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Introduction
This pandemic has taken a toll on all of us. Be it mentally, physically, emotionally, or spiritually, it is draining. So for today’s post I’ve decided to focus on 4 areas you can lift some weight off your shoulders as you bravely take on each new day and try to live more sustainably.
After this intro, I’m not going to be referencing the pandemic as much so just bear with me.
The pandemic has changed everything about our lives, and that includes the products we consume. Overall, most of us use more single-use products now than we did before, trust me I’m just as guilty.
I remember feeling like my progress in using reusables and avoiding single-use items was completely washed away. That was really disheartening. Still, each time I find myself using a single-use product, I feel bad about it and wish I could do better.
So let’s look at how we can take baby steps to get back into the groove of daily habits that are sustainable, and then snowball those accomplishments into bigger and better ones.
A win, no matter how big or small, is something you should feel good about. Take pride in your journey!
Problem Areas
Takeout
When you order takeout, most of the time your food is going to come in styrofoam, plastic cups, with plastic straws, and napkins. All of these things are potentially extra waste and you can easily avoid them if you want to dine more sustainably.
Cleaning Solutions and PPE
You’ve likely worn a mask at some point, and you’ve likely purchased or used sanitizers and cleaners over the last two years. There are a lot of one-time little things you can do here that will set you on a long-term path to being less wasteful.
Grocery Bags
Once upon a time, dine-in and takeout wasn’t available. Even still, your options might be limited, which means you’re spending more time at the grocery store.
Those plastic bags at checkout and in the produce section can really add up so I’ve got some great tips to work around needing them.
Treating Yourself
Yes, treating yourself. Being all-around burnt out means that I self-motivate with some kind of reward. For you that might be a coffee on the way to work, sugary treats at the grocery store, or any number of things.
I’ve got some ideas here that can save on waste and save you money too.
Solutions
Part of why I’m talking about how to decrease waste is because for many of you, being wasteful doesn’t feel good. So in decreasing how much waste you produce, we can get a sense of accomplishment and encouragement. That can help motivate you to keep going.
The important thing is to remember that you’re doing the best you can given the circumstances you are in. Any step forward is a step in the right direction, whether it’s three feet or three inches. Celebrate your accomplishments, they’re something to feel good about!
Takeout
Most of what you get at take out is likely not recyclable. Even if it technically “is,” recycling for those items might be hard to access for most of us.
I’ve got a few ideas here and I’m going to share them from least to most energy required. Changing your behavior takes energy and I know not everyone has a lot of that, that’s why I’m organizing the ideas in this section, this way.
First, solution one. You can decline things you don’t absolutely need. This would look like asking that they not include straws, plastic cutlery, and napkins in your takeout bag.
It might also mean that you request only the box or bag of food, skipping the plastic takeout bag.
Half the time takeout comes in a box and a bag, or a paper bag and a plastic bag. You don’t have to have all those containers, you just need the one that houses the food itself.
Wait until you’re home to enjoy your drinks with a reusable straw and a cloth napkin. Or, bring them with you and use them once you get your food.
There are tons of collapsible, foldable, or otherwise concealable straws and cutlery. I’ll link some at the end of this post for you to check out.
Solution 2, if you really want to avoid all packaging, then dine-in when you can do so safely. You can decline a straw or still bring your own to use at the table. For leftovers, you can easily use a Stasher bag or other container.
Solution 3 is my high energy option here. Keep a “go bag.”
This is a bag where you keep the essentials: a reusable napkin, 1 or a few straws, reusable cutlery, and some containers. I opt in for Stasher because of how little space they require when they’re not in use. They fold up, flatten out, whereas glass or aluminum does not.
This is kind of the summation of all the other ideas into one. But you’ll also have to upkeep the bag as you use it, making it the biggest commitment to sustainability out of the other ideas in this section.
For this solution, you have to clean the straws and cutlery and replace them each time you use them. That’s the most work but it’s the most pay off.
With these solutions you can easily mix and match, or work your way up to the third solution. However you choose to go about it, rejoice in the small feats and work your way up to the bigger accomplishments.
Some sustainability is better than none.
Cleaning Solutions and PPE
I’m not giving advice on health and safety here, only sustainability. So if you have questions or concerns about best practices, I recommend asking your Doctor. With that, let’s begin.
