Actively Choosing to Reduce Waste

Last year, I watched a video that FASCINATED me. This video (see below) follows one woman's journey living trash free for 30 days. It goes through her triumphs (learning to compost) and her challenges (getting a paper towel out of habit). What stood out to me was the small mason jar that held all of her trash after only one month - proving that living a limited waste life is completely doable.

It's a 5 minute video, check it out!

Here are 5 easy steps to reducing your waste:

1. Reusable water bottles & tumblers! Some places even offer a discount if you bring in your own reusable container.

2. Reusable shopping bags & reusable produce bags! I keep mine in the car because it can be frustrating to get to the grocery store and realize that the bags are at home.

3. Cancel those unnecessary mail subscriptions! Don't let your mail box be the catch all for unnecessary catalogs. Most retailers have online newsletters that have all of the same products in a paperless viewer.

4. Buy products with less packaging. Avoid individually wrapped snacks / buy in bulk.

5. Re-purpose shoe boxes, plastic butter tubs, etc. for storage containers.

When in doubt: Buy reusable, not disposable.

Am I living a zero waste life? No, but I am more aware of everything I throw into the trash can. My biggest accomplish has been that I've avoided using disposable straws for the last two months! It's not going to change the world - but I feel good about it, and that's what it's all about.