My prized collection of alternatives to plastic waste.
You may remember that our leader, in her New Year’s blog post, mentioned her plan to reduce her plastic waste in 2019.
I was so happy to read that!
I’ll be the first to admit that I carry an inappropriate amount of guilt and stress when it comes to plastic usage. But, according to many environmentalists and scientists, my constant dread is justified.
My fear was born when I became a stay at home mom a few years ago and realized how much garbage I create in one day. With my daily waste accumulating in just one garbage can that I had to empty, I saw the horrifying truth!
So I made some small changes starting with grocery bags. I made a “no exceptions” rule for myself: If I forgot my re-usable grocery bags, I simply had to purchase a whole new suite of bags right then and there or abandon my shopping trip. Well, it worked! After just one or two re-purchases, I now remember every time.
This was four years ago and since then…
I stopped using ALL plastic bags (instead I purchased re-usable produce bags, biodegradable bags for garbage liners, and I was then re-use our bread bags). I stopped buying plastic wrap (I use beeswax fabric now). I no longer drink drive thru Starbucks from a plastic cup/straw (iced coffee with cream in a paper cup, no lid please!). There are even disposable straws, forks, and ziplock-style bags that act just like plastic but are compostable.
With all these efforts, I KNOW I’m making a huge difference now.
But the job is not done! This year, I’ve decided to reduce my consumption of single-use plastic containers as much as possible. No more cherry tomatoes for me!
All this to say that if you’re interested in reducing your plastic, just pick one small habit, master it, then pick another. It’s actually kind of fun to find new solutions and I think, in the end, these habits have reduced my overall purchasing.
I encourage you to pick one thing to change! Before you know it, you’ll be doing your share.
Blog by Lilia