Hi Everyone,
I'm excited you found my blog.
One day while taking out the trash I realized that, for a single guy, I took the trash out way too many times each month. I had sold my big house and moved into a studio condo in the mountains to realize that dream. Everyone up here is into recycling, reusing and refurbishing. I am too! A small caveat: I forgot my old garbage can was used for 13 gallon kitchen trash bags. This is the same size I use now but the can itself is about 1/2 that size. So, I wasn't really using that much more trash than before in my bigger house. But, I had already downsized my clothing and shoe requirements and put a bunch of stuff in storage that I am gradually re-purposing or selling. The condo quit providing a recycle dumpster about 6 months after I moved in. Obviously I wanted to continue to recycle my paper and cardboard as well as glass and plastic. So that meant I had to schlep the goods to a recycle dumpster in town. Ugh. Hauling trash away in my clean car was upsetting to me! That is when it hit me that I could reduce my trash as well as reduce my carbon footprint on the world!
Eureka! I had a great idea that would save me from hauling trash to the recycle as well as limiting my trash runs to my own dumpster. I get irritated because because we have no recycle dumpster a lot of people are just putting their recyclables into the regular dumpster that heads to the landfill every Monday, Wednesday and Friday! Ugh. Sometimes, when I'm running into town anyway I'll grab clean cardboard and the like and take it with me too. I'm not bragging it's just that I hate this stuff going into the landfill!
So how did I start to reduce waste?
1. The first thing on my grocery list is "Reduce Waste". This reminds me to be aware of packaging that I'm going to end up throwing out in the trash or the recycle. I do little things like buy from the butcher at the market because they wrap it in paper instead of plastic and foam. Also, you can buy Keurig cups that are recyclable or biodegradable. If a container comes in a too large box I look for one that is at the very least made from recycled paper. I stopped buying online when the box will ship in another box. You don't need to bag those vegetables at the department either. Just grab what you want and the cashier will take it (It might be wise to carry some with you if you buy a lot of loose string beans or mushrooms).
2. When I make new purchases I ask, "Is it a need or a want? The first item on my grocery list is, "Reduce Waste" to remind me to be mindful of what I'm purchasing. If I need it then I look at the packaging and how that will affect the purchase. If it's a need and I want to buy online to save money then at the very least I inspect whether the company that makes it is environmentally active or if they donate to worthy causes. I also decide if I even need to buy a new "thing". Perhaps I can go to a thrift store to find what I'm looking for. For example I couldn't find a decent toaster at any of the area thrift shops but I happened on a lovely vintage one from an antique store! I rewired the cord just to be safe and it's now in a proud place on my counter. And it cost less than $25 and I had nothing to throw away after I opened it.
3. I was using a lot of quart size Ziploc type bags because I tend to buy chicken and meat in larger packages to save money or reduce waste. It occurred to me that I was part of the problem instead of the solution! At first I used the Rubbermaid type plastic container because you can reuse them many times. I never felt comfortable washing my Ziploc type bags. It was a fair solution but not a favorite. The containers are bigger and take up more room in my freezer. I did some research and found some reusable, washable bags that you can freeze and even boil them. It was much more what I liked for my use. You will find what works best for you.
4. My city banned plastic shopping bags a few years ago. It's a trend going around the country and world. I would randomly grab a shopping bag if I forgot to bring my own. They only run a buck or two so I justified that you can't have too many. But a recent article on qz.com shows that the plastic made bags are part of the problem! They cause green house gasses just to be produced. On top of that, they tear easily and so, often, turn up in the trash and then the landfill. So, now I look for cotton or jute made reusable shopping bags. The cotton is compostable and will not hard the air being produced.
4. It's very frustrating to buy a nice dress shirt and then have to throw out SO much plastic and cardboard! The neck ring, the tissue paper, the pins, all ads up to so much waste not to mention the carbon footprint it causes just to produce all that by product! There are companies out there that make shirts without all of that! Have you ever been to Nordstrom Rack or TJ Maxx? They pull the stuff off the shirts but it only hides my guilt because they are throwing out that paper and pins as well. Hopefully they recycle but who knows? I often go to eBay to see if I can find a "new without tags" shirt. Hopefully that is how they acquired the shirt or whatever product in the first place. If I find a good deal I would buy it that way. It's like buying second hand from a thrift store but buying a "new" item. As I said before I've downsized quite a bit since moving into my condo so I only replace things that I have to give or throw away for the most part. The whole "want vs. need" thing has changed my spending habits greatly.
5. Buying in bulk saves a lot of money and packaging. Purchasing a 62 count of detergent pods takes very little extra plastic or cardboard than a pack with only 18 pods. Plus you usually save a few cents per pod by doing that. Not everyone can afford to do that but it's something to think about. I find the big box stores like Sam's Club can be tricky as far as the cost goes. Sure you get 2 boxes of cereal at once but if you break it down it might not pay to bulk up. Especially if you don't use it before the expiration date. You will lose any saving when you throw it out instead of using it.
