Reducing Waste

[passthemanna]

I thought it might be fun to start a thread all about reducing waste. I'd be really interested to know what others are doing.
I've started:
-buying Blue Land foaming handsoap tablets. They come wrapped in paper and when you buy in bulk it costs about the same as the big jugs of plastic refills. The soap is great. I've been using it since spring with no skin dryness (apart from regular dry winter skin) or irritation. You just drop them into water like an alka seltzer.
-shampoo and conditioner bars. I started using the ethique bars a couple weeks ago and like them so far. I'm really hoping they last long enough to justify the cost
-ordering Imperfect Foods boxes. I don't think it's any cheaper than the regular store, but I'm rural and I like not driving 25 miles to the store. During non-covid times they reuse boxes. I'm not putting produce in plastic bags like I would at the store. It's "ugly", surplus, or off sized foods, so it reduces food waste, which I feel good about. Their website says it doesn't impact foods that would usually go to food banks. Sometimes they have fancy stuff- like chocolate covered broken almonds or seasoned fajita meat that is from a family restaurant.

I would like to find better packaging options for make up and beauty products (mascara specifically). I don't really have the time or energy to make my own.

What cool products have you found?

[MegMarch]

Stasher bags have cut my ziplock useage to almost zero. They are dishwasher safe and at least so far, the seal is excellent. I also began the food storage container storage system (LOL!) where you keep them with their lids on. It makes it WAY easier to find in the cupboard and I was able to get rid of pieces that didn't have mates and some sets which were just overfill.

I used to love our area Buy Nothing group but they just shut down. They were really intense about having to say things certain ways and many people didn't follow that so the mods were overly busy. I personally think loosening restrictions would have been better, but it's not my group, so... Anyway, I suggest looking for one if you have things to be rid of (I did many porch pickup give aways, no human contact) or are in need of something.

Charcuterie style lunches have got my kids eating way more veggies and I'm able to use leftovers easily by tossing on the board no matter how much is left or what it is.

Green Mountain Diaper brand paper towel alternatives are working for everyone in our family. They are soft, big enough for DH's gigantor hands and wash and dry well. We still use paper towels for cat sick and bacon and similar, but we've cut way down. I had some smaller flannel napkins that didn't work for us but was able to give to a friend.

I've started keeping a bowl or pan by the sink to hold compost till DH can take it out. Donno why, but finding the right size dish for containing makes it way easier to get family buy-in.

[passthemanna]

I need to compost more...I do it in spurts then start slacking. I like the idea of getting away from paper towels...but I already have soooo much laundry. I have gotten better about using microfiber to cleaning that doesn't involve food crumbs and whatnot. I have enough that I can just toss them in a pile until I have a big load. I can probably get better about keeping hand towels in the bathroom at least.

[knitlove]

I am going to need to look at the green mountain paper towel things. What we currently use the old flat diapers from there that I used with my girls. Before I had diapers I used old t shirts. Bit the diapers work so much better- but the ones that were early birds have mostly gone in the compost in the past year because they were more threads than anything else.


We don't use paper towels or paper napkins and I haven't for the past 16 years.


One of my very unsuccessful goals of last year was to buy more thing in bulk from store to reduce packaging. Some places had just started letting you bring your own containers in to have a fair weight marked on and then to fill. But all of that stoped with Covid and while they still have bulk areas everything is already packaged in small plastic bags.

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---------- Post added at 02:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:19 PM ----------

Originally Posted by passthemanna

I need to compost more...I do it in spurts then start slacking. I like the idea of getting away from paper towels...but I already have soooo much laundry. I have gotten better about using microfiber to cleaning that doesn't involve food crumbs and whatnot. I have enough that I can just toss them in a pile until I have a big load. I can probably get better about keeping hand towels in the bathroom at least.

I usemunociple compost. I don't know if I would actually keep one my self going because I would start and stop it.


I am trying to find a way to deal with the girls laundry better. Trying to teach them how to determine if something can be reworne so that everything doesn't end up in the wash every week.

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[passthemanna]

We really don't have many options for recycling plastic or compost here. I just dug a trench between one of the sheep pens and the garden and try to throw stuff in there when i think of it or when I'mnot too lazy . Cardboard makes an excellent weed barrier and eventually breaks down. I need to start it earlier next year before the weeds go bonkers.
I *loved* the green mountain fitted diapers for rags. I will probably cut way back on paper towels once we move. I'll have more room to get a better system going and won't have to listen to my dad complain about all the laundry i do. I'm primarily concerned about cutting back on plastic after watching The Story of Plastic.

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[knitlove]

I just admit I have kind did given up many of reduce all the plastic goal after Covid. I don't really seem to have option for most food things that don't involve packaging, the ones I did have have gone away.

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[JoannaV]

I've been composting for a few years, but it took me years to start. Needing the right container is so true - I finally started when I had an empty gallon coconut oil tub that I could keep under the sink. And my compost heap outside works fine for disposing of everything but I can't really access compost to use in the garden. Lol.

I use reusable grocery bags (some of my favorites are finally starting to fall apart after 13 years) and I also realized I can reuse produce bags. (Cuz....buying the perfect reusable produce bags was too complicated haha.) It works for now. And will probably work for quite a while because they do get replenished occasionally by other people, aka when DH shops.

Sometimes it's hard to find the balance between reducing waste and, well, not getting overly stressed by it. You reduce a tiny amount of single-use plastic and then turn around and someone gives you a giant plastic toy.

