In 2017 I started my zero waste journey. Zero Waste is the goal, mindful practice is the action. When I use the term Zero Waste, that is my ultimate goal, but Less Waste would be a more accurate description of my evolving lifestyle.
If you’ve been following along, you’re well on your way to becoming more zero waste and low impact in 2019. We’ve taken a little break after July, hopefully keeping up with the practices we learned in the beginning of the year. Now that the year is coming to an end, it’s time to continue this journey. By keeping to a schedule of new things we can do each month, we are breaking down a seemingly impossible task, giving up single use plastic and greatly reducing our waste, in to easy to achieve steps. Here’s what the next six months look like:
November - Zero Waste Kit
December - No Gifts
January - Clothing and Fast Fashion
February - Mass Transit
March- Bathroom Make-over
April - Grow Your Own Food
For the first month back at our goals, let’s set ourselves up for success by creating a zero waste kit we can carry with us to help us in our goals.
The more commercial aspects of the Zero Waste movement might have you believe that you have to go out and buy a fancy, expensive, ready made zero waste kit. But I suggest that to truly reduce your waste, you utilize items you already have or second hand items. Everyone’s kit might be different, depending on what will best help them reduce waste and refuse single use plastics in day to day life.
In my kit, I like to keep a fork, a spoon (or a fork/spoon combo), a metal straw, chopsticks, a container for to go items, a water or coffee cup, a napkin, and one or more small bags. I keep all these items in a small canvas bag that I got as a wedding favor. The whole kit is easy to carry on it’s own, or can fit into my larger shoulder bag. I also often keep extra utensils, napkins and straws in my kit in case someone I’m with needs them.
Maybe you only need a few of these items, or maybe you need more than this. Your zero waste kit should be unique to you!
Keep your kit in your car, on your bike, in your purse or in your pocket, by your desk, or where ever it will help you the most.
Ask yourself some questions to help determine what you might need in your kit. What disposables or plastic items do you end up buying or using the most? When do you most often cave to getting these items. What are the times that you end up using plastic, and how can you prevent that?
Do you already have a zero waste kit? What’s in yours?
For those following along, here are what we’ve already done to reduce waste in 2019. For those new to this challenge take a look here to get some ideas for what else you can be doing!
January - Trash Audit
We separated and looked our trash to see what we are throwing away and what we can reduce.
February - Declutter Everything
We went thru what we have to declutter and reduce.
March - Switch to Paper
This month we moved to paper to get one step closer to reusables.
April - Compost
Composting is an easy way to reduce food waste and prevent it from reaching the landfill.
May - Meatless Monday
One of the best ways to improve the environment is to stop eating factory farmed meat and industrial fish. Small steps lead to big change so this month we gave up meat (or dairy or fish)
June - No Bottled Water
We gave up bottled water as an avenue to give up more disposable plastic in Plastic Free July.