Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.
This year I made a new friend. She inspired me to stop waiting around for more money to start being environmentally conscious. So that's exactly what I'm going to do.
When I grocery shop, I do typically bring in some bags with me. Maybe not every trip, but that is something to strive for. Along with not bringing in more plastic on items than necessary. However, I'm still on a budget, so at the moment, if it breaks the bank, I'm going to just pay for the cheaper option. Another item I've been reintroducing to my life, are napkins. No, not those flimsy, less-than-single use, paper napkins! The good ones, you know the ones. Those amazing and luxurious fabric napkins! Ah! It makes me so happy to use them! When I was a kid I grew up using them. They're so much better than their paper counterparts. They don't tear apart as soon as you wipe your hands, they actually soak up a mess, they feel delicate and soft, they have various styles, and best of all THEY ARE REUSABLE! woot woot! We have a winner!
Which brings me to my next point!
This is the point that held me back for so long. It's very trendy right now to meal prep. It's what all the good moms should do, it's what all the college students should do, it's what all the hipster and the health peeps do! But what is the number one part of being a trendy meal prepper? Matching, reusable, non plastic Tupperware. You know what I have? A bunch of different sized pyrex from a set, that are constantly in use and a couple of plastic tubs from take out. I've come to a civil and eco friendly conclusion though. I'd like to thank my favorite Youtuber/Instagram photographer @sorelleamore for this idea. I'm going to use what I have that's plastic until it breaks and is no longer usable for its intended purpose. Then I'll reuse it for something else. Fun fact! Take out containers make excellent seed starting trays! And after that becomes unusable, it will go in the recycling. As it rightly should. If I find I need that item again, then I get to explore some more sustainable options! And if you know me at all, then you know I love to shop! So I'm extra excited about that part!
On top of finding more uses for damaged plastic items, I'm really excited to be reusing some sewing scraps for various projects. I may not be a creative fabric scrap wizard like #zerowastedaniel but I still have some fun things lined up!
Fabric napkins
Kitchen/bathroom rags
Reusable fabric towel roll
Recycling tote bag
More tote bags. I've got groceries to buy!
So what if 3 out of 5 items are essentially the same thing in different sizes! I'm counting them separately. They have specific purposes!
And finally..
I've been hoping for a chance to start recycling for a while now. When I found a recycling center a town away, I knew it was time to make a change. We waste too much in our household. It's at least one garbage bag a day. That's just too much for me. There are families that can fill a Mason jar with their monthly trash. Maybe I'll never as good about waste as those families, but I definitely want to make an effort to be better than I am right now. Let's see what can change in a year.
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