One Month Of Zero Waste

It has been almost a month since I decided to reduce my waste and I feel great!! Yes, I am still producing some waste from products I previously owned that were in plastic, as well as packaging from food. 

Over a weekend I worked as a princess at an annual fairytale ball in Detroit. These were 12 hour days and we had to provide our own food. This was actually more beneficial to me because I could control my waste by making my own lunches. I went to Starbucks in the morning and had them fill my personal mug with coffee. I also packed a reusable water bottle. However, The issue I ran into was with plastic one use water bottles. As the princesses we had several 3 hour sessions where we were in character the whole time in the main ballroom. The extremely helpful staff had brought plastic water bottles for us that they brought around individually so that we could take a drink and stay hydrated. Instead of asking one of them to go out of their way to bring my reusable water bottle from the staging room I just took what they offered especially since they had already broken the lid seal. This was more about convenience and me being to nice to refuse. 

Making my own products have been super sucessful. My personal favorite is my homemade deodorant! I also make my own toothpaste and mouth wash. A lot of these natural products were a trial and error process. You have to have the patience to try different things and see what works the best for your body. I made a face wash that I really like that incorporates tea trea oil, vitamin E oil, coconut oil, and shae butter. After a couple weeks of my skin getting used to the new routine I had glowing skin that was soft and moisturized. I will begin posting some of my personal recipes for anyone to try.

COMPOST!!!

I was making dinner one day when I realized I was throwing away a very significant amount of food that I couldn’t eat. Stems, seeds, shells, etc., were all going into my garbage. You may think, ‘So what? Since its food it will naturally decompose in a landfill’. Though that may be true eventually, you are still restricting the natural decomposition by locking it in a plastic garbage bag. Now its combining with all the other trash in the landfill and being exposed to toxic gasses and liquids. Basically your natural waste is being wasted! I started with putting my compost in the freezer since I didn’t quite know what to do with it and didn’t want it to smell. Now I have a small bin on my counter that I collect my food scraps in. I lined the bin with biodegradable produce bags I got for free at Trader Joe’s. Now when the bag is full I freeze it to keep it from smelling, then bring it with me when I go to Ann Arbor since Pontiac does not have a compost program. It may be a little extra work, but It isn’t so unbearable that I cant do it. This is also helping me reduce my food waste because now I can see everything I am composting. 

It’s getting easier and easier to avoid waste. I am also saving a lot of money in packaging by buying more produce and staying away from processed foods. I feel healthier and more energized because of the diet change. And don’t worry! You can still eat the sweets you want. There is a bulk food store in Ann Arbor called By The Pound which has all the candy imaginable in bulk for you to buy. My personal favorites include dark chocolate covered raisins and Swedish fish.