10 Things that I Do (and 10 I Don’t Do)

I’ve been working on living “zero-waste” for over a year now and the biggest thing that I’ve learned is that you need to understand your limits or you will go CRAZY.

For example, the other day I had an Iced Capp from Tim Hortons. There is no other option but to get those in a plastic cup (believe me, I’ve asked), so I argued with myself for ages about it. In the end, no other drink would do and I caved and bought myself the damn Iced Capp. The thing is, I used to have them 2-3 times a week – this was now my first one in months. I need to forgive myself for the little things that keep me sane, and to focus on the general trend of my lifestyle rather than the blips. And I’ve made a lot of changes for the better.

So here are 10 things that I’ve changed and, correspondingly, 10 things that I HAVEN’T changed because I recognized that I would burn out trying to do it all.

1. I buy drinks only in glass or aluminum containers (much better recycling rates) but I haven’t given up soda entirely.

2. I buy meat at the counter to reduce the plastic + Styrofoam waste of the prepackaged meats, and I’ll also bring my own containers for deli meat instead of getting plastic bags. However, I haven’t reduced or eliminated meat in my diet.

3. I always bring reusable bags for shopping, or if I forget then I just skip the bag. This goes for fruits and vegetables as well; if I forget to bring my produce bags, I put them in the cart loose or grab a paper bag from the mushroom section. BUT we still use bags in the garbage bins at home.

4. We switched from liquid soap in plastic bottles to bar soap only. For some things, like shampoo, we visit the NU Grocery to fill up our old bottles zero-waste style. The bathrooms aren’t entirely zero-waste though – I haven’t been willing to give up my makeup.

5. I take the bus to work and the fiancé bikes, but we do have a car (that isn’t a hybrid, gasp!) that we use for most other errands.

6. When I do buy things that are pre-packaged, I keep the bags as “scrap bags” that I’ll use at least once more before throwing out. For example, I use old bags to shake the oil on my homemade fries, which at least spares a Ziplock bag.

7. I have metal straws and try to remember to ask for No Straw in my drink, but sometimes I wimp out. Also, I’ve lost a couple of those straws, which kind of affects their reusability.

8. My clothes shopping habits are hit and miss. I often buy secondhand, but not always. I try to look for natural fibers instead of materials that shed plastic microfibers…but will give in if I really, really like the clothes.

9. I made the switch from a plastic toothbrush to a biodegradable one (bamboo I think). However, I tried the bulk toothpaste that they sell at NU Grocery and wasn’t a fan, so back to the regular toothpaste tubes. I was disappointed, but not all zero-waste options are going to work for everyone.

10. I make the occasional blog and Instagram post, but haven’t gotten involved in any larger green initiatives yet. This is the one on my list that I’d most like to change, so stay tuned!