Zero Waste Introduction
Happy New Year! And while we’re on the subject, I want to talk about a big New Year’s resolution that Big Rocks is making, and we invite you to join us. We resolve to practice zero waste this year more consciously than we’ve ever done. Now, we know zero waste might sound like A LOT of work, and oh please, you have enough going on…but guess what, it’s not too much work! Read on to learn more.
Let’s be real: zero waste doesn’t really mean zero waste
First off, what exactly is zero waste? The definition of zero waste is just that—living without generating any waste or trash. But come on, who can do that? We are human. We need stuff, we use stuff, we throw stuff away. Nobody really expects people to go completely zero waste. But we can all make changes in how we live; changes that produce much less waste.
A year of small changes
We’ll be spending the entire year exploring the art and science of zero waste, covering a different zero-waste topic every month. We’ll look at things like recycling, repairing, reusing, learning how to shop, and how not to shop. You’ll learn ways to organize your home, do housekeeping and food prep, and perform other actions that will generate much less waste. And we promise that practicing zero waste won’t be difficult! These are small changes and new habits that just take a little planning.
Some benefits of zero waste:
- You’ll use less plastic and fewer chemicals
- You’ll save money
- Your home will be cleaner and less cluttered
- Your life will be simpler
- And most importantly, you’ll be doing something real to protect the planet and the future we all share 🌍
Our guide to zero waste
There are loads of books out there about living a zero-waste lifestyle. The one we’ve chosen as our guide is Zero Waste: Simple Life Hacks to Drastically Reduce Your Trash, by Shia Su. Shia and her husband produce about a quart jar of waste every year! Yup, you read that right. A quart every year. So, Shia is our girl! If you’d like to buy her book to follow along, buy local! It’s available at Powell’s. I also found it in my local independent bookseller, Annie Bloom’s in Multnomah Village. It may be at your local bookshop, too. It’s available in the Multnomah and Clackamas County libraries (the book may not be in every branch). If you can’t find it locally, used copies are available online as of this writing:
https://www.betterworldbooks.com
We’ll be referencing pages 6-41 this month; read along for additional great advice.
Ready for a January challenge? Let’s do it!
The average American throws out about 150 pounds of trash every month. For January, we challenge you to get that number down! (Believe me, it’s easier to lose a few pounds of trash than to lose a few pounds of…pounds.) Here are a few suggestions:
- Start by (don’t laugh) analyzing your garbage for a week. Every time you put something in the trash, take a photo or make a note, and have your family do the same. At the end of the week, you’ll start to notice potential areas for change. Too many paper towels? Switch to reusable, washable cloths. Seeing a bunch of cardboard coffee cups? See if your local coffee shop will let you use your own cup. Lots of food packaging from ordering in? Meal planning can help reduce the temptation to order food delivery or go out to eat. Do you have food garbage that could be composted? Or items that could be recycled? It’s amazing what you can learn from your garbage! Check out the Big Rocks Recycling Guide here.
- On grocery day, take a photo of all the groceries you buy. Think about whether you could buy some of it in bulk, which usually means less packaging. Could you buy loose fruit, rather than fruit that’s packaged in plastic? Or use reusable produce bags rather than the store’s plastic bags? (My personal pet peeve: Cucumbers already have a protective skin, so why do they wrap some of them in plastic? Why?) Could you buy milk and juice in glass containers instead of plastic?
- Recycle, reuse, repair. Have things that you don’t use for one reason or another? Think about an alternative to the trash bin. Recycle if you can. Or let them go to a charity that will sell them, or a repair shop that will fix them.
- Shop less. 90% of a product’s environmental impact happens during manufacturing and shipping, long before you even open the package. The less we buy, the less we contribute to that damage.
Some quick wins:
- Just say no to plastic drinking straws
- Use a refillable water bottle instead of bottled water
- Bring your own container to a restaurant to bring home leftovers
- Take reusable shopping bags whenever you go shopping (and keep some stashed in your car)
- Review your community’s recycling rules
- Stopping for fast food? Bring your own cutlery and a cloth napkin
- Go paperless for bills and bank statements
- Use cloth rather than paper napkins and towels at home
- Buy local
- When you grocery shop, look for items with less packaging
- Eat less meat! 🌱
Ready, set, go!
If you start following these simple practices today, by the end of January, you’ll be seeing less trash in your trash cans. We pinky swear you will! For this month, the goal is mostly about becoming more aware of the amount of waste that’s generated in your home and shifting your mindset to realize you absolutely can make a difference. In the coming months, we’ll be diving deeper and giving you more specific tips. We hope you’ll join us on our yearlong journey toward zero waste!
Next month, we’re covering “Where and how to shop.” Don’t miss it!
Click here for a downloadable roadmap!
And if you want to lighten your “stuff burden”…but don’t know where to begin, or you want to get organized but are feeling overwhelmed…schedule a free exploratory call with Big Rocks Organizing. We would be honored to help you lighten your load sustainably and without judgment.