(mis)adventures in zero waste

I've been thinking quite a bit about how to go about this task of transitioning to a life of less waste and less stuff.

My first instincts, of course, were to  get rid of all the not so eco-friendly products I have and BUY ALL THE ZERO WASTE THINGS. I feel like half the research I did on how to cut down on my waste was just trying to sell me a new product... to help cut down on my consumption - not exactly the route I want to go.

So my strategy right now is more of a long haul approach. I want to focus on using what I have, repurpose what I can, buy only things that will truly help me reduce waste, and replace things with a zero waste alternative when the original has been used up. My hope is that this strategy will bring me as close to zero waste as possible by this time next year.

There have been some things I have thoughtfully decided to purchase at this point, such as mason jars and produce bags. Others I've decided to make or repurpose, like my old tshirts, which are slowly becoming tote bags. There's also been many products I've researched and almost bought (and will probably buy in the future), only to realize that I still have plenty to use up already in my home (I've got a stash of toiletries leftover by a previous roommate that just might last my lifetime). Yes, this will be a process.

Already there have been a few missteps along the way (like the mason jars I ordered to cut down on my use of disposable containers... which arrived wrapped in plastic and packing peanuts. Hmmmm) and I'm sure there will be many more to come. But, hey, I have to start somewhere.

composting!

Truth be told, I was kind of excited to start composting. I used to have a vermicompost bin at my old apartment when I had a backyard, but I don't have outdoor space in my new place and my roommate gave a hard no to the idea of bringing my worm bin inside. I dropped the idea (because really, no worms in the apartment seems like a reasonable line to ask me not to cross). But I never actually asked about regular composting. By "regular" I just mean saving food scraps in a sealed container and bringing it to my greenmarket for pickup. As it turns out, my roommate had no issue with this, so we're officially a composting household again!

This picture is just under a week's worth of our kitchen compost. Usually, we'd have more, but I had the flu this week so I cooked much less than normal. I'm on the hunt for just the right container that will hold a week's worth of our scraps. 

This first week's efforts to compost were somewhat uneventful (with the exception of a trip out in the freezing weather to drop it off. Let's hope it stays this easy! 

living with less

(Totally unrelated, but adorable, picture of my cat trying to live in less)

I love New Years resolutions. Yes, it's true that many of them don't stick past January, but still. I love the idea of taking some time to reflect on what kind of life you want to be living in the upcoming year. It's about embracing change. It's about letting go. It's hopeful.

I thought long and hard about what I'd like my New Years resolution to be, and what I'd like this year to look life for me, and ultimately I decided that what I wanted... was less. Less stuff, less trash,  less clutter, less unnecessary spending, just less. Now I am NOT what anyone would consider a minimalist. Far from it. My apartment is filled to the brim, and as I've mentioned in the past, I'm a collector by nature. I am not planning to clear out my home and have one of the pristine, empty apartments with 3 pieces of furniture and a decorative plant. I've seen those Instagram photos, and they're beautiful. They're just not me. I like my stuff, and I plan to keep liking the stuff I like. But somewhere along the way of this past year, I started to feel a bit claustrophobic. I realized that some of the stuff was just that - stuff. It wasn't a beloved collection or family heirloom (all those will stay). It was just clutter. So out it'll go. I took my first load to the thrift stores yesterday (2 large bags and 2 boxes), with more to come I'm sure. Obviously, getting rid of useless stuff is going to be pointless if I just go out and buy more, so I'm going to try to drastically limit my consumption this year. Like I said, New Years for me is about reflecting on the life I want. Looking back on this past year, the stuff I bought didn't actually add much to my life. The experiences I had - the travel, the meals with friends, the only-in-New-York events - did. I want to put my money towards those experiences.

Going hand in hand with this mindset of Less Stuff is my goal of producing less trash. I've been trying to think more consciously about when and how I consume things, and how to do it less. Looking back, I started this goal in small changes throughout the past year. We've been making little choices, like joining a CSA, buying clothes secondhand, and bringing a reusable water bottle for quite some time. But still, I could do SO. MUCH. BETTER.

SO... this resolution in mind, here are the changes I'm hoping to make

1. Compost: We have a food scrap collection site that is embarrassingly close to my apartment (seriously, I have no excuse for not doing this sooner).

2. No more plastic bags: I'm going to carry a few reusable bags from now on to eliminate the need, because these pile up in my house like nobody's business.

3. Reusable lunchbox: I invested in a lunchbox and some glass containers to replace the disposable stuff we always had lying around.

4. Buying bulk: Alot of the grocery stores near me have bulk bins, where I could easily buy things like coffee, beans, grains, spices, etc.. in reusable containers.

5. Find zero waste alternatives: As I use up products, like cleaning supplies, toiletries, etc... I want to find a zero waste replacement for it (if it needs to be replaced at all. Some of that is just clutter too I'm sure).

So that's it. This is where I plan to start right now. I'm sure I'll add things along the way as I learn more and research more, but this is my starting point.

I hope you all have a year that's more in line with the life you want to be living.