave meal (I have a handful of Lean Cuisines I really like). BUT...there is the plastic tray those come in and the box which might not be recyclable since it's coated with something to keep out freezer burn. I am thinking about making big batches of soup to freeze individual servings of so I could thaw one for the days I work especially and then not have to think about lunch but also not have the waste. I hope to try this soon-ish.
6) Reusing Water
This was a tip from my aunt I need to think about more how to implement. She said you can reuse water from things like cooking pasta and when you are just waiting for the shower water to get the right temp. Can't say I had thought about those things! When we were redoing our bathroom 7 years ago there was a many week period we didn't have the toilet tank hooked up so we could flush, the sewer was connected, but we had to pour water into the toilet so it would flush. During this time I was pretty religious about saving the water from Luke's little tub (he was 15ish months) and scooping all the dishwater out of the sink, saving all of that to use to flush the toilet. Our bathroom was under construction so a 5 gal bucket of water in the bathroom wasn't a big deal.
Now, for a variety of reasons, I don't want a 5 gallon bucket of water sitting my bathroom (we'll start with drowning hazard followed by MESS with two kids and then, small bathroom) but I would like to figure out a system for reusing more water before just letting it run down the drain. Another not zero waste but general sustainability!
Those are some changes we've been making and some things I've been thinking about in regards to zero waste and sustainability. We have made some steps in the past 3 months and I have ideas of more we can make! It's exciting to think about having less to throw away and a bit of a game to find new things we can stop adding to the trash. It's a very exciting project along side a 30+ frame decorating project I am also working on! We can have many interests!
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, links for which are included within this post, at no additional cost to you. Thanks for helping support this blog! Of course, utilize the library or shop used or from an independent bookstore, if you prefer!
No comments:
Post a Comment