Let’s take a break from all the heavy emotional stuff and talk about something much more fun, green living! Zero Waste isn’t necessarily a new movement, but it’s been gaining popularity thanks to Bea Johnson and her advocation of her zero waste lifestyle. The basic principle is to generate zero waste flowing to the landfill; however far you choose to take that is up to your own personal interpretation. Some, like Bea, are able to produce only enough trash to fill one quart size mason jar a year. Yes, a year! I’m still floating somewhere in the middle, transitioning to the point where I don’t generate much garbage. I compost and recycle, and only fill up roughly one 20 gallon trash can each month. I’ve decided to push myself even further and cancel my trash service completely, striving to get down to a jar or so a month and using my parent’s can until I can eliminate my stream completely.
Today, my focus is on the to-go kit. One of the main principles of zero waste is to eliminate your consumption of single-use disposable plastics. It’s a misconception that we disdain all plastics; there are definitely some that are necessary for modern life and safety, such as hospital equipment and automobiles. It’s the disposable mindset and lifestyle of consumerism that is causing hefty damage to our planet. The Big Four are: water bottles, coffee cups, straws (and cutlery and drink lids), and shopping bags. So, what can we do to prevent ourselves from consuming these items? I put together a simple reusable “to-go kit” that makes sure I’m prepared (almost) every time we’re away from home to stem the tide of these seemingly endlessly supplied products.
My to-go kit includes:
1) Straws for fountain drinks (and also froyo!) | 2) Stainless steel tumblers | 3) Bamboo spoon/forks | 4) LunchBots Uno Stainless Steel Food Container for leftovers and the salad bar | 5) Eco LunchBox Oval container with dip canister
I wrap everything up with a handmade cloth bag and rubber band and pop it into my tote bag.
It looks like a lot of stuff, but I weighed it at just under seven and a half pounds, which is pretty light for a purse! It keeps me ready for whatever we may encounter while we’re out and about, and I don’t have to contribute to the waste stream.
Are there ways you limit your consumption of single-use disposables? What do you do?
squash / 13208 posts
wow – that is impressive!
We make sooo much trash
blogger / grape / 92 posts
@Mamaof2: Don’t sweat it too much, guilt is never a good motivator. Maybe you could start by taking a step to reduce one of those Big 4? Maybe it’s bringing a reusable coffee cup every time, or keeping some tote bags in the car or diaper bag to use in stores. I know the straws/cups/sporks are more of a committed gesture, so perhaps starting with the more mainstream things could help dip your toes into zero waste?
pear / 1547 posts
Where did you get the stainless steel spray bottle?? We do a lot of the things you mentioned but have a plastic spray bottle (couldn’t find glass, plus impractical for the diaper bag) and that would be perfect! Great stocking stuffer right?
pineapple / 12053 posts
@MenagerieMama: I got some on Amazon. I believe they are 4 oz bottles!
nectarine / 2085 posts
Do you carry a plastic bag like a Ziploc to put dirty things in? I carry dry snacks in an airtight reusable container, but an open cup or a fork that has been used seems like an invitation to roaches and ants in my bag (subtropics here…bugs are everywhere!).
Also, how do you clean the straws? I have never had success with plastic reusable ones, because they always grow mold, even if they’ve only been used for water. Those experiences have made me not want to spend on stainless or glass. I chalked it up to heat and humidity, but maybe there’s a trick to keeping the ick at bay?
blogger / grape / 92 posts
@MenagerieMama: I bought mine locally in Austin at a store called the Treehouse. I’ve also seen them at local health food stores that carry essential oils, because the oils can break down plastics. Since I use oils in my diaper and hand spray I go for the metal bottles. Amazon has a bunch, but there’s also an essential oils supply store I’ve used before with tons of options. Let me dig up the link for you!
blogger / grape / 92 posts
@honeybear: I normally just leave the containers in my car then wash them as soon as I get home. But Blue Avocado makes some fantastic reusable plastic zip top bags that I use for meat shopping and such.
As far as straws, the stainless come with a wire scrubbing brush similar to a nipple brush. The straws can get some mild so I make sure to rinse them out with a scrub then pop them into the dishwasher for high heat sterilizing.
pomegranate / 3375 posts
This is great!! We compost and recycle, and have twice-monthly trash pick up. We can fit 3 bags in our bin, so we have to be really careful about what we are throwing away. I love all of your suggestions!
pomelo / 5621 posts
This is great.
We’ve noticed in our neighbourhood how much garbage people put out each week and it amazes us. With recycling and compost we have maybe one bag of garbage every other week and we could probably even do better than that.
My next goal is re-usable grocery bags.
One of my biggest pet peeves is at work when people have their coffee in throw away cups. There is a cupboard full of mugs right there.
pomegranate / 3225 posts
Love this!
blogger / apricot / 378 posts
I’m so impressed by this! We aren’t terrible with trash but we definitely could be a LOT better. Your commitment is so inspiring!
guest
I spy a Vera Bradley wallet. I’m a fan too!