#30 - Create no waste for two weeks

This was a hard challenge for me. I think going into it I thought I could create absolutely no waste, no recycling, no food waste – nothing. I failed with that expectation pretty early on. I decided that rather than starting from day 1 every time I found myself throwing something in the trash I would start to be super mindful about what I’m buying and why.

I have actually been trying to complete two consecutive weeks of no waste since August. Well our house still produces a lot of recycling, the products we do consume have helped lighten our carbon footprint.

Some of the switches that I made over the last few weeks are

• Buying toothpaste in a glass jar & learning how to make my own

• Making my own laundry detergent

• Using Dr. Bonners Castile Soap for everything! Hand soap, body wash, shampoo…

• Carrying around re-useable cutlery and straw everywhere I go & remembering to ask for no plastic cutlery or straw when out.

• Reusing all containers, spray bottles and jars that I can

• Buying food not wrapped in plastic, taking no plastic bags

I was also curious about the environmental cost of recycling. I go through about one container of almond/coconut/cashew milk each week. I typically buy the tetra pack which I thought was a better choice. It turns out these have three separate parts to recycle and have a huge footprint to recycle & reproduce. The best choice for me for milk is making my own or buying it in glass or pure plastic containers.

I had a few silly slipups, including wanting to taste honey at the market and accepting a plastic spoon which I then carried around for the next week feeling guilty over. And just this week I took Mirko out for his birthday dinner and forgot to ask for no straw with water. In these cases, it wasn’t the end of the world. However, now I am aware of my impact and that once something leaves my hands/house it doesn’t simply disappear. I know there is more work for me to do in this area – maybe making a lasting impact on my community!