A Waste Update

I wanted to do a little update on my goal for 2019, which is to reduce waste. Earlier this year, I did a decent amount of research into ways to reduce waste and be a more conscious consumer. I think the two biggest impacts for me have been using a HydroFlask for my coffee every day and not over-buying food. With the exception of a few days when I forgot to grab my cup, I’ve gotten coffee in my reusable coffee cup, which has already saved about 60 disposable cups. I’m stoked, especially because I used to get straws with my iced drinks and those are like the devil for the oceans. The other area that I’ve seen improvement in is regarding leftover produce. Because of my love of grocery shopping (and having extra of everything), I used to come home with so much produce. I’d have these unrealistic goals of using it all, but each week I’d be tossing handfuls of food into the compost bin. And that left me feeling pretty awful every time... So, in part of my plan to reduce waste this year, I’ve become a lot more aware and realistic in terms of what produce I need to buy. We make a grocery list most weeks with the meals we plan to make. And then I buy the food needed for those specific meals. There have been several weeks now that by Saturday morning, my produce drawers and fruit bowl are empty, or dang close. And that was always so rare for me. Seeing the difference has really helped inspire me to continue making these conscious efforts. It's amazing how motivated I can be once I see my choices are actually making a difference.

Another area where I've made an improvement, is shopping most weeks with Imperfect Produce. Food waste is a real problem, and I love that this company takes food that has been deemed unfit for grocery stores and gives it a second chance. Yes sometimes I get small avocados. Sometimes I get a sweet potato as big as my head. But it's all usable food that just doesn't fit the grocery store standards. And some weeks they simply have a surplus of certain items, so it doesn't even have any "imperfections." In the last several weeks they've added pantry items. Sometimes packaging gets updated so they sell the "old" designs. Sometimes an item is short-coded, so it's available. Sometimes they just want to offer a staple they think shoppers would enjoy. I've found some of my favorite products, but have also had a chance to try some new stuff! If you're interested, click this referral link to save $10: http://imprfct.us/lZcYf

I also recently purchased cloth napkins. I only got one set to start with, and it has been a little challenging trying to remember to grab them instead of a paper towels. But I love them and ended up getting another set to keep in the daily rotation. Those paper towels add up, and I can use these linen napkins over and over again, for a long time.

Similarly, I've significantly reduced the number of ziplock bags I use. I have the reusable sandwich bags that I use for snacks, and glass containers for storing food. If we were planning a day out and I needed to pack ice to keep our lunch cold, I used to use a plastic ziplock bag. But this year I've been putting the ice in my little zipper bags and it's working great. If I want to get really crazy I can use the leftover/melted ice to water house plants. But my general consumption of those bags has gone way down! I used to buy one to two boxes a week in the past. Now I buy about one box a month.

Over the last year I've really been careful and thoughtful with the clothes I purchase. I used to buy clothes all the time! I think some of it was habit, and some was for fun. But last April I made somewhat of a capsule wardrobe, and since then, I've been working with what I have instead of getting new items all the time. The fashion industry is a huge contributor to pollution, next to oil industries, and now people are buying more clothes, but wearing them for less time. It's going to be a new area for me, but I want to look into buying used when I can. Maybe clothes, maybe household items, maybe kid toys. There are so many great resources to find quality used items, and it reduces the need for companies to pump out more and more new product. So while I've reduced my purchasing overall compared to prior years, I also want to make smarter purchases when the time comes. I have to give a shout out to my husband. He's building a shed in the backyard, and he picked up surplus windows from Habitat for Humanity, and also plans to buy a few used items for the interior. I think his incentive is to keep costs down, but buying used is still buying used!

So there you have it. We are almost halfway through the year, and these are some of my bigger note-worthy items. I am glad I still have time left, because I want to make more of an effort. If you've been on this journey too, I'd love to hear ways you've reduced waste this year!