WELL PLANET: 24 Things I Stopped Buying Since Going Zero Waste
By Rebecca A.
Saving the planet by going low waste is not for the faint hearted, because it takes dedication and commitment. I’m so glad I went public with this commitment over a year ago, because to be honest, it’s kept me accountable. I’ve gone from trying to achieve a level of perfectionism and feeling like a complete failure, to taking the easy road for periods of time, and everything in between. While I would like my family of 5 to be more Zero Waste than what we currently are, I think I’ve found my happy place now where we produce a whole lot less waste than we used to, but I give myself grace because some things are just too damn hard to give up.
I thought I’d share with you my list of things that I have given up while living here in Beijing, to reduce my trash to a small bin full a week.
- cling (plastic) wrap
- aluminum foil
- baking paper
- dish sponges
- paper towels
- plastic straws
- paper napkins
- sauces in plastic bottles
- liquid soap
- body wash
- shampoo and conditioner in plastic bottles
- gift wrapping paper/bags/ribbon
- tampons and pads
- plastic ziplock bags
- trash bags
- disposable water bottles
- conventional cleaners
- beauty products
- convenience (snack) food
- milk in cartons or bottles
- meat
- bubble tea
- takeaway coffee in disposable cups
- laundry softener
It’s not a comprehensive list, and I admit, I did buy milk when my glass bottle milk man was on Chinese New Year holiday. But when I look at this list it suddenly dawns on me why I feel like I have more money in my monthly budget! That’s a lot of money saved by not buying all this stuff in packaging that would all end up in the landfill eventually.
What about you? What things have you given up since trying to reduce your waste?
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