Minimal (Zero) Waste Challenge

Monday:  The Beginning

Today was a pretty easy day, since I've been working from home.  I haven't purchased anything, and have been eating in.  Conveniently, my leftovers were in a recyclable container, so there's that.  Starbucks has been calling (though I secretly long for a tea from Coffee Bean), but truth be told, I'm too comfortable to go.  Plus, they end up tossing a cup anyway since they always measure in the plastic cups, with few exceptions.  I normally get Youthberry tea, and when I take a jar, just have them fill it with room temperature water.

Tuesday:  Oh, How I’m Failing

Okay, so today was a letdown of epic proportions.  I had to purchase some mouth wash because I ran out, and it only comes in a plastic bottle.  Before heading to the city I stopped at Starbucks for some tea, and had them just put some water in my jar along with the tea.  By the time I got to the city it had done its cold brew thing, and I was all set.  Lunch was a salad in a recyclable container, and for a sweet treat I put some M&Ms in a small glass jar.  I had originally packed lunch in a tote I received while working a summer camp.  That all flew out the window because I had an impromptu lunch with my best friend.  I got a salad that came in a recyclable container, but it came with plastic utensils.  Of course, I forgot to bring my own.  Not only that, but the drinks normally come in a mason jar.  .  .  if you dine in.  Since we ordered online, there was no way to change the drink, and it came in a plastic cup.  I was able to pour it into my jar, but having the cup defeated the purpose.  Here’s hoping that dinner proves less challenging.  

A side note:  The one issue I know I will have will be at the grocery store.  I buy most items in bulk, and they have the plastic bags there.  While the thought of taking a reusable bag for bulk items is nice, I can see why they are not generally allowed.  California is very strict when it comes to food safety.  All it takes is one instance of cross-contamination to mess things up for everyone.  Even though people wash the reusable bulk bags, and they may be clean by most standards, it is one more thing for the other consumers and retailers to be worried about.  I have seen people stick their hands in bulk bins (always wash the products before you use them!), which is something markets and consumers have to deal with, along with a plethora of other possible issues.  Reusable bulk item bags add another needle to that haystack.  That being said, I will be taking my reusable shopping bags with me, and will reuse the bulk plastic bags until they fall apart.  Maybe I can repurpose them.  .  .  I’ll see what I can come up with.  

Wednesday:  Hump Day  

Today is the first day we are out of town.  I have packed a snack bag using jars—they weigh so much more than using small plastic snack bags, but it’s part of the challenge, right?  I also brought along some empty jars in case we run into Coffee Bean or Starbucks.  I have found that I prefer taking the jar for drinks, because I can pop the lid on and put it in my bag without the worry of it spilling.  I just wish the stainless steel straw came with a pouch.  We went to eat lunch, and I got a kid’s meal because it came with a lunch box!  Is it plastic?  Yes.  Am I keeping it?  No.  I will be sending it off as part of a care parcel.  The box is specifically for my friend’s grandson.  It also was one of the only ways to get Gardein tenders, which I LOVE!  Dinner was amazing, and I ended up with leftovers.  I took a stainless steel lunchbox, since we have a cooler in the room, and put my leftovers in it.  It will be lunch for tomorrow (I love being able to save in multiple ways).                   

Thursday:  A New Day  

Every day is a new day; a chance for a fresh start and a new beginning.  This is the only full day of our trip, and I planned out what will happen during the day in terms of trash.  I have my reusable items, and lunch is covered.  I don’t normally eat in the morning because it makes me sick, so one less mealtime to worry about.  Dinner will be at a restaurant, so I can put leftovers in my tin after I wash it out from lunch, and drinks will go in the jar.  I suppose the jars are also a plus because it forces me to drink more water.  I normally use my Kor or Camelbak, but I forgot them  (>.<)  If we choose to grab a pastry or something later in the evening, I will simply ask them to place it in my alternate tin.  It will save from having to toss the paper and bag.  Here’s hoping all of this pans out.  At least there is a plan.  

Friday:  Workin’ for the Weekend

We are packed up to leave.  First we will have lunch, and then it’s back to the “bump & grind”.  We came back, and I put a load of clothes in.  After that, I continued on a PowerPoint for an upcoming presentation.  Tomorrow will be the day I work on finishing up an application that is required prior to site approval for my dissertation, followed by some product reviews.  Tonight there was a surprise.  It was a trip to a themed dinner!  It was so exciting to get dinner and a show.  I bought a drink in a glass souvenir cup and made sure that the bartender didn’t put a stir stick in it.  Some of my dinner was left over, so I put it in the jar I normally use for drinks.  They didn’t have takeaway utensils, which was a plus.  Two more days of trying out this zero-waste thing.  .  .  and it’s not as hard as I thought it would be.  

Saturday:  Not Enough Hours in the Day

Today I am going to the store, and taking reusable bags.  I won’t be buying from the bulk bins (see Tuesday’s bit for why), but I am going to get some produce and other goodies.  The dairy alternative that I use is recyclable, and the CRV is refundable, which is why I don’t mind buying it.  The plastic bottle gets recycled, and I get a little bit of change back.  I also have to stop by the mall—Teavana has a few things I want to get with the Starbucks rewards that have been earned.  I also want to stop by LUSH since I have a gift card.  After all of this gets done in the morning, it’s off to Starbucks I go to get working on everything I listed yesterday.  My goal is to complete: the application, at least 80% of the PowerPoint, and the product reviews.     

Sunday:  The End

Well, I made it.  There were some trying times, but I managed to keep my trash to a minimum.  I think I will continue this for another week just to see how I do.  If nothing else, I learned that I was spending so much on “stuff” that I really didn’t need.  In fact, I had buyer’s remorse after purchasing an organizer that I can’t really use.  The idea was there, but when I received the item, it wasn’t as functional as I had hoped.  Eh, such is life.  I also learned that that less really can be more.  I wasn’t able to get to the mall like I had planned, so I suppose I will do that in the next couple of days.  I plan on getting some loose-leaf tea, bulk shampoo, and some soap samples.