[tempus vernum]

We always shoot for little things that add up

Reduce t.p. We use family cloth and a bidet (not required so keep t.p. On hand for one cloth resistant kid). TP is used for noses and the person who doesn’t do cloth.
Cloth napkins
Shop towels for single use hand drying as I’m grossed out by hand towels
For liquid soap we buy dr bonners in bulk and dilute into dispensers we reuse
Compost (we also Compost all our bunny litter)
Reusable Coffee basket instead of paper
Recycle plastic stuff for leftovers (sour cream and cottage cheese container for example)


Disposables and consumables are more “emergencies” like forgetting water when going somewhere. Although your main grocery store does not allow
Cloth due to Covid


Over the next year I want to switch to non ziploc bags. Cut cardboard and junk Mail for Compost and continue to reduce Our footprint.

[passthemanna]

I'm super interested in a bidet!
I know I also mentioned the hand soap but I forgot to say I really like the blue land glass cleaner. It works better than any glass cleaner I've ever used! I've used it inside the house and on the car windshield with a microfiber. It works the same way- just a pressed tablet that dissolves- so no plastic!

[knitlove]

Originally Posted by SonshineMama

Over the next year I want to switch to non ziploc bags. Cut cardboard and junk Mail for Compost and continue to reduce Our footprint.

I would love to hear about this transition. I have fabric bags that I use for dry thing as things in the fridge but I still.use ziplock for freezing things, especially liquid. I will wash and raise them ( I just bought my second box after moving here in March of 2019) I keep looking for silicon bags that I can freeze soup and things in . The ones I have tried I have not been successful with, thing leak or the silicone doesn't hold up ( I can easily re use a ziplock freezer bag 4 or 5 times I want the silicone ones to not rip the third time)


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[Mother of Sons]

We tried blue land. The soap is meh but acceptable. Hated the bathroom cleaner.

We use baby washcloths from ikea for cleaning

I use carry boxes for groceries. Or at least I did until covid

We stopped buying bottled water

I use fabric instead of wrapping paper

[Soliloquy]

I saw the Blue Land tablets advertised on instagram. With the amount of soap we go through, they aren't financially feasible for us. Maybe in a year or two they will be.

I make most of my household cleaners. So I'm not buying lots of small plastic bottles every week.

I love laundry balls instead of detergent. I need to order a new set. I found that Crystal Wash balls are more expensive but last a lot longer than Beron. I think the inner balls are bigger.

We have a drawer full of cleaning rags. I do buy paper towel to clean up grease as cloth with grease shouldn't go in the dryer. We use grease-soaked paper towels as fire starters (we have wood heat).

I wish we had better recycling options, but we don't.

I can still use reusable grocery bags here. When I forget, the plastic grocery bags are what we use for bathroom garbage bags.

I did Imperfect Foods last spring and summer. I was hoping it would save me money but it didn't. I love their olive oil, though!

[heartofjoy]

Great thread!

We do a lot of these things.

I've been buying Dropps for laundry and dishwasher for years now. I don't think it's much more expensive than the regular stuff. Maybe cheaper. If anyone wants a referral let me know. I think I might get some kind of credit.

I've transitioned away from ziplocs by simply storing things in reusable containers. I'm slowly acquiring glass instead of plastic.

I would like to start composting.

When I shop for produce, I just put it in my cart with no bag. I'm going to wash it anyway!

My oldest has stopped buying new clothes. She only wears thrifted stuff. I would like to do this! It's just a lot of work and I don't like shopping!

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[Soliloquy]

I was able to shop almost entirely second hand where we used to live. Not anymore now that we're mountain/rural. The clothes in local thrift stores are really, really old. Once in awhile I find something but, like you, I dislike shopping and have an attention span of about ten minutes. If I don't find something in ten minutes (or less), I'm outta there. Plus I just dislike even going in. We do have two local boutiques that sell second hand higher quality items. The clothes are really pretty but not my style, usually.

I do keep my clothes a really long time, though, and don't replace things until they're really done. When I'm through with clothes, they are often only fit for starting fires.

I think that's an important part of reducing waste. Keeping things until they're truly worn out. Donating rather than throwing away what you don't use. I no longer hold on to things because I think I should. If I don't use it, someone else can.

[passthemanna]

Originally Posted by Soliloquy

...



I think that's an important part of reducing waste. Keeping things until they're truly worn out. Donating rather than throwing away what you don't use. I no longer hold on to things because I think I should. If I don't use it, someone else can.

I think helps with the stress. I can't do everything perfectly. I can't afford a lot of fancy eco friendly stuff. It's just important to do what I can. I also try to be more intentional about not bringing things we don't need into the house in the first place. Can we re-purpose something we already have?

I haven't worn makeup for years but I'm interested in wearing mascara, concealer for my ginormous bags under my eyes, and tinted moisturizer...I bought some over the last few months then it dawned on me all the plastic I will go thru of this is a regular thing and I'm wondering if affordable refillable makeup is a thing?? So I'm looking into that. I may just go back to makeup free



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---------- Post added at 01:51 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:49 AM ----------

Re used clothes- i thought ThredUp was pretty decent. The clothes had that heavy thrift store smell...which may actually just be soap. I've always used unscented so i just think "thrift store" when i smell it...anyway. the sales are decent and search filter was pretty neat.

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---------- Post added at 01:54 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:51 AM ----------

I used to use produce bags made of muslin but it drove checkers crazy because they couldn't see the PLU. . I get icked out by the belt and don't trust water to rinse that off. I ised to be a checker and so many people think nothing of tossing leaky pork and chicken on the belt.

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