Or should I say THE Zero Waste Post?

I've been wanting to write this post for a while bc, to me, it officailly marks the start of my Zero Waste Journey. Ever since we moved, I've become increasingly disturbed by the amount of waste we mindlessly generate. For some reason, living in an apartment in Brooklyn, NY, I never realized how much I threw away, how many duplicates I bought, how many items went unused and wasted in my home.

One of my favorite things this summer has been bringing delicious Jersey tomatoes home, either from local farm markets, or neighbor's yards. I like these cardboard containers, which I reuse or compost.

When we moved out of our approximately 600/sqft apartment (large by standards!) into twice that amount of space in a home we now owned, we filled it with our stuff! Filled to the brim with stuff, some items I hadn't even looked at in years. So, the first order of business was to start paring down what we already had. This is still a work in progress, but everyday we make a little headway.

It was also important to me, moving into a new house, and creating a new life in a new city, to not bring or buy too many new things. I think we did a good job here, not buying too many big ticket items or impulse buys. But there was still so much coming into the house. And I realized that the majority of it left as trash going to fill landfills. This knowledge worried me. So I decided to do something about it!

In little ways, every day, I'm trying to become more mindful of heading towards zero waste. 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.

Making hummus at home has been a good lesson in zero waste. Using up leftovers before they go bad is a challenge.

I plan to share my Zero Waste Journey here at Mad Cat Quilts. Who else out there is starting this journey?

The month of July is now Plastic Free July. It's a time to choose to give up single use plastic. Give up one item, like plastic straws, or give up all single use plastic for the month. Either way, the main thing is to think about how we use plastic and if we need to use it as much as we do.

Ever since we moved to the beach, I've been more aware of how much waste we generate as a family and where that waste ends up. I've started reading a lot about the zero waste movement. I would love to become zero waste one day. But sometimes thinking about how to effect the changes necessary makes me feel like my head might explode. Or at least, that the goal seems impossible.

But the thing I'm trying to remember is that zero waste is the goal, thoughtful purchases and practices is the action.

This July I wasn't able to give up any single use plastic entirely. But just knowing about Plastic Free July helped me be more thoughtful. I tried to opt out of using plastic bags, plastic straws, buying items packed in plastic, or only buy plastics that can be recycled. I've tried harder to look at all packaging and recycle more carefully.

I try to buy items packaged in cardboard, or glass, or better yet, not packaged. In all items I try to buy organic, non gmo, sustainable, or manufactured by "good" companies. This early in my zero waste journey, I'm still figuring out what that means. I try to research, read labels, and find a balance between what my family likes, what's healthy for them, and what's healthy for the planet and my local community.

I'm trying to find ways to use plastics less, like finally committing to a reusable thermal mug. By choosing one that keeps drinks hot or cold and has a standard volume, I hope to make it easier for me to use it in many situations. For July, I've diligently tried to bring my new mug with me and use it as much as possible.

Although I wasn't able to give up plastic this July, I feel I've made a good start and hopefully next July, I'll be ready to give up some sort of single use plastic for good! Or even if I'm not, Im confident that I'll be steps further on my journey.

Is anyone out there working towards zero waste? What steps are you taking?