Solution 1, reusable cloth masks! By now I’m sure we all have at least one. These can be hard to maintain sometimes because you have to wash them! Some days I just don’t want to do the wash. I’m sure you’ve been there too.
But, sticking to clean and reusable face masks is a really easy way to decrease our waste.
If you find that remembering them is tricky, then my tips on remembering grocery bags also works wonders with face masks.
Solution 2, cleaning solutions. A SUPER easy way to decrease your waste is by using cleaning concentrations. I purchased a 40oz bottle of Lysol concentrate and it makes 20 gallons of cleaning solution.
My grandkids might be inheriting this concentration.
All I have to do for this is add the proper amount to a reusable spray bottle, add water, and voila! You have name brand disinfectant at a much cheaper rate with way less plastic packaging over the life of the bottle.
If you’re open to trying new products or against plastic completely, Grove has cleaning concentrations that come in glass bottles. They’re aesthetic and have great reviews.
I also heavily recommend Blueland products. I’ve yet to hear a bad thing about them and I love their hand soaps. Blueland products also come free of single-use plastic.
And lastly, Clean Cult has refillable cleaning solutions that come in recyclable packaging. I hear great things about them and absolutely adore the way their bottles look.
Disclaimer: I haven’t tried any of Grove’s, Blueland’s, or Clean Cult’s cleaning products because I’m waiting for my current products to run out before purchasing more [in true sustainability fashion].
Grocery Bags
Right off the bat, you might think about plastic grocery bags. You’d be right to think that’s where I’m going.
Some days, I’m just happy I actually made it to the grocery store, let alone remembering all these extra things like my will to live and reusable bags. So I’d recommend putting your bags on your door handle so you have to remember them before you leave the house.
I’ve written an entire blog post on tips and tricks to make sure you never forget your grocery bags again. That post covers more tricks so definitely check it out when you’re done reading this one.
Treating Yourself
I love to “treat myself!” Who doesn’t? But sometimes that results in waste that I feel bad about later. So these ideas might not be something you can drag and drop right into your life, but they should still get your mind thinking about how you can treat yourself more sustainably.
Solution 1, sweet tea. I was raised in the south so sweet tea is a MUST. Publix (a grocery store in the south) does sweet tea right! But, it comes in a plastic jug. So, instead of treating myself to a plastic jug, I make the tea at home. It’s cheaper, and it only takes about 6 minutes.
As a bonus to enjoying delicious sweet tea, I actually feel even better about using less plastic and spending less money. So it’s really a win-win-win.
Solution 2, coffee. In sticking with beverages, I’m a sucker for coffee (especially now that we’re in prime PSL season). I couldn’t live without coffee, and I wouldn’t want to. Call me dramatic.
But one of the ways I’ve worked around going to Starbs when I can’t bring a refillable cup is making my drinks at home. Some drinks are easier than others, but my current fav is the shaken brown sugar espresso.
All it takes is some cold brew, oatmilk (yay for plant protein), and brown sugar simple syrup (homemade). Shake it up and it’s pretty dang close to the real thing. The only plastic involved here is the plastic the brown sugar comes in.
Some other great ideas might include taking a walk at a nearby public park, making a DIY bath bomb instead of buying a plastic packaged one. There are so many ideas out there!
Conclusion
Sustainability doesn’t have to feel like a weight on your shoulders. It should be exciting, encouraging, and give you hope.
It’s okay to take a step back if you need to. The planet (and I) want you healthy and whole. It’s important to remember that a little progress is better than none.
So if adding a reusable straw to your purse is all you can maintain right now, then work on that. And do that one thing really well. When you’re ready, you can step it up.
Try setting a goal to keep yourself on track. Like, for the month of October you might say no to plastic straws and carry a reusable one with you. You don’t have to be perfect, you just have to start.
When you accomplish your goals, make sure to pat yourself on the back first. And know that I would give you a pat if I could too.
Here are some links to flexible and collapsible reusable straws as promised!
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In case you didn’t catch my post about Certified B Corporations and what they are, you can check it out here.
Sustainably is supported by readers like you. When you buy through links on this site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links on our “Affiliate Marketing…” page.