My Favorite Blogs To Follow
For those of us from or visiting Chicago
And more to come…
Where to Start
First of all adopting a Zero Waste Lifestyle is all about mindfulness. The fact that you are even reading this may mean that you are aware of all the trash that we as consumers accumulate and you want to become mindful of how much waste you actually produce. I still create waste because it is a journey. When I create waste I am very mindful and very intentional that I think to myself, “I am using this item which I know will end up in a landfill soon”. I’m certainly not perfect but I keep in mind that I am constantly striving to change the world one small piece of trash at a time. And even just saving a daily Starbucks cup from the landfill does a world of difference! So keep in mind no amount of effort is to small! The earth will thank you for making that difference.
So first off… Take a look in your trash can. What’s in there? Being aware of what you are sending to off to the garbage dump can make a difference. Like for example, I look into my trash can right now I see a lot of tissues. Easy fix –> handkerchiefs! Or in the kitchen I see a lot of wrapping from the food I’ve purchased which probably means I need to either buy different food or the same food just not the packaged kind. This is easily fixed by going to a local Farmer’s Market and bringing your own reusable bags and containers. If you are bringing your own containers you may want to tare it prior to shopping so the cashier can remove the weight of the container and charge you just for the weight of your item you are buying.
Then set small manageable goals for yourself. If they are too challenging it will feel like a chore instead of a treat. So for example some people like to tackle topics… like I will tackle all my clothes one day, and my shoes the next… or you could tackle rooms… I decided to start with the bathroom. Evaluate what you have and what you need to replace. My mother taught me to never waste anything. So I am using what I have currently and when I am finished I will replace it with a zero waste alternative. It makes no sense to me to throw out something completely usable to obtain a zero waste lifestyle. But if you find yourself using certain things less and less because of your lifestyle change I’m sure a friend of yours or a second hand shop would appreciate your donation. I recently gave almost all of my hair products to a good girl friend of mine because I know she would appreciate it and when they were living with me sadly all they did was collect dust.
P.S. You do not have to keep your trash in a mason jar for now on. I personally do not.
Websites to buy from
Of course there is always Amazon and Etsy to shop from. But buying locally deeply considered before purchasing online because a lot of energy goes into ship one box when you could have bought the same thing a few blocks from where you live (this is where I bought Bees Wrap) like a second hand shop or even better yet something you can make yourself, which saves money! You do not need to buy things to live a zero waste lifestyle. The consumerism in us make us thinks we need all these new things and to buy buy buy for the latest newest trend but the truth is you could probably do with out or make it yourself. Of course there is always the outliers. So here are some great websites to consider: lifewithoutplastic and BuyMeOnce.
I just heard about this cool app so everyone should down load this… OLIO! It is an app that connects us as community and instead of throwing your things away that you no longer use a neighbor may find use in it!
CLOTHING THE GOOD TRADE
Pollution.
What do you think of when you think of pollution. Does the image of smog come to mind? For me, that is the go to image of Pollution. I feel like we as a society know there other types of pollution but it is easiest to speak just about the kind of pollution you can see right in front of your face. Unfortunately the trash problem has gotten so bad we can see its pollutive properties right in front of us. Whether it is in an over flowing can, littered around our feet, or floating in our ocean. But what about the pollution we do not really talk about? For example, light pollution (the fix —> ensure all light points down not into the sky), sound pollution, sewer systems being clogged because toilet paper doesn’t disintegrate fast enough, and so much more. There are so many different mediums of pollution that are going on, that I feel should be spoke about more.
Zero Waste Resource 