A Trashless New Year

As we head into the new year tonight, many people are making the usual resolutions, "lose weight," "get fit," or "spend less, save more." My resolution this year is a bit different. I will be trying to go completely trashless for a month! Any trash that I do produce I will post on a new page of the blog along with some thoughts on how I could eliminate the trash in the future.

Going trashless not only reduces waste, it is also a great way to eat healthy (so I'm really getting two resolutions in one). A great resource I have found to help me on this journey is the Zero-Waste Chef. I have used a few of her recipes before; I have made the homemade granola and homemade yogurt, and both turned out delicious. I am excited to try more.

Most unhealthy foods come in packaging that is thrown away after use, so I will not be purchasing any of those this month, unless it is necessary for my health. My shopping will follow the three R's - reduce, reuse, recycle - which are listed in order of importance. First, I will reduce by not purchasing foods that come in an excessive amount of packaging. Then, if I do need to purchase any food in packaging, I will try to reuse those extra materials. For example, many people reuse plastic grocery bags as trash bags. I discovered an article describing how to make a drinking glass from a beer bottle (I may be making larger glasses with my wine bottles). Finally, I will recycle anything that is left. I think it is important that people realize that recycling is the last and least important part of reducing our waste. The efficiency of recycling is often overestimated. Recycling aluminum is almost 96% efficient, making it a no-brainer for recycling companies. Plastic, however, is more difficult to recycle, requiring a greater amount of energy, and generally being downcycled into lower-grade fibers. Regardless of the material, recycling requires energy to transport pieces to recycling facilities, and energy to melt or break down the pieces once they arrive.

I have mason jars to store seeds and snack-type foods. I have larger glass jars to use for purchasing meat from the meat counter. And last but not least, I have lots and lots of reusable bags.

Jars and bags ready for grocery shopping

I have a compost bin for vegetable, fruit and paper waste. Creating the bin was incredibly easy. I simply cut holes in the top and bottom of a large plastic container, ordered composting worms from Uncle Jim's Worm Farm, and started putting my waste in the bin. Composting is a great, no-hassle project after a little initial set up.

My compost bin

I look forward to sharing this journey with you all. Thanks for reading!