I will admit that going zero waste isn’t the most convenient option in the short-term. It does resonate with our deeper values, so we’re willing to put in the work up front.
We’re looking at it as a process. We know where we’d like to end up and we’re going in that direction. For now, we’re taking it one step at a time. Here are some ideas that we’ve tried to implement in our zero waste journey
1. Beverages
We’ve added tumblers and we bring them everywhere.
Going out to eat at a fast-casual can be pretty wasteful. One of our favorites is Zoe’s. They have reusable plates and silverware, but disposable cups. We take our own cups. It may seem a bit weird at first, but it feels good to finish a meal and know that we didn’t contribute any extra waste with disposable utensils. Cloth napkins can do that same for the disposable if napkins are a necessity. (Full Disclosure: we’ve taken extra food home in a plastic to-go box. Fail, but next time we’ll be prepared!)
2. Grocery Shopping
We buy almost everything in bulk.
Not every grocery store is set up for this, but we try to make it work. All our nuts, beans, spices and grains come in bulk. We have cotton bags that we fill up and jot down the bin numbers. After the first attempt and orienting ourselves, it was pretty easy. This way we eliminate all the containers and packaging that would normally accompany those goods. We also stick to as much produce as we can and carry those same cotton bags for fruit and vegetables.
3. Food Storage
Hipster mason jars hold basically everything.
We have had to invest in some glass jars. You can find them relatively cheap at local thrift stores and they work wonders. The bulk items that we bring home go in these glass jars. We have a variety of shapes and sizes that work for different lunch containers. At some point, we’ll invest in stainless steel lunch containers, but for now the mason jars have worked well.
I hope these three ideas help get the brain rolling on how you can eliminate some waste in your life. If you have any questions or comments, I’d love to engage about these and other ideas!